Consultant recommends phasing Old Highway work; council hears funding options
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Summary
Jones & DeMille recommended the town phase Old Highway repairs, repaving the roadway first and adding pedestrian/bike paths later as funding permits.
Jones & DeMille, represented to council by Michael Havocin, briefed the Bluff Town Council on April 1, 2025 on a revised approach to the Old Highway (West Seventh) reconstruction. Consultants recommended a streamlined initial project limited to repaving the roadway (stabilize base, 3-inch hot-mix asphalt surface) plus traffic-calming and safety features, with a separate pedestrian/bicycle pathway to be added when funding becomes available.
Why it matters
The Old Highway corridor has been a candidate for comprehensive redesign that included pedestrian and bicycle facilities. Consultants said focusing on repaving first would simplify applications for state-managed funding programs and speed delivery of a usable roadway; a separate pedestrian/bicycle path could be phased in later.
Funding pathways discussed
- UDOT-managed fund or similar program: consultants said the town could pursue a program managed through UDOT that sometimes covers up to 93.3% of eligible project costs (subject to program rules and scoring).
- Community Impact Board (CIB): CIB grants typically combine grant and loan components (consultants noted a representative split might be roughly 50% grant / 50% loan though exact terms vary), which would leave the town responsible for matching amounts and ongoing debt-service obligations.
Council discussion and open questions
Councilmembers asked whether lower-cost surfacing such as chip seal (used elsewhere in the county) had been considered; consultants said the presented plan assumes a hot-mix asphalt surfacing expected to last longer (industry 20-year estimate). Council asked staff and consultants to provide a cost and longevity comparison between chip seal and a 3" asphalt surface and to confirm details such as turn lanes, intersection treatments and how proposed traffic-calming measures would integrate with the town's active-transportation plan.
Next steps
Jones & DeMille will prepare a revised schematic and cost estimate that aligns with funding program parameters to increase the town's likelihood of receiving funds. Council asked consultants to address chip-seal alternatives, phased pedestrian/bicycle options and to return with a proposal suitable for grant submission.