Motorists using Dallas County Road 30 will have a smoother ride within the next three months.

The Dallas County Commission voted unanimously to approve the state’s recommendation to honor the low bid of Asphalt Contractors and provide matching funds to resurface the road.

When the project was bid out, Dallas County engineer Coosa Jones said they were expecting a much higher number.

“The bids came in considerably lower than what we had expected,” he said.

Probate Judge Kim Ballard said the county expected the project to cost about $1 million, but Asphalt Contractors returned a bid of $760,000.

The county will pay $184,000.

Jones said work could begin on the project within 30 to 60 days.

“It takes that long to get the bonds and all that kind of stuff in,” he said.

The county is also one step closer to securing storm shelters, Dallas County Emergency Management Agency director Rhonda Abbott said.

The county will apply for three community storm shelters to be placed in the horse arena, Southside High School and Plantersville.

“All total, we are going to submit for the whole county including the city of Valley Grande for eight community storm shelters,” she said. “(The county’s) part will only be for three.”

The county will pay a 25 percent match if the shelters are approved.

New sirens, Abbott said, are also on the way. Ballard said the sirens poles have been donated and are ready for use.

“We have now secured the poles for sirens,” he said. “Pioneer Electric said we can pick them up at any time.”

The biggest delay in having the sirens up and running is having them shipped in, Abbot said. Once they arrive, the process of putting the sirens up in their new locations will not take long.

“The sirens have been ordered and once they have been ordered they have to make them,” she said. “It could be another six weeks before we get them, but once we do it will be a very quick installation. Everything is set up. We’re just waiting on the sirens.”

The sirens will be placed at Five Points Elementary, Salem Elementary, Shiloh Elementary and Paul M. Grist State Park. The siren at Grist will be placed on County Road 37, not inside the park.