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Star Valley Ranch outlines road-repair plan after winter damage
Summary
Town Administrator Trevor Aitken told the council that unusual winter thaw conditions left dirt roads heavily damaged; the town plans grading with West Hills and prioritized repairs, starting with Vista East, before paving resumes once drier temperatures return.
Town Administrator Trevor Aitken told the Star Valley Ranch Town Council on March 10 that an unusual winter freeze-and-thaw cycle left many dirt roads badly damaged and that the town will prioritize repairs once surface and subgrade conditions dry.
Aitken said snowplows displaced substantial dirt and rock because the ground never froze properly, and town crews will work with West Hills to grade and rehabilitate damaged roads. He highlighted a targeted reconstruction on Vista East from Vista to Green Canyon that requires removing about eight inches of roadway to replace material disturbed by prior water-line work, installing road base, and compacting the surface before paving.
The council was told paving operations will resume when temperatures consistently exceed 50°F, with Vista first in the sequence, followed by chip-seal layers and work on Plat 21 and Plat 5 as budget permits. Council members discussed equipment needs and staging for north-end projects; the Roads Advisory Board recommended purchasing a road compactor trailer and acquiring a medium excavator (original recommendation $225,000, with potential trade-in reducing the cost to $175,000–$180,000).
Councilman Ellis said the board completed a comprehensive road assessment and proposed classifying town roads by arterial, collector and local designations to guide maintenance priorities. That classification is intended to help the council focus limited capital dollars where failure would have the greatest impact on access and safety.
Next steps: crews will begin grading when conditions permit, the town will consider the Roads Advisory’s equipment recommendations in upcoming budget deliberations, and councilmembers will review prioritization at the budget workshop ahead of the first reading of the fiscal year budget.
