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County staff outline 15 proposed turnouts for Lane Road; contractor damage and short contract extension discussed
Summary
Bonneville County staff told commissioners engineers had identified about 15 turnout locations over roughly 3.5 miles at Harrison Canal Company request; staff said turnouts would likely be 50 feet and gravel unless the canal company requests hard surfacing. The meeting also covered a short contract extension and a contractor striking a shed at the site.
County staff and commissioners spent a substantial portion of the meeting discussing Lane Road and requested pullouts from Harrison Canal Company. A commissioner raised the item, and Public Services Director Lance BS described engineers’ work: "we've got to the point where they're mostly gravel u coming off the the edge of the shoulder of the road and we think we can accommodate where these are at, but they have to buy off on it." Lance said the request covers about 3 1/2 miles and includes 15 proposed turnouts, each roughly 50 feet long, positioned where existing checked structures are located.
Staff said the project is at a preliminary estimate stage: if the canal company insists on hard surfacing rather than gravel, costs would "go significantly up." Lance emphasized engineers had proposed only a one-foot widening on either side and framed the turnouts primarily as pullouts for ditch riders rather than a full roadway widening.
The meeting also included updates on ongoing roadwork and contracting: staff reported the county had "signed a contract to extend for another six days," and mentioned the contractor expected remaining work to take about 12–13 days, with paid work scheduled to end the following Friday. Separately, staff reported a contractor operator hit and substantially damaged a shed at the worksite the previous Wednesday or Thursday; participants agreed to inspect the damage and consider whether to seek reimbursement from the contractor. Staff noted concerns about equipment operating near a nearby power pole and said they would limit how far the contractor may work under power lines for safety.
Why it matters: the turnout decision will affect maintenance responsibilities, equipment access for the canal company, and short-term costs; the reported site damage raises questions about contractor oversight and potential reimbursement.
Next steps identified in the meeting included arranging to present the turnout plan to Harrison Canal Company's board for approval and staff follow-up to inspect the damaged structure and determine remediation or reimbursement.
