Calling it a last resort, Franklin County Engineer David Palmer said converting some county roads to gravel is a possibility as a result of limited maintenance funds.

Colbert County Engineer John Bedford gave his county commissioners the same bleak news recently, adding that below-freezing temperatures in February caused about $3.3 million worth of damage to county roads.

"The damage is real," Bedford said. "We're facing the real threat of turning chip-seal roads back over to gravel roads, and (asphalt) roads back to chip-seal. We're going to be stepping backward on the type of (road surfaces) we have unless we can get some assistance."

In Michigan, about 100 miles of paved roadway in 38 counties have been reverted back to gravel roads because of financial issues, according to the County Road Association of Michigan.

"It's certainly one of the last things we would want to do," Palmer said. "The truth is, we only have so much money, and we've tried diligently to leverage some funds from the federal government and state government. We've just not had any success."

Palmer said the money road departments receive from the state and federal governments has remained flat, while the cost of materials has increased significantly.

Palmer said the county has virtually the same gasoline tax revenue that it collected in 1991.

As oil prices rise, the cost of gas increases, causing motorists to drive less.

That results in less revenue from fuel taxes, Palmer said.

The rising cost of petroleum products also translates into increased costs for road-building materials, such as asphalt, liquid asphalt and tires for equipment.

Bedford said it's a possibility Colbert County could lose several miles of paved road because the county cannot afford the maintenance.

Bedford said the issue has been around for years, but February's severe winter weather just added to the problem, causing potholes to appear. In some cases, long stretches of roadway are beginning to deteriorate.

He said the state's application for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency was denied, but Gov. Bob Riley plans to resubmit the request.

USA Today reports that rural communities in Maine, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Vermont have either converted or plan to convert cracked asphalt roads back to gravel to reduce maintenance costs.

"Turning a bunch of roads back to gravel is not in our plan, but to tell you that it is not impossible and that it would never happen is not a true statement either," Palmer said.

Lauderdale County Engineer Ken Allamel said converting paved roads back to gravel is not something he is considering.

"We're doing a pretty good job keeping pace year to year with our resurfacing," Allamel said.

The freezing temperatures, however, have caused some setbacks, he said.

"It will be difficult to take us back to where we were even a few months ago, but the option to turn existing paved roads back to gravel is not something the commission is looking at at this time," Allamel said.

Colbert County Commissioner Rex Burleson said he understands the situation.

"We'll just have to wait and see," he said. "If we can't fund it, we don't have a choice."

Rep. Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, said a House bill allowing county commissions to call a referendum for temporary local fuel taxes for road and bridge projects is dead.

There isn't a companion bill in the Senate.

The bill was supported by The Association of County Commissions of Alabama and numerous county engineers.

Ford said oil and gas lobbyists, particularly Arlene Alexander, with the Petroleum and Convenience Marketers of Alabama, were against it.

"Convenience stores don't want higher gas prices because people buy less gas," Ford said.

Sonny Brasfield, executive director of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama, said people need to be educated on exactly what the bill would allow.

"It put the decision in the hands of someone other than members of the Legislature," he said.

Russ Corey can be reached at 740-5738 or russ.corey@TimesDaily.com.

M.J. Ellington contributed to this report.