Fremont County Commission adopts strategic safety plans for North Second, Lower North Fork and Tweed Lane

Fremont County commissioners voted to accept a set of strategic planning reports for North Second Street, Lower North Fork Road and Tweed Lane after a consultant presented crash and speed data and public-feedback-based recommendations.

The plans, prepared as part of a contract the presenter described as “a little under $400,000,” prioritize safety and outline phased steps — including right-of-way reestablishment, relocating irrigation facilities, shoulder widening at known problem locations, and pursuing grants for larger construction — rather than immediate construction commitments.

The consultant said the studies were driven by safety: “Safety. Right?” and showed 10 years of crash mapping, including three fatal crashes — one on the north end of Tweed Lane that resulted in two fatalities — and multiple serious-injury crashes along the North Second corridor. The consultant reported observed maximum speeds up to and above 100 miles per hour at isolated locations and noted that posted limits are 45 mph on North Second and Lower North Fork and 35 mph on Tweed Lane.

The reports used Federal Highway Administration comparisons that, the presenter said, show some locations with crash and injury rates that exceed FHWA critical values and national averages by more than 30 percent. Public engagement for the studies included mailed notices, three public meetings, one-on-one meetings and site visits; the presenter said the firms asked the public to rank alternatives and used those rankings along with safety, right-of-way needs, cost and professional scoring to choose preferred approaches.

For North Second and Lower North Fork the consultant said the preferred cross‑section combines bike lanes on both sides with a separated pedestrian lane (the bicycle lanes acting as a buffer). For Tweed Lane the preferred approach was to widen shoulders. The consultant noted a detached shared‑use path scored best in public input but that engineering and funding criteria led to the other recommendations being selected as preferred.

County staff and several commissioners emphasized the plans are strategic — a starting point for later design, grant applications and phased work — and stressed short-term, lower‑cost actions that could be done from the county’s road fund, such as moving fences to reestablish right of way and hauling material to build shoulders in targeted locations. One commissioner noted the full construction cost could be in the tens of millions: “The whole project would cost $40,000,000–$50,000,000,” and said the study includes proposals to begin work within available 1% road funds while seeking external grants.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to approve the strategic plans as presented; the motion was seconded and the commission voted in favor. The presenter said adoption “pretty much wraps it up for this study and sets the stage for the next phases.”

Next steps identified in the presentation and by staff were: adopt the plans formally, prioritize North Second and Lower North Fork for early action, pursue grants emphasizing documented safety needs, and proceed to design and phased construction as funding and right-of-way become available.