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San Juan County details two-year County Road 2 plan, looks to buy chloride silo and spray bar
Summary
Public works staff presented a two-year County Road 2 improvement plan including night-shift construction, new mag-chloride program, a water truck with spray bars and a chloride silo, and prioritised drainage, crown and gravel work to reduce dust and maintenance needs.
San Juan County public works staff laid out a two-year plan for County Road 2 on March 12 that prioritizes gravel work, improved drainage and a new approach to dust control intended to reduce long-term maintenance costs.
Rusty (last name not specified), San Juan County road supervisor, told commissioners the plan will combine nighttime paving and surface work with targeted mag-chloride (magnesium chloride) applications and a new strategy to store chloride on-site in a heated silo so the county can apply product as needed through the season. Rusty said the county budget includes roughly $30,000 for mag-chloride this year, and staff hope to outfit an existing water truck with spray bars so it can apply chloride on weekends and help manage dust during events such as the Silverton Alpine marathon.
Rusty said the work will include a 2.2-mile stretch widened to 27 feet for better surfacing, and that the county will order beet-juice-based additives for areas with low binder in the gravel. He noted that gravel, crown and drainage improvements must come before mag-chloride application: “If we put mag but don’t fix drainage and crown, you lose the mag and it’s money wasted,” he told commissioners.
Public comment and commissioners’ questions focused on timing, traffic impacts and coordination with other projects. Rusty said much of the work will be done at night to reduce public disruption and that crews will place hammerheads and work-zone signage. Staff also flagged that the county will double fines in construction work zones and coordinate with sheriff’s deputies for enforcement.
Separately, staff described near-term emergency work options for a rockslide on Lime Creek and coordination with the U.S. Forest Service and Excel Energy to clear blocked roads — staff said the Forest Service may reimburse the county if county equipment is used to restore access and residents still cannot reach cabins. The county and the Forest Service plan to meet on-site in spring to resolve access and parking issues at popular trailheads such as Clear Lake.
Ending: Public works will begin mobilizing this season with a focus on drainage, gravel work and a pilot for chloride storage and spray bars; staff will return with cost details and a schedule once contractors are confirmed.
