No Money for Needed Road Repairs on County Road 351

JULY 16, 2025 |

Photo – CR 351 also known as Seminoe Road – Carbon County Road & Bridge

As budgets tighten, county officials acknowledge the deteriorating condition of Seminoe Road.

During Monday’s Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Road and Bridge Superintendent Kandis Fritz provided an update on Seminoe Road, the highway connecting Sinclair to Seminoe Reservoir. Fritz said the road is in poor condition, with six different sections requiring immediate repair. The Road and Bridge Superintendent proposed two options for repaving the road once the repairs are complete: fresh pavement or recycled asphalt.

Fritz acknowledged that the county lacks the resources to fully repave all 33 miles of Seminoe Road, comparing it to the recently paved Sage Creek Road, which is already showing signs of deterioration. The Road and Bridge Superintendent recommended applying the recycled asphalt as a temporary fix and addressing any future damage as it occurs.

Fritz explained that over 60,000 visitors use the road to reach Seminoe Reservoir and the nearby Miracle Mile every year. If the county chooses to use recycle asphalt to repair the road, it will require annual applications of the anti-dust chemical, magnesium chloride, which the county lacks the resources to purchase. The Road and Bridge Superintendent asked the Board of County Commissioners for guidance.

Commissioner John Johnson said the Board is legally required to ensure the health and safety of everyone in Carbon County, including making sure local roads are safe and accessible. However, Commissioner Johnson said he is unable to make a decision on Seminoe Road until Fritz can provide repair cost estimates and identify potential funding sources.

Recent property tax relief measures passed by the state legislature have reduced the county’s budget by nearly $500,000 this fiscal year.

The property tax money is used to pay for services, such as libraries, museums, and road maintenance. Commissioner Johnson casually remarked that the county could shut down Seminoe Road until funding levels returned to normal but clarified that neither he nor the Board were seriously considering that approach.

Road and Bridge Superintendent Kandis Fritz echoed the Board’s frustration and offered to obtain cost estimates to repair the failing sections of the road.

Fritz revisited the question of funding for the Seminoe Road repairs, noting that her current budget does not have enough money to cover any additional infrastructure projects.

Fritz said when she began working in the Road and Bridge Department 22 years ago, her budget was $3 million. Now, it’s closer to $1 million. Repaving the entire 33-mile stretch of Seminoe Road is estimated to cost nearly $60 million, putting it out of reach of even her 2003 budget.

The Road and Bridge Superintendent said the county lacks both the funding and personnel needed to maintain the 100 miles of paved roads.

Commission Vice Chairwoman Gwynn Bartlett asked Fritz to prepare two separate estimates: one for repairing Seminoe Road section by section, and another for repaving the entire 33-mile stretch of roadway. The Road and Bridge Superintendent agreed to gather the pricing information as soon as possible.