Washington County engineer outlines Sheep Bridge Road paving plan, stresses safety, EA and limits to traffic growth

Kate Roberts, an engineer with Mainline Engineering hired by Washington County, described a county-led project to pave Sheep Bridge/Key Bridge Road between state routes SR‑59 (south) and SR‑9 (north), saying the work is driven by safety and emergency-access needs rather than an intent to divert routine SR‑9 traffic.

Roberts told the Virgin Town Council Oct. 21 that most of the corridor is on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land that the county currently maintains because of heavy recreational use. To obtain fee ownership the county must complete a BLM environmental assessment (EA); the project team is drafting that EA and hopes to finish the document within weeks, though Roberts warned federal review can be delayed by a shutdown. The EA will survey species, cultural resources and other environmental constraints and could change geometric details if sensitive sites are found.

The proposal calls for a 100‑foot right‑of‑way (50 feet on each side of centerline) and a roadway paved to about 28 feet (two 12‑foot travel lanes plus shoulders), with a maximum design speed of 35 mph. Roberts emphasized the design and the road’s winding vertical geometry are intended to keep speeds low and to…