The Seymour man who has been in charge of the county highway department for seven years will miss a lot of things about the job now that he’s retired.

The thing he’ll miss most, however, are the people he has worked with and for over the years.

“I’ve been very lucky. I’ve enjoyed my jobs, both here and at Dunlap (and Company Inc.), and working with all the great, hard-working people,” Warren Martin said.

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Martin started as a bridge foreman for the county in 2007 after leaving Dunlap and Company. He took the position of highway superintendent two years later in 2009.

He said since becoming superintendent, a lot of things have changed.

“A lot of the equipment we use has changed. We’ve gone to computerized boxes that control the salt spreaders and other things like that,” Martin said.

As highway superintendent, Martin was in charge of about 750 miles of road, the culverts and pipes underneath those roads and the 187 bridges in the county.

Martin oversaw the programs involving spot patching on roads, chipping and sealing sections of the road — often as much as 50 miles a year — and overseeing the maintenance of equipment the department has at its disposal for projects.

Under Martin’s tenure, several major river bridges have been replaced or updated.

The Driftwood Bridge, formerly known as Cavanaugh Bridge, over the Muscatatuck River in far southern Driftwood Township is the latest of the bridges. That project, costing nearly $2.4 million, is nearly complete.

The Shieldstown Covered Bridge project, which is not complete, and the Medora Covered Bridge project also occurred while he was in charge.

While the renovation of most of the bridges in the county might seem like it is Martin’s crowning achievement, he said that isn’t so.

“I think I’m most proud of getting some of the programs that I’ve been able to put together, including getting brine equipment for cold weather,” he said. “There aren’t too many groups around the state that can do the brine treatment for winter.”

The brine equipment the county uses is a liquid/salt mixture spread on the roads to prevent icing. It is placed on roads before a winter storm moves and is activated by moisture.

While normal salt functions down to roughly 15 degrees Fahrenheit, brine mixture functions much lower, allowing for road de-icing at lower temperatures. In the past, salt and sand were spread across ice- and snow-covered roads after the storms moved in, and plows were used to clear the roads of snow.

Martin said he was able to move to the brine system with help of the county commissioners and county council.

Both also have made it possible for the highway department to get the equipment it needed to function properly, he said.

Martin, who retired April 29, said for the first time in 53 years he doesn’t have a job to go to each day.

He said, however, he is looking forward to retirement, spending his newly found free time traveling, hunting, horseback riding and visiting with his 10 grandchildren.

The man stepping into Martin’s shoes worked for 28 years as a construction worker before becoming a foreman for the county highway department.

Jerry Ault replaced Martin as highway superintendent.

“I’m actually pretty excited,” Ault said about the position. “I’m going to continue where Warren left off.”

Ault said he plans to continue moving the department forward by keeping the equipment up-to-date and continuing the paving and chip and seal programs.

“I admire (Martin’s) leadership skills and how he was always really good with the budget,” Ault said.