Commission will consider awarding contract for Cedar Hill bridge work

FARMINGTON — A once-popular steel truss bridge across the Animas River in Cedar Hill that has been closed for the past several years is due for a makeover soon if the San Juan County Commission awards a construction contract for the project during its Feb. 21 meeting in Aztec.

Commissioners will meet at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the County Administration Building, 100 S. Oliver Drive in Aztec, to discuss awarding a construction contract of a little more than $600,000 to TRC Construction Inc. of Flora Vista. County Manager Mike Stark said TRC was the only bidder for the job.

According to The Daily Times archives, the bridge has been closed to pedestrians since the spring of 2017 because of structural concerns. It was closed to motor vehicles in the 1990s. The bridge joins County Road 2380 and County Road 2345.

Stark said county officials held a public meeting in August 2021 to discuss the possibility of rehabilitating the bridge and creating a boat launch ramp on the Animas River in Cedar Hill, and the public response to both ideas was very positive.

Pedestrian traffic was banned from the bridge nearly six years ago because its abutments and decking were failing, Stark said.

“That’s what prompted us to close it,” he said, acknowledging that the move was frustrating to many Cedar Hill residents who were accustomed to using it on a regular basis.

Stark said the project to rehabilitate the bridge consists of two phases — lifting the bridge and making abutment and wing repairs to ensure its structural integrity, and replacing its wooden decking.

If commissioners vote in favor of awarding the contract, Stark said his understanding is that TRC officials hope to begin construction soon, perhaps as early as March.

“They want to get out ahead of what we think is going to be a pretty vibrant release of (runoff) water because that river is not dammed,” he said.

TRC has estimated that work on the project would take 120 days, Stark said, meaning the bridge could be open again by sometime this summer if all goes well.

The bridge was built in the early 1900 after another structure on that site, a toll bridge that was constructed in 1894, was washed away in a 1911 flood, Stark said.

Commissioners also will consider awarding a contract during their meeting to Singletrack Trails of Grand Junction, Colorado, for on-call trail design, permitting and construction services.

Stark said county officials thought it would be a good idea to have an arrangement in place with an engineering design firm for on-call trail design services and permitting to accelerate the process of building new trails as grant money for them became available.

He said county officials sought bids from firms in December 2022, and two bids were received. The Singletrack Trails bid was recommended for the contract by the county staff.

Stark said if the measure is approved, the county will have the ability to contract with Singletrack Trails on various projects for a year and potentially could renew the deal for three additional years without having to go through the competitive bidding process again.

“This could be as little as a one-year relationship or it could be as long as four years,” he said.

County officials are working with their counterparts at the federal Bureau of Land Management to identify new trails projects, Stark said, including a project in the vicinity of the Boneyard Trail near Safety City, the regional public safety training facility located northwest of Farmington.

Having an existing, one-year contract with Singletrack Trails will allow the county to avoid going through the competitive bidding process each time it receives grant money to establish new trails. Stark said that will allow the county to be able to move more quickly to build its inventory of outdoor recreation attractions — a priority for government officials throughout San Juan County who are hoping to diversify the local economy.

“This will enhance the quality of life and maybe help attract some folks who are interested in relocating here,” he said, adding that the ability to build new trails quickly also will benefit people who already live here and want more backyard outdoors amenities.

The meeting will be streamed live at sjcounty.net/watch.

Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or measterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e.

This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Bridge over Animas River has been closed to pedestrians since 2017