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Valley County approves West Roseberry repair bid, OKs trial bituminous surface treatment on two gravel roads
Summary
The Valley County Board of Commissioners approved a bid process for repairs on West Roseberry Road after staff described geotechnical findings that the route is nearly failing, and authorized a trial bituminous surface treatment (double chip seal) on Clear Creek and West Mountain roads to test dust control and durability.
Valley County commissioners on Aug. 6 approved a bid for repairs on West Roseberry Road and authorized a trial bituminous surface treatment on two gravel road segments as part of a county effort to stabilize heavily used rural roads ahead of winter.
County staff told commissioners that geotechnical work shows the West Roseberry stretch — roughly a half-mile from Tamarack Falls Road down to the Tamarack Falls Bridge — is “almost past failure,” and needs intervention. Staff recommended opening bids on Sept. 3 and asked the board to allow contractors to submit two prices: one for work this year and one for work next year to show cost differences.
“This has been a long time coming,” a county staff member said. The staff member said the two-bid approach would give the county “the best option in terms of overall price,” and described short-term measures the crew will use if full work is delayed, including paper patching and then a paver patch to hold the route over winter.
Commissioners also approved a trial of bituminous surface treatment (BST), described by staff as a double chip seal applied over an existing gravel surface to reduce dust and add stability. The board authorized BST for two locations: a segment in the West Mountain area north of the Tamarack Falls location and about a half-mile on Clear Creek Road. Staff said crews repaired about 100–300 feet of soft area in advance so the contractor can apply the treatment.
“See how it works, see how it holds up,” the staff member said of the trial. Staff explained jurisdictions typically apply a follow-up treatment one or two years after the initial double chip seal to extend service life under traffic.
Commissioner Maupin moved to approve the West Roseberry bid process and to approve BST for Clear Creek and West Mountain; the motion received a second and the board voted to approve both items. The board did not provide detailed vote tallies in the public record; the motions passed.
The actions give staff authority to proceed with the advertised bid schedule for West Roseberry and to contract for BST at the two test locations. County staff said further BST applications could follow depending on the trial results and available budget.
The county will monitor performance of the BST sections and reported plans to consider an additional treatment in the future to support traffic and extend pavement life.
