During its regular meeting held on Tuesday, Aug. 4, the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) unanimously approved a request from staff to source funding from the Federal Highway Administration through the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP).
According to the meeting’s agenda, “This grant is to provide a better road service to property owners in the vicinity of purposed project [County Road] 500 when the road is eroding and effecting the stability of the bank around mile [13]. The other purposed project will consist of paving [County Road] 600 from the end of asphalt one mile to the top of Bennet Hill, and 1.9 miles of County Road 302.”
Earlier that day during a work session, the BoCC heard from Public Works Director Mike Torres, who explained that the FLAP grant presented itself in early 2025 and, at that time, the county had a project on County Road 500 “where we had seen significant erosion of the bank.”
Torres commented that every year in that area there is approximately a 5-foot to 10-foot section that “falls off into the river, especially with last year’s flooding.”
He explained that the county intended to go after the FLAP grant funding for the project, but that funding was pulled from the program and not available again until this year.
Torres explained that the FLAP “improves public transportation facilities that provide access to, are adjacent to, or are located within federal lands.”
He added, “The program supplements local and state transportation funding with an emphasis on access to high-use recreation areas, and federal lands that support local, regional economic activity.”
Torres mentioned that Archuleta County is eligible for the program due to having County Road 302 (Mill Creek), County Road 600 (Piedra Road) and the slope failure area on County Road 500.
He also indicated that the Colorado FLAP grant may fund up to 100 percent of eligible costs, “with no local match” required.
Torres went on to explain that the program may have anywhere from $32 million to $64 million worth of funds available, and that for Archuleta County he is looking at paving one mile of County Road 600, from the current end of the asphalt up to the next cattle guard.
He noted the county is going to apply for $2.289,001.95 for that project.
Torres then explained the project on County Road 302 would include paving approximately 1.9 miles from where the asphalt currently ends, at a cost of $3,652,673.40.
He also noted that the cost for the slope repair on County Road 500 is at $2,499,580.80.
Torres indicated that the top priority would be to take care of the County Road 500 project, followed by paving on County Road 600 and then paving on County Road 302.
“If it comes down to that, but we are going to present all of [the projects],” he said.
Torres explained the request before the BoCC was to authorize staff to develop and submit one or more eligible applications.
“FLAP presents an opportunity to address high-cost country transportation needs associated with federal land access without mandatory local match,” Torres said.
Commissioner Warren Brown commented on the matter saying, “I think this is the way to go. We’re never going to be able to fund these things locally, and the only way we’re going to be able to get it done is through grant opportunities like this.”
clayton@pagosasun.com
>