Tuesday, JANUARY 6, 2026 |
Photo – Beaver Creek Bridge – Courtesy Carbon County Road and Bridge
Weight limits have been reduced on two deteriorating bridges in Carbon County.
During the December 16th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Road and Bridge Superintendent Kandis Fritz announced that the County Road 203 bridge over the North Platte River has had its maximum weight limit reduced by 36 percent. Fritz said county plow crews can no longer use the bridge to reach the area south of Brush Creek Ranch, forcing them to take a much longer route.
Fritz said she notified Carbon County School District Two that plow crews will be delayed in clearing the nearby school bus route.
Next, the Road and Bridge Superintendent reported that the maximum weight limit on the County Road Three bridge in Elk Mountain has also been reduced, this time by nearly half.
Commission Vice Chairwoman Gwynn Bartlett asked if the County Road Three bridge was slated for replacement through the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s Bridge Replacement Off System program, or BROS. Fritz replied that the County Road 203 bridge is next in line, with a bridge at Baggot Rocks to follow. County Road Three may be third on the list, she said, but the first project is still at least two years out.
WYDOT’s BROS program uses state and federal funding to replace or repair bridges owned by counties, towns, or tribal governments rather than the state itself. Local governments are required to contribute 9.51 percent of the total project cost.
Speaking to Vice Chair Bartlett, Fritz said work on the County Road Three bridge is unlikely to begin before 2032.
Commissioner John Johnson, who owns a ranch on County Road Three, said large oil tankers should no longer cross the deteriorating bridge, although he believes they will continue to do so. Fritz said she will not have her road maintenance crews use the affected bridges.
Emergency Manager Lenny Layman asked if the weight reductions applied to emergency vehicles. If so, Layman directed the Road and Bridge Superintendent to notify the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office so the information could be distributed to the appropriate emergency responders.
Fritz responded that the appropriate entities, including the Sheriff’s Office and Carbon County Fire Protection District, were already aware of the weight-limit reductions. Fritz added that the restrictions do not apply to emergency vehicles.
In the meantime, both county-owned bridges will remain under the lowered weight limits until they are addressed through WYDOT’s BROS program.
