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Weston County approves supplemental agreement with Wyoming Transportation Commission and BNSF for viaduct work
Summary
The Weston County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize the chairman to sign a supplemental agreement with the Wyoming Transportation Commission and BNSF Railway to clear the way for a new viaduct and associated road work in Weston County.
The Weston County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize the chairman to sign a supplemental agreement among the Wyoming Transportation Commission, Weston County and BNSF Railway that county officials said clears road and easement issues needed to allow construction and maintenance of a new viaduct in Weston County.
County commissioners described the supplemental agreement as a necessary step to allow work on a rail/road crossing and associated road approaches. Commissioners and attendees said the state and the railroad had taken years to reach this point and that negotiations with the railroad were the major outstanding issue. One commissioner called the development “a good sign” after prolonged delays on the project.
Officials emphasized that the agreement on the table covers the county’s road work and rights related to the viaduct and does not itself fund the bridge superstructure. County staff and commissioners discussed the role of the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) and federal funding for bridge replacement programs. A county official explained that WYDOT rates bridges and that federal bridge replacement funds typically pay about 90 percent of eligible costs with local matches covering the remainder. Commissioners noted that bridge condition ratings and rising costs have stretched the project timeline and that the county had been involved in related negotiations “for a long time.”
During discussion, commissioners raised local concerns about access if the existing railroad bridge failed, describing detours that would be lengthy for some communities. Commissioners and members of the public called for preservation of connectivity for local residents and businesses while the project proceeds.
The motion to approve the chairman’s signature on the supplemental agreement was made and seconded; the board approved the motion by voice vote with no recorded roll-call tally in the transcript. No further formal conditions were recorded in the meeting minutes.
County staff said additional design, permitting and construction steps will follow and that the project remained contingent on coordination among WYDOT, the railroad and federal funding programs.
