Spring Gulch Road will finally be paved
Years in discussion, the not-so-secret airport cutoff will get paved all the way
JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — County commissioners yesterday gave the go-ahead for paving of Spring Gulch Road, appointing Inberg-Miller Engineers to do the work.
The short, 5,500-feet of Spring Gulch from Riva Ridge Road to Bar BC Ranch Road, has been a subject of some controversy for years. Local ranching families don’t care for the cut-through traffic and speed of travel for those looking to bypass downtown Jackson.
Right-of-way easements have also been a bone of contention as far back as 2004 when the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled on what entity—Lucas family, Mead family, Hansen family—actually had the authority to grant access to roadside right-of-way.
In 1987, the Lucas family granted the county an easement for the road to be used publicly “for a nominal fee, as a good citizen and neighbor.” In 2002—when the Gros Ventre Utility Company wanted to put in water/sewer pipe to serve Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club, Teton Shadows, and other developments—the utility paid $280,000 for the right to use the roadside.
Paving the road and the required shoulder space needed prompted another right-of-way discussion with landowners that has thus far proved unfruitful, according to public works director Heather Overholser. Therefore, the paving will move forward with the road being much narrower than traffic experts would have preferred but it should be a natural deterrent for speed.
The county has set aside up to $114,250 for the completion of the ‘Spring Gulch Road Project.’ It is a sum far less than what the county has been spending with maintenance of the gravel section over the years.
“This segment requires substantial, ongoing, and expensive maintenance. It requires regular blading and dust control and suffers from poor surfacing and drainage conditions. Maintenance operations have become dangerous and require the road to be closed during the days it is maintained, which is a significant inconvenience for the traveling public,” county staff maintained.
Work will begin over the next several months. A finish date is anticipated for spring/summer 2022.
