An increase in traffic and failing pavement sections have made maintenance on the Willwood road corridor more of a priority for Park County Public Works, leading to preparations now on a large project to fix various sections and upgrade the road to match the heavier use.

“Generally speaking, the road has moved up the priority scale for the county due to the increased costs of maintenance due to the failing and agent pavement section,” Park County Engineer Brian Edwards said in an email to the Tribune. “These technical considerations are further amplified by the fact that we are seeing substantial increases in traffic along the route since the bridge was completed near the Willwood Dam in 2016.  Also, increased development with subdivisions and new people moving to the area has increased traffic on a road that does not meet county road standards for a secondary collector route (current use).”

At its Sept. 5 meeting, commissioners (with Dossie Overfield abstaining) voted to accept Engineering Associates to perform professional engineering and land surveying for planned major improvements to the Willwood Road (County Lanes 13, 14, 15, Road 13 and Road 18) between Cody and Powell.

On Oct. 30 at Heart Mountain Hall, the county hosted a kickoff meeting for the project to address the thoughts and concerns of residents along the route. Edwards said most comments were in support of the project, but there were a few concerns.

“Most of the concerns we heard from the public (mostly landowners that live along the route) were centered on safety as it relates to the speed limit,” Edwards said. “Currently the posted speeds are 45 mph. Many voiced concerns that the improvements would cause people to drive faster with a smoother and wider road.”

Edwards said county staff, along with Engineering Associates and pavement consultant Mike Robinson, said there are no intentions of posting a higher speed limit along the route. He said current speed data collected by the county indicates that the large majority of road users travel in the 45-50 mph range.

“We are under no illusions that a better road will not make it easier for vehicles to travel faster,” Edwards said. “However, with the number of driveway approaches and obstacles along the route, it makes sense to maintain the 45 mph corridor speed for design purposes. Even though it is possible and even likely that some motorists will exceed the posted speed limit with a higher quality road, the overall safety of the road will be greatly improved.”

Edwards said the project is being initiated with the following goals in mind:

• Reconstruct the aging and failing pavement between U.S. Highway 14A and Wyo. Highway 295 south of Powell.

• Preserve the connectivity of this road section as an important farm to market corridor.

• Widen the road by adding shoulders to improve safety;

• Eliminate blind spots while improving site distance along route for improved safety.

• Soften curves at the intersections with Road 13;

• Improve traffic control striping and signage;

• Reduce or improve conflicts between irrigation and drainage infrastructure in relation to the traveled roadway;

• Improve roadside drainage to minimize flooding and undermining of the road base.