Bike path may be delayed

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  September 5, 2019.  Mitch Poulsen, Bear Lake Regional Commission, and Tyler Stewart, Engineer, came once again to the County Commissioners to inform them on changes made to the bike path plans.  Instead of a bridge over the wet lands which will cost about $200,000 more they are looking at going back to the original plan and making a path over a culvert that will be cut through the wetlands.  That will give them leverage with State Lands in getting a new grant to get to the first rest stop after Epic.

It is going to cost $313,000 to get to Epic from Ideal Beach.  They have $400,000 so they will use the remaining money to put down road base to the rest area and then next year apply for a grant to put down asphalt.  The existing grant must be used by December 31 of this year.

The chain link  fence at Epic needs to be removed and replaced as they do the construction.  Commissioner Bill Cox said that the Road Department cannot do that, they will need to get another contractor for that.  He said the Road Department  can and should do the sub-grade work.  Poulsen said that the department is booked out and cannot do it in time to satisfy the deadline.  Cox said, “If they cannot find the time to do it then we will take the money for someone else to do it out of their budget.” The Road Department had initially agreed to put in the sub-base.

Concerning the house just east of Epic,which is right on the State Right of Way, Stewart said that they had gotten a design exemption from UDOT to just put in asphalt over the existing gravel keeping it at the same grade for about eleven feet. It is also adjacent to a wall that was built a long time ago.  The house is being used as a short term rental and has added parking on the property.  They have been notified that there can be no parking on the bike trail.

Phase one of this project is to Epic.   Phase two will be to the rest area along the state lands. Poulsen will try to extend the grant again to next spring.  But there have already been extensions on the grant.  They will also have to post the bids for the projects for the next three weeks which will put the starting construction date in November not October and weather may prevent construction.