State grants Newcastle bike path extension

Alexis Barker
NLJ Reporter
 
The Wyoming Department of Transportation has granted an extension on the grant for the bike path that extends from The Hop on Main Street east to the port of entry path and from Newcastle Elementary School to Gray Addition. 
The extension will give the contractors, S&S Builders of Gillette, until Oct. 31 to complete the project. 
On Oct. 1, City engineer Mike Moore told the Newcastle City Council that the state had granted a one-month extension. He noted that if the project is not completed by Oct. 31, it will run out of grant funding, unless the city opts to continue the project and complete the remainder of the path. 
The grant was scheduled to expire on Sept. 30. Without the extension, the bike path would have not been completed, and the city would have been responsible for any work completed after Sept. 30, according to Moore. 
“It is very generous of the state,” Moore said. “We are hoping to finish, and the contractor is working hard to hit that objective.” 
Moore noted that there are some technical issues with the project to work through and that weather could affect the completion date. He stated that S&S Builders hopes to finish the project, but there are factors that play a role in the contractor’s ability to complete it on time. 
“We are one of a number of projects they have to also work on. They have indicated that they will put as much time on the project as they can,” Moore said. “That coupled with unknown weather is what influences the construction.”