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Commission advances Red Gulch bridge plan, approves Rairden adjustments and county ROW permit
Summary
County engineers reported SLIB approved building a bridge on Red Gulch Road (likely spring 2027); commissioners approved a Lane 13 ROW water-tap permit and authorized adjustments to the Rairden Bridge after an executive session. WYDOT delays pushed the Shell Bridge project to a September bid date.
Chairman Deb Craft convened the Big Horn County Commission on June 16. The meeting’s most consequential infrastructure discussion focused on county bridge projects and right-of-way permits.
The county engineer (identified in the minutes as Bridges) told commissioners that the State Loan and Investment Board approved moving forward with a bridge rather than a box culvert on Red Gulch Road; construction is likely in spring 2027. He also said the Wyoming Department of Transportation delayed the Shell Bridge replacement project, moving its bid date to September, which will push that work later than originally planned.
Bridges warned the commission that the county’s crushing project may need adjustments because equipment must move within a currently permitted location. He also presented a request to place a private water line in the county right of way on Lane 33½ after adjacent landowners declined to grant an easement. Bridges said WYDOT has approved boring the highway for that work but outlined the recurring problems when private utilities are installed in county ROW and recommended strict permit language and ownership documents to keep responsibility with the landowner. He said he would consult the permit requester and the county attorney about protections for the county. The minutes record that commissioners discussed requiring verification that adjacent owners had denied easements before approving such uses.
Hovey and Mann—identified in the minutes as Road and Bridge staff—reported ongoing operations including hauling gravel to the south end of the county and cleaning culverts.
On a formal motion, Commissioner Dave Neves moved to approve a right-of-way permit for a water tap on Lane 13 "as presented;" the motion was seconded and carried. The minutes do not record a roll-call tally for that vote.
Commissioners recessed briefly into an executive session on contractual and potential litigation matters at Neves’s request. After that session, the board voted to allow Bridges to proceed with necessary adjustments to the Rairden Bridge project; that motion was seconded and carried. The minutes do not provide a roll-call count for those votes.
What happens next: Bridges will follow up with the permit requester and the county attorney on protective language for ROW permits and will proceed with Rairden Bridge adjustments as authorized by the commission.
