Road And Bridge Focuses On Bridge Repairs

December 20, 2023 |

Photo – County Road 401 South of Rawlins – Bigfoot99 file photo

Carbon County Road and Bridge wants to focus on repairing the county’s many failing bridges in 2024.

During the December 5^th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Road and Bridge Superintendent Kandis Fritz began her report by saying that County Roads 401 and 500 are closed to motorists. Fritz said the roads will remain open for recreational use.

The final county commissioner meeting of the year was held yesterday. Speaking on December 5^th, Fritz said she would be unable to make this week’s meeting. The road and bridge superintendent said she’ll be working with Brush Creek Ranch and Wyoming Department of Transportation to finalize the paperwork to build a new bridge. Fritz said the board will be kept up to date on her push to prioritize bridge repairs in the county.

Last month, the board contracted with Merchant, McIntyre, and Associates, a Washington DC based firm that specializes in securing federal grants. Fritz said she met with Merchant McIntyre about finding grants for three major roadway projects in Carbon County. The road and bridge boss said the county needs to resurface two roads and repair 12 deteriorating bridges.

Commissioner John Espy said he would like to address County Road 401 before anything else. Commissioner Espy said resurfacing the road south of Rawlins will ensure it remains passable for years to come.

Fritz said Merchant McIntyre informed her that obtaining a grant to resurface County Road 401 may be difficult. Fritz said maintaining the road is the county’s responsibility. The road and bridge superintendent said finding grants to repair and replace the county’s 12 failing bridges would be easier. Fritz said next year, she will ask the board for money to gradually resurface the county roads.

County Clerk Gwynn Bartlett said deciding which road receives priority may be out of the board’s hands. Clerk Bartlett said the county is constrained by the grants Merchant McIntyre can secure.

Clerk Bartlett said Merchant McIntyre asked what projects the county wants to focus on. Bartlett said the board will have to make the final decision if funding can only be found for a portion of the projects.

Commissioner John Johnson instructed Road and Bridge Superintendent Fritz to compile a list of the most pressing issues facing Carbon County’s roads. Commissioner Johnson said knowing exactly which roads and bridges need attention will allow the board to better budget for repairs next year.

Clerk Bartlett said county roads are important to economic development. Bartlett said major projects, such as the various wind and transmission lines, use county roads to reach their construction sites. Clerk Bartlett said having a new bridge or resurfaced road may increase the amount of money coming into the county.