County-funded study maps options and triggers for Lamoille Highway bypass

Elko County commissioners on May 21 heard an update on a feasibility study that models traffic on Lamoille Highway and tests alternative routes and upgrades intended to provide long‑term secondary access for Spring Creek and the southern growth area.

The presentation by consultant Tom Hannan of Sand Bell Engineering summarized existing traffic counts, modeled "follower density" and level‑of‑service measures, and described next steps to evaluate five candidate alignments. "We started with basically doing the traffic agenda... We've been pulling in all this data from NDOT and a few other places to generate traffic numbers," Hannan told the board during the presentation.

The nut graf: commissioners asked the consultant team to refine the study to produce actionable guidance — not just traffic charts — by identifying specific alternative routes, estimating order‑of‑magnitude construction costs, and flagging land‑acquisition or permitting hurdles so the county can prioritize easement acquisition and long‑range budgeting.

Why it matters: Lamoille Highway carries peak volumes that rise sharply near town, creating a recurring local concern about emergency access and congestion. The study will inform whether the county should plan for roadway widening and intersection upgrades or pursue a new alignment — a decision with multi‑million‑dollar implications and long lead times for right‑of‑way acquisition.

Key details from the presentation: - Consultants used NDOT average daily traffic (ADT) counts (2012 and 2023 samples cited in the presentation) and a modern measure described as percent time spent following (converted to follower density). Hannan said the model shows Lamoille Highway currently carries about 16,100 ADT on sections and that traffic near Twelfth Street rises above that in places. - The team identified five preliminary alternative corridors (examples discussed included alignments using Boyd Kennedy Road, Berner Basin, Fort Hallock Road and a South‑Fork alignment) and noted route lengths ranging roughly from about 20 to nearly 28 miles depending on alignment and tie‑in points. - The consultants emphasized that bus and mine shift transportation significantly influence peak flows: many mine employees travel by bus, which lowers vehicle counts but can change demand patterns if busing practices change. - Hannan said the next deliverables will include route sketches with topography, preliminary grading and paving quantities, rough cost bands (ballpark dollar magnitudes), and estimated triggers tied to master‑plan build‑out and projected ADT thresholds.

Commissioner questions focused on three priorities commissioners want in the next report: a) route‑level cost ranges (order‑of‑magnitude estimates in today’s dollars), b) an assessment of right‑of‑way difficulty (BLM, county, private ownership), and c) clear traffic triggers (levels of development or ADT that would justify each alternative). One commissioner said, "If we get started now by identifying the best secondary for the future, we could start acquiring easements before development gets ahead of us. That would be my main priority."

The consultants also noted that some local streets, including Aircar/Earhart Boulevard, are under‑utilized in existing patterns and could relieve pressure at certain intersections if coupled with signal and intersection improvements.

What remains unresolved: The study is still in the traffic‑modeling phase; no decision or recommendation to build any alignment was requested or taken at the meeting. Commissioners asked staff to include prior plans and studies (a 1997 JUB study and the 2012 master plan) in the next packet and to ask the consultants to show why very large alternatives — for example, a new 4‑lane corridor that would cost far more to build — may be infeasible.

What's next: The county asked the consultant team to return with refined model outputs, comparison tables of 3–4 prioritized alignments, rough cost bands, right‑of‑way notes, and timing/triggers so the commission can weigh acquisition, budgeting and potential coordination with NDOT in future capital plans.