Emery County approves research for Castle Dale Bridge repairs and temporarily closes bridge for safety

The Emery County Commission voted Aug. 19 to authorize staff to begin research needed to apply for historic-preservation funding for the Castle Dale Bridge and to temporarily close the bridge to public access until it can be made safe.

Suzanne, a representative of the county's Historic Preservation Commission, told commissioners the bridge has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places and that grant-writing will require determining project cost and the nature of any required match. "Some of the information we need to write the grant is the cost of this project, is the match. It's a matching grant," Suzanne said, asking for permission to "track down these answers" including whether the match would be cash or in-kind labor and whether a state engineer or architect would be required.

County staff and commissioners raised safety and insurance concerns. One county staff member noted that historic designation can increase restoration requirements, and the county attorney, County Attorney Olsen, warned that National Register standards may constrain what repairs are allowed: "If you alter the [structure] or you change it, it's not according to it, then there's probably going to be some problems," Olsen said. Staff also said insurance implications could be significant if the bridge must be restored to original materials.

Separately, a commissioner moved to close the bridge to public access until it is repaired or deemed safe, citing holes in the deck that create a liability risk. The motion passed unanimously among the two commissioners present. The commission directed staff to pursue the research steps needed to prepare a preservation grant application and to coordinate safety measures and bids for repair work.

The research authorization is a preliminary step: commissioners did not approve construction work or a funding source, only permission to gather required documentation and cost estimates for a potential grant application. The closure is a temporary public-safety measure; staff indicated they will look at possible short-term boarding or other measures only if consistent with historic-registry requirements.

Next steps include staff collecting cost estimates, clarifying insurance implications and historic-preservation requirements, and returning with recommendations and, if appropriate, a proposed rehabilitation contract or grant application schedule.