County to rebuild two roads

The county commissioners have kicked off the official process to rebuild two county roads near Sundance that were damaged during the installation of a pipeline. The project will utilize funding that was provided in 2018 by the pipeline company, Oneok, specifically for that purpose.

“When Oneok was building their pipeline, the Board of County Commissioners entered into an agreement with them that gave them the easements. They gave us half a million dollars that included maintenance on some of these roads,” explained County Attorney Joe Baron on Monday.

According to Baron, the agreement specifies that, once the pipeline was completed, the county would use some of that funding to rebuild part of Fuller Rd from near Green Mountain Cemetery towards the Moskee Road and also the Sloop Road, 198, from Hwy 585 to a quarter mile past the pipeline crossing.

At the time, public hearings took place and most of the landowners from the area were present, said Baron, and expressed support for the plan.

Baron commented that the roads in question are not in good condition at this time.

“I went out there and looked at the Fuller Road and you can’t even pass it – it’s impassable,” said Baron. “You couldn’t get a fire truck down that road the way it exists right now. You can’t get a quarter mile past the shooting range there because the road is in terrible condition.”

The county will not necessarily be responsible for maintaining the roads once built. Both are currently on the “not maintained” list.

“Obviously you maintain it as you see fit, just like every other road in the county,” said Baron.

When Sloop Road was originally surveyed in the 1960s, said Baron, every landowner gave a 30-foot easement. At this time, said Baron, it is believed that all the current landowners on the Sloop Road are willing to provide a 66-foot easement except one, which would bring the roads to what Road & Bridge Foreman Morgan Ellsbury confirmed is the standard for a maintained county road.

The aim, said Baron, is to widen the roads, add gravel and build them up so that snow blows off. Chairman Kelly Dennis expressed a desire to see a sign placed at each end to indicate they will not be maintained.

The first step in the process was for the commissioners will need to pass a resolution, after which notice will be sent to all relevant landowners. Those that wish to provide an easement will be provided with the documentation to do so and there will then be a public hearing to listen to any objections.