At the July 2 meeting of the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC), the board approved a contract with Hutch and Sons Construction to perform mill-in-place work on several local roads at a cost not to exceed $80,302.
Earlier in the day, at a BoCC work session, Public Works Director Mike Torres explained that the milling would cover certain roads previously covered with chip seal in the Vista subdivision as well as additional roads in the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association (PLPOA).
In a communication, Road and Bridge Manager Eric McRae explains that the work will cover portions of Pines Drive; Masters Circle; Handicap Avenue; Bonanza Avenue; Lyn Avenue; Prospect Boulevard; Canyon Circle; Ray Court; Highland Avenue; Homestead Drive; Butte Drive near Monument Avenue; and the intersections of Monument Avenue and Fiesta Place, Enchanted Place, Dayspring Place and Carefree Place.
Torres explained that staff received three estimates on the project and that the lowest bidder was Hutch and Sons Construction.
He added that Hutch and Sons Construction is the recommended bidder for the project and that the company has done “a really good job” on previous county projects.
In response to a question from Commissioner Warren Brown, Torres indicated that he hopes the work can start by the end of July.
He also stated that there is a potential for savings in the Road and Bridge budget and that the department is considering paving some of the roads where chip seal is removed.
Paving lasts longer than chip seal, Torres stated, and would be the ideal approach.
“Some of these roads are pretty short, so we may be able to do more than one,” he said.
“That’d be great,” Brown said.
Grant and payment
Also at the July 2 BoCC meeting, the board approved a grant amendment for a grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) for the construction of a new bridge at Pagosa Junction, lowering the award amount from $266,000 to $0.
At the meeting, Torres explained that, on March 24, 2022, the BoCC approved an intergovernmental agreement with CDOT “for contribution of federal funds for the repair or replacement of the Pagosa Junction bridge.”
He stated that, following a review of the grant and the grant guidelines, staff recommended that the county should return the money to the state.
Brown asked if issues with the county obtaining access to perform work on the bridge, which is located on Southern Ute Indian Tribe (SUIT) lands, were precluding the county from using the grant.
Torres stated that is correct and that the state had reached out to him about “pulling the funding” since the funds had been unused for a sufficiently long time.
He commented that it would be in the county’s “best interest” to release the funds back to the state instead of the state “taking them.”
He added that the county would be unlikely to use them due to the environmental studies and access agreements that need to be completed to replace the bridge.
“And $266,000 is not going to buy us a bridge,” he said.
Brown asked if the grant could be applied to the necessary environmental studies.
Torres stated that the grant is specifically for construction.
County Attorney Todd Weaver stated that there is a “dispute” about if the county has a right of way or easement in the area of County Road (CR) 500 near the Pagosa Junction bridge.
He added that he is working on a right of way agreement with the SUIT that is “moving forward” but will likely take at least a year.
Commissioner Ronnie Maez asked Torres if the temporary bridge at the location can remain in place until the county can put in a permanent replacement.
Torres replied that the temporary bridge can stay in place longer than expected, but that the county budgeted this year for a permanent replacement and is planning a replacement once the necessary agreements and studies are complete.
At the meeting, the BoCC also approved a payment of $370,285.58 to PAP LLC for paving work on CR 119 (Light Plant Road).
At the BoCC work session, Torres stated that this payment is a part of the original contract for the project and will go toward the approximately $1.7 million cost of the project.
“It’s not a change order; it’s just for the work that’s performed,” Torres said.
He stated that this project is moving forward “fairly well” with minimal issues except for PAP having to address “one soft spot in the base.”
Torres indicated that the county is also working on installing a new guardrail on a sharp corner of CR 119, but that this process is being delayed by CenturyLink needing to relocate a fiber line running through the area, which may occur by the end of July.
He added that all signage in the area will be put back in place following the installation.
josh@pagosasun.com
