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Navajo County approves BIA task agreements, Gila County IGA and federally funded Silver Creek Bridge replacement
Summary
The board approved renewals and intergovernmental agreements to fund a heavy equipment operator on the Navajo Nation, guardrail replacement on BIA Route 12 (with a companion IGA with Gila County), and an ADOT-administered Silver Creek (Chumway) Bridge replacement project largely funded by a federal off-system bridge grant.
The Navajo County Board of Supervisors voted to approve multiple public-works agreements that county staff said will maintain and improve roads in tribal and unincorporated areas.
Public works staff recommended renewal of Task Agreement No. 37 with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (Fort Defiance Agency) to fund a heavy equipment operator working on the Navajo Nation within District 2; renewing the agreement will continue funding through 2026. The board approved the task agreement; the vote was recorded as 5–0.
The board also approved a task agreement to replace guardrails on BIA Route 12 serving the Sibiquiu community (District 5). Because several guardrails fall in both Gila and Navajo counties, staff presented a companion intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Gila County that the Gila board is scheduled to consider on Feb. 17; the Navajo County board approved its IGA.
Separately, the board considered an IGA with the Arizona Department of Transportation for the Chumway (Silver Creek) Bridge replacement. Staff described the existing bridge as an older structure that is scour-sensitive and rated for 25 tons; scoping and design work began earlier with a federal off-system bridge grant. The presenter said design and construction funding secured more than $6.1 million in federal funds; the total estimated project cost is $6,165,000 with county local match primarily limited to design/administration (about $34,000). The new bridge will be longer (from under 40 feet to over 130 feet), require a FEMA map revision, right-of-way and drainage easements and possible utility relocations, and is expected to begin design this year with construction in fiscal year 2029. Supervisor Whiting moved to approve the ADOT IGA and the motion passed.
Votes on these public-works items were recorded as approvals (task-agreement renewal passed 5–0; other IGAs passed unanimously). Staff said the projects aim to improve safety for school buses, first responders and local commuters and rely largely on federal grant funding for construction.
