County Moves Forward to Repair Closed Bridge

APRIL 16, 2025|

Photo – Bridge on County Road 680 – Courtesy Sheriff Bakken

County officials have allocated $106,000 to reopen the Baggot Rocks Road bridge.

Earlier this month, the Wyoming Department of Transportation declared the bridge on County Road 680, crossing over the Encampment River, unsafe and closed it to all vehicle traffic.

Structural issues were discovered during a routine inspection conducted as part of WYDOT’s Bridge Program. Unlike what Bigfoot99 originally reported, District One Construction Engineer Ryan Shields was not responsible for the closure of the County Road 680 bridge. Instead, the bridge was immediately closed to traffic based on the findings of the Bridge Program inspection.

During Tuesday’s Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting in Medicine Bow, Road and Bridge Superintendent Kandis Fritz explained that the same day WYDOT closed the road, April 3^rd, a representative from the Laramie-based engineering firm Reiman Corporation was on site to evaluate the structure. Fritz said the engineer developed a plan to repair the bridge. However, WYDOT has the final say on whether the proposed repairs will be enough to reopen the bridge.

Fritz said Reiman Corporation has quoted $106,350 to make the Baggot Rocks Road bridge safe to cross once again.

WYDOT was already planning to completely replace the trellis bridge on County Road 680 under its Bridge Replacement Off System, or BROS, program. However, work on the replacement bridge wasn’t scheduled to begin until 2030, five years from now.

During Tuesday’s Board meeting, Commissioner John Johnson said five years is too long for local landowners to be without a way to cross the Encampment River. Commissioner Johnson thanked Road and Bridge Superintendent Fritz for her quick response after receiving WYDOT’s report.

Vice Chairwoman Gwynn Bartlett asked if the proposed repairs will last until WYDOT can replace the bridge. Road and Bridge Superintendent Fritz explained that the repairs will provide enough stability to keep the bridge functional until 2030.

Fritz said similar repairs done on another county bridge lasted for 10 years.

Commissioner Sue Jones also thanked Fritz for expediting the County Road 680 bridge repairs. Commissioner Jones said a nearby rancher has agreed to allow the county to park on his property while the repairs are underway.

The Board of Carbon County Commissioners unanimously voted to waive the standard procurement policy, which requires the county to seek bids for purchases exceeding $75,000. The Board has the authority to bypass the policy in emergency situations.

Additionally, the Board approved a payment of $106,350 to Reiman Corporation to make the Baggot Rocks Road bridge usable again, pending WYDOT approval.