Standing by a barricade and a sign that read “Road Closed” on the St. Charles County side of the Augusta Bottom Road Tuesday, Joe Brazil vented about the last chapter in the Augusta Bottom Road …
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Standing by a barricade and a sign that read “Road Closed” on the St. Charles County side of the Augusta Bottom Road Tuesday, Joe Brazil vented about the last chapter in the Augusta Bottom Road saga.“This is one of the most messed up things I have ever seen, as far as liability and ownership issues,” the St. Charles County Council member told The Record.“The solution, in my view, is that Warren County needs to step up and fix the road,” Brazil said. The barricades were placed on the road over the weekend by the town of Augusta for insurance purposes, Brazil said.But, Brazil explained, Augusta has no legal right to put up the barricades. Nor can St. Charles County legally close the road until an open meeting is held.As Brazil spoke, a number of vehicles maneuvered around the barricades and continued on their way. Brazil and other St. Charles County officials said motorists have been driving around the barricades since they were erected.“It’s not illegal to go around,” he said.Warren County commissioners have discussed putting up concrete barriers on the Warren County side of the road but had not done so by Tuesday. The county has posted road closed signs at the Highway 47 intersection and may ask the sheriff’s office to patrol the area and to issue tickets to motorists who ignore the signs and barriers, according to commissioners. Motorists who obey the signs by taking Highway 94 to Washington or Augusta find their drives lengthened by about 15 minutes round trip, said Brazil.Brazil was on Augusta Bottom Road Tuesday to make a point. “The Warren County Commission is not doing what a government entity’s primary job is, taking care of its infrastructure.”Brazil said Warren County doesn’t want to fix the road because very few Warren County residents use it, except for a few farmers. “Meanwhile we are not allowed to fix it, because it’s in another county.“That’s not being a good neighbor,” he added. Brazil has repeated that comment to other media outlets since news broke Friday that the barricades were going to be erected. Warren County commissioners dispute that claim arguing they don’t own that portion of the road. The whole squabble is over 150 yards of roadway between St. Charles County and the levee, Brazil said Tuesday, but he said Warren County could do more to help resolve the situation pointing out that they turned down a grant that could have been used to improve the road. St. Charles County will hold a public meeting Thursday, Sept. 5, to decide what to do about Augusta’s request that St. Charles and Warren counties close Augusta Bottom Road at the St. Charles/Warren County line.St. Charles County Commissioner Blames Warren County