June 20, 2023 |
Photo – Mud ruts in dirt road – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Carbon County Road and Bridge Department has asked commissioners to update the county’s road maintenance policies.
During the June 6th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Road and Bridge Superintendent Kandis Fritz said she often hears from residents with questions about her department’s road maintenance strategy. Fritz said she would like to keep the public better informed on how their tax dollars are spent.
Fritz said the application of magnesium chloride on county roads is the issue that draws the most feedback. Mag chloride is a binding agent applied to dirt roads to reduce dust and to keep them intact. The salt- based chemical also attracts water. On roads with a lot of clay, mag chloride can result in muddy and slick conditions after a rain. The chemical also has negative impacts on vegetation and soil. It also can corrode concrete and metal. Because of the negative impacts of treatment, Fritz said residents often ask her not to apply mag chloride in their area.
The road and bridge superintendent said more than half of the people living on a county road must agree to stop the application.
County commissioner John Johnson said some residents may see a benefit of the mag chloride treatment and want it continued. He said Fritz shouldn’t cease application because one or two people complain.
Commission chairwoman Sue Jones said updating the county’s road and bridge policy documents would help people better understand how the department works. Chairwoman Jones said people may not read the policies, but the information must be publicly available.
Fritz also asked the board about authorizing the closure of two county roads during winter months. She asked the board to designate both the 497 and 499 as seasonal routes. County Road 497 runs north out of Rawlins into Natrona County east of the Pathfinder Reservoir. County Road 499 intersects Highway 220 roughly 10 miles north of Muddy Gap.
As seasonal roads, the county would no longer be required to plow during the winter. Fritz said keeping the roads open has become too costly and time consuming.
Commissioner Johnson asked if the board was required to inform the people who live along the roads before changing the designation. County Attorney Ashley Davis said residents have been given advance warning in the past. Attorney Davis suggested the board allow a month-and-a-half notice period before taking any action.
Commissioner John Espy said he has a family member who lives on County Road 497. Espy added that if Natrona County refuses to maintain their section of the road during winter months, then Carbon County should follow suit. Espy said the two roads are in remote parts of the county.
Commissioner Espy said the two county roads, CR 497 and CR 499, are not primary routes. The county isn’t required to keep them open during the winter. The commissioner suggested offering assistance when requested, but not putting too much effort into keeping the roads cleared of snow.
Fritz thanked the commissioners for their understanding. The road and bridge superintendent explained just how difficult it is to keep the two county roads open during the winter.
Commissioner Espy said the county should begin the process of changing the designation of the two roads. He said every resource is needed just to keep primary roads in the county cleared during winter.
Chairwoman Jones said no matter what the county says, mother nature has the final say on which roads are seasonal.
Attorney Davis suggested the board combine changing the designations of county roads 497 and 499 with the road and bridge policy update into one public hearing.
The commission didn’t take any official action on Fritz’s ideas. If they decide to move forward, the county will send out letters informing residents along county roads 497 and 499 of their intention to change the roads’ designations. Forty-five days after the letters are sent, the county will hold a public hearing on the policy changes.
