Bridge Over Encampment River Should Reopen by End of Month

MAY 7, 2025 |

Photo – CR680 bridge – Bigfoot99 file photo

Work to reopen the County Road 680 bridge over the Encampment River is expected to be finished before the end of the month.

On April 3rd, the Wyoming Department of Transportation recommended closing the County Road 680 bridge, crossing over the Encampment River. A routine inspection carried out through WYDOT’s Bridge Program identified safety concerns with the gusset plates used to reinforce the structure, leading to the bridge being closed to traffic.

The bridge is owned by Carbon County, making county officials responsible for repair costs.

After the bridge closed to traffic, County Road and Bridge Coordinator Kandis Fritz began contacting engineering firms to obtain a cost estimate to make the bridge usable again. During the April 15th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Road and Bridge Coordinator Fritz informed the Board that a representative from the Laramie-based engineering firm Reiman Corporation developed a plan to repair the bridge. However, Fritz said WYDOT must decide if the proposed fixes are enough.

The Carbon County Commissioners voted to pay Reiman Corporation $106,350 to repair the County Road 680 bridge.

When the commissioners met again yesterday, Fritz announced that WYDOT had approved Reiman Corporation’s bridge repair plan. Fritz added that County Attorney Ashley Davis and Reiman Corporation had finalized an agreement for the Laramie engineering firm to complete the repairs for the agreed-upon price and asked the Board to sign the contract.

Fritz said Reiman Corporation workers were on-site at the County Road 680 bridge, aiming to complete the work within two weeks. Afterward, WYDOT will need to inspect the work before granting approval to reopen the bridge. Fritz said she does not know when WYDOT will perform its final inspection.

Commissioner John Johnson asked Fritz if the county was required to wait for WYDOT’s approval before opening the bridge to traffic again. The Road and Bridge Coordinator said the final decision lies with the Board.

Commissioner Johnson criticized WYDOT for not approving Reiman Corporation’s repair plan more quickly.

Commissioner Sue Jones said WYDOT should have spotted the problems with the County Road 680 bridge sooner. Road and Bridge Coordinator Fritz said the state agency isn’t entirely at fault. The County’s Road and Bridge Department is responsible for preparing bridges for WYDOT inspection. Fritz said that neither she nor her crews had enough time to clean the bridges before the inspections took place.

The Board of Carbon County Commissioners voted to approve the contract with Reiman Corporation for repairs to the County Road 680 bridge. Weather permitting, work should be completed within two weeks, eliminating the need for local traffic to take the current 20-minute detour around the bridge.