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Farmer asks Marquette County highway committee to consider replacing 61‑year‑old cattle pass before state road work
Summary
A Westfield farmer, Donald Bedleman, asked the Marquette County Highway Committee Feb. 17 to consider upgrading a 61‑year‑old cattle pass that he says is too narrow and damages livestock ahead of a state road and guardrail project; county staff said the pass was inspected and no replacement is planned at this time.
Donald Bedleman, a Westfield resident, told the Marquette County Highway Committee on Feb. 17 that a 61‑year‑old cattle pass on his farm is too narrow and not tall enough for modern cattle and that he would like the county to consider replacing it before a forthcoming state road and guardrail project.
"It was installed 61 years ago, when the road was last rebuilt ... a replacement could be safer. It were wider and taller so cattle would not bang up their hips," Bedleman said, describing repeated animal strikes and past slipping incidents. He also told the committee the adjacent field stone wall regularly washes out and, with the new guardrail, the roadway will have a sharper turn that could add stress to the lane.
A county staff member who responded to Bedleman said the pass was reviewed during design visits in 2020 and during a site visit last fall. Staff reported that visible galvanization on the upper portion looked intact but that they could not inspect areas buried under manure. "At this point, there's no plans to replace that with the project based on what is currently there," the staff member said, adding that the pass still allows cattle to pass underneath.
Committee members and staff discussed maintenance responsibility and records. The staff member said landowners commonly bear maintenance responsibility under state agreements, and that no written easement or county record appears in land information files for this structure. Committee members noted statutes and maintenance requirements have changed over six decades; one committee member emphasized the highway commissioner conducted site due diligence and warned reopening an already state‑approved project could delay construction by two to three months.
Bedleman said he had previously raised the issue with engineers and "Brian" and wanted to ensure the committee heard his concerns in case problems arise later. After discussion, the committee recorded the comment but took no action at the meeting.
The committee did not vote on or direct further study of the cattle pass during its Feb. 17 meeting. The committee chair thanked Bedleman for bringing the matter to the committee's attention.
