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Blount County Highway Superintendent Bill Dunlap is trying out a four-day work week to cut down on rising fuel costs for his department.

In May, the County Commission approved a $200,000 budget increase for the Highway Department to offset escalating fuel prices, increasing the fuel line item to $650,000. Fuel is now the second highest line item in Dunlap's budget.

That increase is "just to get me through the end of June," Dunlap said.

In response, Dunlap decided to get creative. He has implemented a 10-hour-per-day, four-days-per week, Monday through Thursday, work week for the about 60 employees on his road crews. The Highway Department office staff and sign shop employees remain on a traditional schedule.

"It's going pretty well," Dunlap said. "It is saving us roughly some $3,500 to $4,000 a day in fuel."

The Highway Department has been running the new schedules for about three weeks.

"Once you get set up and running, you can get more production out of a 10-hour day than an 8-hour day," Dunlap said.

The schedule change is not unique to Blount County.

"Greene County has been doing it for a long time," Dunlap said. "Unicoi County is. Out of the 23 counties in Region One, about half are running (the four day, 10 hours per day schedule)."

In March, Americans drove 11 billion fewer miles than in March 2007, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Records indicate that was the first time March travel on public roads declined since 1979. It was also the deepest monthly drop the agency has recorded.

In recent years, Dunlap has contended with the rising price of both fuel and asphalt, two products whose prices are being driven up by global demand for oil.