APRIL 14, 2025 |
Photo – Baggot Rocks Road bridge – Courtesy Sheriff Alex Bakken
Last week, WYDOT engineers closed the bridge on County Road 680, also known as Baggot Rocks Road, in the southern end of the Platte Valley.
Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken announced the closure of the bridge over the Encampment River on Thursday morning. Road barriers were placed across the road, barring traffic from crossing.
On April 3rd, Wyoming Department of Transportation District One Construction Engineer Ryan Shields demanded the immediate closure of the bridge on County Road 680. Engineer Shields detected structural issues during a routine WYDOT Bridge Program inspection.
During another routine inspection last year, structural concerns caused WYDOT engineers to lower the weight limit on the bridge. The issues progressed to the point where the state agency no longer believes the bridge is safe to drive across. The county is responsible for fixing the bridge.
The Board of Carbon County Commissioners held a special meeting to discuss the situation on Tuesday, April 8.
After the meeting, the county’s Road and Bridge Supervisor, Kandis Fritz, released a statement saying that WYDOT is planning to completely replace the trellis bridge on County Road 680 five years from now, in 2030.
Fritz announced in the statement the bridge closure is only temporary. The Road and Bridge Department is currently in the process of finding an engineering firm to assess the bridge and estimate the cost of repairs.
In the meantime, the Road and Bridge Department will investigate the possibility of constructing a temporary bridge across the Encampment River until WYDOT replaces the structure. Additionally, the county may simply pay to replace the bridge itself, rather than waiting for the state agency to take appropriate action.
In her statement, Road and Bridge Superintendent Fritz wrote that county officials are aware of the inconvenience the closure of the Baggot Rocks Road bridge is having on local landowners. The Board of County Commissioners have promised to remedy the situation as quickly as possible.
Fritz will continue to update the board on the status of the County Road 680 bridge. The next Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting is set for 2:00 p.m. on April 15th at the Medicine Bow Senior Center, located at 520 Utah Street, in Medicine Bow. Additionally, the meeting will be broadcast live on the Carbon County government website, Carbon County, WY – Official Website | Official Website, under the Commissioners tab.
