Road Department outlines FY26 work plan: pavings, culverts, bridge priorities and equipment purchases

John, the county’s road and bridge administrator, and Nate, road foreman, presented the Road Department’s proposed fiscal-year 2026 work plan and capital request to the Board of County Commissioners on May 1, describing planned pavings, culvert replacements, bridge projects and equipment needs.

John summarized the proposed capital program as 15 miles of county-staff paving with four additional miles to be done by private contractor, a number of large culvert replacements, and several identified bridge projects. He described recent and planned work including culvert installations at Camas Creek and Fred Burr, slide repair and reinforcement on Old Darby Road, and 15 miles of county-led paving projects in areas such as West Hills Road, Logan Canyon Creek Road, Blodgett View and Old Darby. John said some culvert work on recent projects was partially funded by state grant money.

The presentation highlighted specific bridge and crossing priorities. John noted the Ironcap bridge project was largely funded through SB 536 grant support and that the Cross Lane bridge (previously identified in county planning) carries roughly 900 trips per day and may qualify for SB 536 funding if the commission chooses to apply. He raised Quas Lane bridge as a structure that may require substantial work and said some bridges could exceed the limits of smaller “quick-fix” grant categories.

Commissioners and staff discussed Thorny Creek bridge and whether to replace, abandon, or convert sections to private maintenance; John said some residents support keeping maintenance while others prefer closure, and the department will evaluate whether SB 536 funds should be applied to replacement or whether the county should defer work.

Equipment and capital requests were central to the presentation. John said four new road graders approved in a prior budget are expected to arrive in June and described an immediate need to replace aging plow-dump trucks and beds; the department’s request included multiple trucks and associated turnkey plow equipment. The road shop also proposed buying a 2023-model excavator (used) and discussed the cost/benefit of renting or buying a smaller mini-excavator for several culvert and tree-removal projects. John noted a 10-year expected life for graders and said several existing vehicles purchased between 2016–2017 are reaching that cycle.

Staff also briefed commissioners on operational choices for chip-seal and mag-chloride applications. The department performed roughly 29–31 miles of mag-chloride application in recent seasons; John said the county might consider reducing one year of mag-chloride to focus on culvert replacements and paving if funding and staffing permit. He described the potential to coordinate private contractors and county crews to increase efficiency and noted that some private contractors have performed mag-chloride work before the county does for given neighborhoods.

On staffing and pay the road and bridge administrator requested modest hourly adjustments for key shop staff; commissioners cautioned the upcoming budget cycle may limit across-the-board increases and noted county revenue uncertainty tied to state-level funding decisions (including SRS and PILT). John summarized grant outcomes the department has secured in recent years and stressed the need to time culvert purchases and paving so culvert work happens before paving begins.

Commissioners asked for additional cost breakdowns and prioritization. They directed staff to prepare formal cost estimates for key bridge candidates (Cross Lane, Quas Lane) for possible SB 536 grant applications and to return with a finalized paving and culvert sequencing plan by late summer so procurement and materials can be scheduled for fall and winter preparation.

No binding votes were taken; the presentation will inform the county’s final FY26 budget decisions.