Tooele County plans $18.2M Ibuypaw reconstruction and annual overlays; roads director asks for one support hire

The county’s roads director told commissioners on Nov. 12 that an $18.2 million reconstruction project for the Ibuypaw roadway is "teed up and ready to go" for contractor award and that the department will also pursue annual pavement‑preservation work.

Planned work: The director outlined a proposed 2‑inch overlay across about 10 miles of county roads and a chip‑seal/preservation program to be performed in house. Named roads for possible resurfacing included Center Street (Lake Point), Hardy Way (off SR‑36), Middle Canyon (from the golf course to the entrance gate), South Willow, Burmester Road (near the inland port), and a short section of Stansbury Island Road. The director said the work aligns with an updated five‑year CIP and a recent pavement‑condition assessment.

Staffing and equipment: The department proposed hiring one office manager to handle project management, safety, asset management and grant administration as workload grows. The roads director also listed equipment replacements and fleet needs including two 1‑ton trucks and a replacement Cat loader.

Funding approach: The director said the county is using available fund balance to accelerate resurfacing (about $2 million per year proposed) rather than dramatically drawing down reserves in a single year, and noted some in‑house work had generated opportunities to decline outside work to protect capacity.

No final vote occurred; staff will include the projects and staffing request in the pending budget adoption process.