Matt Phillips, Cache County public works director and county engineer, told the Lewiston City Council on Jan. 21 that the county has signed a federal‑aid agreement with the Utah Department of Transportation to replace the Truss Bridge between Lewiston and Trenton.

Phillips said the agreement provides $5,700,000 for the replacement and that the funding comes in part from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) via a UDOT “bridge formula” program. “UDOT’s committed to putting 15% of that, 45,000,000 a year, into what they call off system bridges,” Phillips said.

The county engineer said the bridge is categorized as an off‑system bridge because it is not on a UDOT road and that the federal funding structure for this program removes the need for a local match: Phillips said there is “0 match for Lewiston, the county, and Trenton.” He added that that removes a major local funding burden but brings other responsibilities for the two cities.

Phillips told council members that, while the county owns the bridge, most construction work at the ends of the bridge will fall inside municipal limits. “The county owns the bridge,” he said, and warned that city permits, right‑of‑way coordination, and outreach to adjacent landowners will be the responsibility of Lewiston and Trenton because UDOT’s scope will focus on the bridge itself.

UDOT, Phillips said, will perform the design, hire the contractor and manage construction, but the agency will not conduct local public involvement or contact adjacent property owners. He asked the council to designate city staff who should receive monthly updates from the county so the municipality can relay information to residents.

Phillips outlined several project constraints the county and cities should expect: UDOT will build to minimum local standards and will not pay for “betterments” such as major widening, added bike lanes, or nonessential aesthetic elements; the agency will not pursue eminent domain on the county’s behalf; and the project could be stopped if required utility relocations or property acquisitions cause costs beyond specified thresholds. If utility relocations or upgrades cause expenses that exceed about 10% of the project cost, Phillips said the project could be canceled under the federal program’s rules.

He said the goal for UDOT and its consultant was to design, advertise and construct the project this year, but he did not provide a firm construction start date. Phillips also said the existing bridge—originally built in 1925—scored very low on inspection indices and was prioritized for replacement under the federal program.

Council members asked Phillips to coordinate on identifying right‑of‑way limits and utility franchise agreements so potential holdups can be identified early. Phillips said he had requested survey verification and would send updates on design progress to Lewiston staff.

The council did not take formal action on the bridge at the meeting. Phillips left contact information and agreed to send design updates and links to UDOT funding information for the city newsletter or website.