May 23, 2024 |
Photo – County Road 201 – Courtesy Google Maps
The Carbon County commissioners voted this week not to treat County Road 201 with dust reducing chemicals after residents complain.
Carbon County is home to nearly 1,000 miles of county-maintained roads. Most of those roads are not paved. To keep the dust down on the dirt roads, the county Road and Bridge Department uses magnesium chloride. The chemical is effective at reducing dust on most county roads. However, when it rains, mag chloride absorbs moisture, making some roads extremely slippery.
During Tuesday’s Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting held in Encampment, local resident Arla Strasser said mag chloride treatment on County Road 201, northeast of Riverside, makes the road impassable after it rains.
Strasser said nearby Baggot Road is also treated with mag chloride, but it does not become as slick after the treatment as County Road 201. She said the climate and composition of the county road makes it unsuitable for anti-dust chemical treatment.
Rich Bolkovatz also lives on County Road 201. Bolkovatz is the president of Reiman Corp, a Cheyenne-based contracting firm. Bolokvatz calculated that the county will spend roughly $140,000 treating the dirt road with mag chloride over the next five years. He said laying gravel on the road surface instead will cost the county approximately $175,000. Bolokvatz said the gravel will pay for itself after a little more than eight years.
Bolokvatz asked the commissioners to stop spraying County Road 201 with mag chloride for a few years if it can’t afford to lay gravel. He said the chemical will eventually dissipate, returning the road to normal.
Commissioner John Johnson said magnesium chloride reduces the need to grade the road. If County Road 201 is removed from the mag chloride list, Commissioner Johnson said the road may receive less maintenance.
Arla Strasser said she was happy with the compromise. Strasser thanked Road and Bridge Superintendent Fritz for the hard work of her crew. The Encampment resident said the condition of County Road 201 may make it difficult for an emergency vehicle to respond to any life-threatening situation in the area.
The county commissioners voted to remove County Road 201 from the mag chloride list.
Road and Bridge Superintendent Candice Fritz said the county road is on her short list to receive gravel. However, Fritz said she must first have enough money in her department’s budget.
