The Pike County Commission approved an engineering fee with CDG engineering Monday to continue forward with plans to resurface an industrial access road at the site of Rex Lumber.

The dirt road initially running through the site was vacated by the commission last year for the lumber company to build a new state-of-the-art saw mill on the property, with plans to build the new paved road afterward.

The county awarded the contract in January 2019 to low bidder McDonald Construction out of Bullock County for $885,425.

Commission Chairman Robin Sullivan said that road has since been completed.

County Engineer Russell Oliver said approving the engineering fee was just another step in the process to getting the the rest of the project completed, which is expected to be done by June in concordance with the company’s projected opening.

Sullivan said this engineering fee had to be set so that the engineering could be done to resurface a portion of County Road 7714, also known as Old Highway 231.

“There was a concrete base under that from way back so we’re having to engineer the resurfacing of that to handle the big trucks that will be coming over it,” Sullivan said.

The process has involved multiple departments and agencies in the state, requiring the commission to take more actions in steps as various portions of the project were approved and funded.

Sullivan said the process is still on pace to match the expected opening date for Rex Lumber in June.

The county voted to cancel its regularly scheduled meeting for May 27 as it falls on Memorial Day. The next meeting will be Monday, June 10 upstairs at the Pike County Health Department.