Bonner County Road and Bridge outlines summer paving, culvert repairs and railroad crossing work

Road and Bridge Director Todd reported at the Bonner County meeting that county crews are running multiple asphalt, chip-seal and culvert-repair projects this summer, that Rapid Lighting Bridge No. 5 is under construction and that the Colburn Bridge over Grouse Creek has been awarded to Kramer Construction with a preconstruction meeting planned soon.

The director said the work affects travel on several county roads and includes coordination with the Idaho Transportation Department and multiple railroad companies. He described an effort to change an older state-era statute from 1930 that currently limits local responsibility to two feet from the rail; the director said Federal Railroad Administration rules require safety measures within 25 feet of tracks and that the difference drives extra contractor and training costs.

The county’s summer program includes asphalt lifts and final layers on Large Street and Vaden, an asphalt placement scheduled on or about June 19 on Garfield Bay, and recent paving of Center Valley. Chip-seal operations are planned after the final asphalt lifts and will be followed by striping. Road and Bridge crews are also doing mag (magnesium chloride binder) applications; Todd said mag crews in District 1 are “a good 3 weeks behind schedule” but that some weather delays in May may produce a longer-lasting product.

Todd said Rapid Lighting Bridge No. 5 is already under construction and that Kramer Construction won the Colburn Bridge contract and will begin shortly. “They should have it done by October, November-ish,” he said about the Colburn Bridge schedule. The department expects the Colburn job to move faster where the road can be closed for the work.

Culverts are a major focus. Todd described a failing culvert on Sand Creek near Vidalwood that he found while inspecting nearby asphalt work; after checking GIS, he determined it lies inside city limits and said he notified the city that the culvert is failing. He said a similar culvert replacement could be “a quarter million dollar project” because of size and fish-passage work. The county will help advise the city but, because the culvert is inside the city boundary, it falls to the city rather than the county to pay for the work.

The department is replacing culverts for a flap-grant project on Trestle Creek and working on right-of-way purchases tied to future paving there. Todd said district crews are prioritizing the worst sites for culvert replacement and grading this season and that water trucks are being used to assist mag and grading operations.

Railroad crossings and who pays for paving after railroad work drew extensive discussion. Todd said Idaho Transportation Department and Burlington Northern have worked with the county to install crossing arms in Sully and that BNSF has been cooperative about paving transitions. By contrast, he said Union Pacific has been harder to coordinate with on some local projects and that contractors required to work close to UP tracks must be “rail safe,” which includes training and certification that add cost. “That original bill was written in 1930, so I'm trying to push that forward,” Todd said of proposed state legislation to change the county’s responsibility where railroads lift or alter track profiles; he urged working with the Idaho Association of Counties’ Intergovernmental Affairs committee to move a resolution or bill into the next legislative session.

On budgeting, Todd said he updated the department’s operating budget at staff direction: he moved a $3,000 line item that covered an old photocopier into office supplies and plans to return a previously moved $5,000 reduction so the three districts and the administrative office will share an $8,000 office-supplies line item this fiscal year. He said he had already discussed that change with county staff and would finalize it in the next budget update.

Other operational notes included hiring an outside flagging crew for chip-seal work, building permanent 6x6 sign posts and protective covers to simplify seasonal school-speed sign installs and removals, and follow-up meetings with railroad representatives about paving transitions on Elmira and Samuels Road. Todd said the department will seek additional feedback from community members about a previously discussed quiet-zone process; county legal review has been completed and the county expects to bring a final package to the board for consideration once community comments are addressed.

The director and staff identified several next steps: finalize preconstruction scheduling with Kramer Construction for Colburn Bridge, confirm contractor patching ahead of scheduled chip sealing at Duford, continue culvert replacements under the Trestle Creek grant, pursue legislative outreach on the 1930 rail statute through IAC channels, and circulate the quiet-zone process back to community stakeholders for final comment.

Questions from board members focused on project timing, shoulder transitions after asphalt work and which jurisdiction is financially responsible when railroad work affects county roads. Todd repeatedly emphasized coordination with ITD and railroad companies and the potential for state-level fixes to reduce local costs.