Efforts to overhaul some of Ray County’s most deteriorated roads are gaining momentum, but transportation leaders cautioned that progress hinges on timing, funding and a little luck with the weather. State and county officials noted they are working to fast-track long-overdue upgrades to Route A and Route Z, including patching soft spots, improving drainage and eventually paving miles of rural roadway. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has now committed to a public meeting in mid-July to solicit feedback on Route Z after a scheduled bridge replacement project was delayed. “We’ll probably look to be scheduling a public meeting, maybe sometime in July, to talk about its next step,” said MoDOT’s District Engineer Greg Bolon. “Because the project was rejected this year, we may have to go to one-lane traffic or remote posting for safety until it’s addressed.” The bridge on Route Z, located south of Orrick, was previously scheduled for replacement but did not pass the…