WYDOT proposes bridge options

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
The Weston County commissioners have asked the Wyoming Department of Transportation to assess the Old Highway 85 Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad bridge, according to information from the department. The bridge is located on County Road 1A, approximately 3 miles south of Newcastle. 
The public is being asked to provide comment on two proposed options by filling out a survey online at www.westongov.com. The survey will be open to the public beginning on April 9 for 10 days. 
According to WYDOT, the results of the survey will be shared with the commissioners and a decision on the bridge will be shared with the public after the May 5 commissioners’ meeting.
“The county has asked WYDOT to determine the cost of replacing or removing the existing structure utilizing the FHWA BROS (Federal Highway Administrations Bridge Replacement Off-System) program,” the information states. 
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.” 
The existing structure on Old Highway 85 was originally owned by the state but was transferred to Weston County by quitclaim deed in 1967. 
“The existing structure is a five span wide flange steel girder bridge constructed in 1929. In 1949 US Hwy 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 of 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, WYDOT says. 
“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 WYDOT proposal says. “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.” 
Removal of the bridge would include regrading the road in the vicinity of the bridge and installing roadblocks.
The estimated cost  for replacing the bridge is $3,800,000 ($618,000 for design and $3,200,000 for construction). The estimated cost for removing the bridge is $839,000 ($238,000 for design and $601,000 for construction). 
The survey period on the proposed
bridge alternatives will begin April 9 and can be access at www.westongov.com. The Wyoming Department of Transportation said that the opinion of the public matters in this decision process.