Treasure County to replace recurring wooden cattle guards with concrete; road repairs and equipment needs prioritized

Treasure County commissioners on Sept. 2 voted to begin using precast concrete cattle guards on county roads after repeated maintenance problems with wooden designs. The motion, made by a commissioner (speaker 3) and seconded by another commissioner (speaker 2), passed on a voice vote.

The move followed extended discussion about recurring damage, maintenance costs and winter slickness. "I'll make a motion. We wanna we wanna start using concrete on these cattle guards," the commissioner who moved the measure said during the meeting. Commissioners and road staff noted concrete guards would be deeper and require less frequent clearing than the 2x6 wood planks the county has been replacing, though they discussed higher up‑front costs and equipment needs to install the heavier units.

The board discussed multiple repair strategies for a damaged bridge deck and a nearby culvert: replacing an isolated 2x6 plank, welding diamond‑tread steel plates over the deck, or installing pressure‑treated bridge planks or concrete—each option carries tradeoffs for cost, longevity and winter traction. Road staff (speaker 6) said metal plating could be welded and last "forever," but cautioned that steel can be slick in winter and may require gravel cover. Commissioners asked staff to price concrete blocks, metal and timber repairs and to return with estimates.

Members also discussed use of asphalt millings and cold mix on troubled stretches, with staff urging full loads when hauling to avoid partial deliveries that drive up freight costs. The meeting included a broader equipment conversation: road staff outlined the county's two graders (a Volvo and a John Deere), noting the Volvo's parts are increasingly hard to source. Commissioners weighed a Department of Commerce grant that could fund a replacement grader with the county providing a trade‑in as the local match. "If you keep up on [equipment], it's okay; if you don't, you're looking at a paperweight," one road staff member said of older machines.

The board recorded several follow‑ups: staff will obtain price quotes for precast concrete cattle guard blocks (circa $120–$200 per block reported in discussion for some vendors), evaluate metal‑plate versus timber repairs for the bridge, and identify parts and maintenance costs for the Volvo and John Deere graders to inform any trade‑in decision or grant application. The board directed staff to coordinate repairs that can be completed before harvest and to report back at a future meeting.

The motion to adopt concrete cattle guards was approved by voice vote; no individual roll‑call of commissioners was recorded in the transcript.