Carbonville Road improvements appear imminent in near future

By Sun Advocate

For residents driving on Carbonville Road regularly, last summer was a challenge.
Since the end of May, traffic has been delayed by the torn up road and, until last week, pull off detours have impeded progress in both directions at a number of locations.
When crews finished spot projects and most of the final blacktop was laid as patches on various holes last week, it appeared motorists were out of the woods.
But highway construction in the area isn’t finished.
In a letter dated Nov. 7, Carbon Commissioner Bill Krompel informed residents who live in the area that there is an impending project to improve the roadway in the near future – probably next year – and more construction will start.
In the long run, the improvement project will make the road better than it has been since it stopped being the major north- south route through the county when the bypass highway was built in the 1970s.
The pending project has been in the works for a long time, even before Price city’s contractor tore the road to put in the water line.
The road has been rough and patched for years, but has basically remained a viable route after losing its designation as U.S. 6-50.
However, recent patching has made the road difficult to drive and rough to negotiate.
The estimated cost to rebuild the three-mile section from the Price city limits to the bypass road at Blue Cut is $3,660,000.
The financing for the project will come from the Utah Department of Transportation, with Carbon County kicking in a matching share of the costs.
Parts of the project may not receive UDOT revenues, so the county will seek alternative funding in the form of grants or low cost loans to make the project complete.
In the letter, Krompel indicated that residents living along the road will not be asked to contribute to the project costs directly. However, the county may ask for rights of ways necessary for the construction.
Currently, the county is working with Union Pacific Railroad for company property along the east side of the road for the entire length of the project.
The west side of the road is owned by approximately 70 different individuals and companies, with a mix of residential, commercial and agricultural properties located along the route.
At present, the road is a major route for residents of Carbonville and others in the western as well as northern part of the county. The average number of vehicles traveling the road daily exceeds 2,500.
In the last few days, county surveying personnel have started placing stakes on the west side of the road so that property owners can see what affect the project will have on individual parcels.
The stakes are being placed where the back of the sidewalk will be located should the project go forward as planned.
Interested parties will be able to comment on the proposed project at a meeting slated Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be an informational session on the project and the gathering will be at the county courthouse.
All involved land owners and interested parties are encouraged to attend.