Two gravel roads outside of Eaton will be paved in the near future. In late January, the Weld County Board of Commissioners accepted an $800,000 Energy and Mineral Assistance Fund grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs to go toward costs associated with paving Weld County Road (WCR) 76 between WCR 29 and WCR 31 and WCR 72 between WCR 33 and WCR 35. The grant will offset a portion of the cost for each project, which have a combined budget totaling nearly $2.2 million.
“Each year, we look for ways to improve our transportation infrastructure,” said Perry Buck, Weld County Commissioner Chair. “Doing so does have an expense, however, and anytime we can secure a grant to alleviate a portion of the expense, it’s a good thing.”
In addition to paving the driving surface of each road, much attention will be given to strengthening each road’s structure through the application of a geogrid product. This feature is utilized when utilities are not deep enough to employ the cement-treated base process the county normally uses. Converting gravel roads to paved roads necessitates strengthening the subgrade and base under the pavement, the geogrid will reduce cracking and potholes. The improvements to each road will not only better serve the traveling public but also make each better suited to serve as detour routes for future projects in the area.
“When we determine detours, we try and choose paved routes built to withstand additional traffic and limit inconvenience. These improvements will serve an immediate need as well as benefit the traveling public in the future,” said Curtis Hall, Director of the Weld County Department of Public Works.
The paving of each road, identified as capital improvements by Public Works, will be completed by an outside contractor chosen at a later date. Work is anticipated to begin in June.
Road closure approved
To prepare WCR 76 between WCR 29 and WCR 31 to be paved, the board approved the temporary closure of the road from January 30 to March 27. During the approximate three-month closure, utility relocations will take place along with irrigation structure relocations and ditch work. Detours can be viewed on Weld County’s Road Advisory Map.
