Fate of bridge remains uncertain

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Members of the Weston County commissioners expressed concerns over the replacement of the bridge on Old Highway 85 during a discussion with the Wyoming Department of Transportation on Jan. 19. During that meeting, Commissioner Tony Barton motioned to remove the bridge. 
As previously reported, the commissioners had voted to replace the bridge in April 2020 after working with WYDOT to get feedback on the project. Because of  the two conflicting motions made almost a year apart, WYDOT representatives will meet with the board on Feb. 2 to discuss the status of
the project. 
Before making the motion last week, Barton said that he was unsure if the project is a good use of county dollars based on the current fiscal situation facing the state and local governments. Commissioner Nathan Todd echoed Barton’s concerns, stating that he was on the fence when it came to the replacement. 
Chairman Marty Ertman explained that previously the commissioners had supported the replacement, noting that the project would not begin until 2024 and that the money from the federal government is specifically for bridges. 
“This is our chance to get that bridge. We can debate economic development, but I’m not sure the railroad would not like having the bridge,” Ertman said. “We are getting a bridge for $400,000.” 
Commissioner Don Taylor chimed in, stating that while $400,000 is “pretty cheap” for a bridge, he is not sure if the timing is right with the fiscal numbers the government is looking at. 
“I am not for or against it; I want to read more,” Taylor said. 
Ertman added that despite the traffic study numbers stating that the bridge averages 191 vehicles a day, she personally sees the road being one of the busiest county roads, noting that GPS also directs people on the route because it is shorter. 
“I am not in favor of paying $4 million of anyone’s money for people to have a shorter GPS route or for a garbage truck to have a shorter route,” Todd said. “It is only $400,000 in county funding but that $3.6 million could be more beneficial elsewhere.” 
Despite Ertman’s concerns about the need for the bridge, the commissioners voted to remove the structure.
The bridge was originally owned by the state but transferred to Weston County by quitclaim deed in 1967. The bridge is described as an Old Highway 85 Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad bridge, located on County Road 1A, approximately 3 miles south of Newcastle. 
“The existing structure is a five-span wide flange steel girder bridge constructed in 1929. In 1949, US Highway 85 was realigned from the bridge heading south. The realignment widened and straightened the road meeting new road design standards established as part of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1944, which provided funding for the interstate highway system and a secondary system of principal secondary and feeder roads,” a WYDOT history on the structure says. “In 1963, the portion of US Hwy 85 from Newcastle to just south of the bridge was realigned to the west, bypassing the bridge.” 
Currently, according to WYDOT, the route
is one of two accesses to the Newcastle landfill. The travel on the bridge will decrease once
the landfill is closed in coming years,
WYDOT says. 
The 90-year-old bridge is in deteriorating condition and has a low rating, according to
the department.
“Therefore, the existing bridge will either be removed and replaced with a new structure meeting current design and functional standards. If replaced, the new structure will be designed for an HL-93 live load, and it will have a 26-foot clear roadway with two-inch wide curbs,” the proposal said. “It is anticipated that a new structure would be a multiple span steel girder bridge, which will allow BNSF to add track capacity in the future. An at-grade crossing will not be considered.” 
The estimated cost for replacing the bridge is $3,800,000 ($618,000 for design and $3,200,000 for construction). Removing the bridge without replacement had an estimated cost of $839,000. 
According to Dalles, WYDOT’s approval of the project comes early on in the process and that it is under the county’s purview to identify potential projects and apply for funding. 
“This project is a partnership and will continue to be an ongoing partnership,” Dalles said. 
She noted that the funding will come 90% from the Federal Highway Administrations Bridge Replacement Off-System program and that the county will be responsible for 10% of the costs associated with the project. 
The purpose of the program is to replace eligible bridges that have structural deficiencies, physical deterioration, and/or functional obsolescence. The program is a federally funded bridge replacement program and applies to structures not on the federal-aid system. 
“This program applies to bridges under the jurisdiction of public authority, located on a non-federal aid roadway and open to the public,” the information states. “This includes city, town, and county-owned bridges meeting the qualifications.”