SWEETWATER COUNTY — The Sweetwater County commissioners will consider approving a funding agreement between the county and the Wyoming Energy Authority for the reconstruction of a portion of County Road #15 Nine Mile Road.
In 2022, the Wyoming Legislature appropriated $10 million to the Governor’s Office for the public infrastructure for commercial energy, and Sweetwater County was seeking to utilize a portion of these funds for work needed on two county roads that are heavily utilized by the oil and gas industry.
According to meeting documents, the county proposed coupling CR #23-North (Wamsutter Crooks Gap Road) and CR #15 into one project and named it the Energy Roads Project, in anticipation of possibly receiving funds to complete the projects.
The meeting documents explain that CR #15 services roughly 1,300 vehicles a day accessing the Jim Bridger Power Plant, and CR #23 services roughly 850 vehicles a day associated with the oil and gas industry north of Wamsutter. The county estimated that the scope of work for CR #15 would be approximately $5 million, and would be around $6.4 million for both roadways.
However, the county was granted a contract from the Wyoming Energy Authority in the amount of $1,533,919.
“Based on our funding proposal and the WEA-approved funding we do not have enough money to complete the entire Energy Roads Project. We will apply this one-to-one match for the reconstruction of the first 1.43 miles of CR#15 Nine Mile Road,” the meeting documents state.
In a letter to the WEA from May, Assistant Public Works Director for Sweetwater County Andy Hooten outlined the project on CR #15. He said the scope of work is aimed at the existing pavement from milepost 0.00, near Point of Rocks, to milepost 10.0, near the underground mine entrance. With the funding the county has received, they will be able to work on the section of road that requires the bulk of the work, according to Hooten, which is the first two miles of the road.
The Sweetwater County commissioners will meet Tuesday, October 1, at 9 a.m. at the Sweetwater County Courthouse. The meeting can be attended in person or viewed online on the county’s YouTube page. To view the full meeting agenda, click here.
