Several WYDOT representatives were present at a public information meeting on Thursday, July 12, at the South Lincoln Training and Events Center. The purpose of the meeting was to inform residents about the upcoming pavement job on Wyoming Highway 233, also known as Hams Fork Road.

A large group of residents complained to WYDOT last year after a pavement rehabilitation project left the road sloppy and uneven. Knife River Corporation was the contractor that completed the pavement rehabilitation project on Hams Fork Road in the summer of 2017.

The new pavement project was awarded to Riverside Contracting of Missoula, Montana. A Riverside representative was also present in the audience at the meeting to address local concerns.

“This new contractor will really take care of things,” said Kemmerer Resident WYDOT Engineer  Jennifer Hoffman. “We’re going to level out the ruts and then pave with a two-inch overlay.”

Hoffman said the project will start on August 15, and WYDOT anticipates the repaving will take three to four weeks. Hoffman also said this project is a “completely different surface treatment than last year’s pavement preservation project.”

“It’s a straightforward paving job,” said WYDOT District Engineer Keith Compton. “We already fixed the subgrade issues.”

Hoffman told the Gazette that the repaving project will cost $3,788.722.

Local surveyor Tom Crank asked if the current 22-foot road fits state road design standards.

“It does meet the standards,” Compton said. “This is not a reconstruction project. It’s strictly overlay. There will be no additional width to the road.”

“We know there are repair issues with the road,” Hoffman told the audience. “The contractor will devote the proper time and care to fixing those.”

“Good, because we have no other recourse than to trust you to do the right thing,” a meeting attendee said.

Hoffman said the project will ensure that the road and the shoulder are even and have a smooth ride.The WYDOT contractor will also pave home approaches on the road.

At the meeting, Hoffman also addressed WYDOT’s plans to fix several slides on the Hams Fork Road. WYDOT will award contracts for the City Dam Slide and Naughton Slide repairs in September.

“It all comes down to money,” Hoffman said. “The goal is to repair these slides so we don’t have to fix them and the roads year after year.”

Hoffman said WYDOT will continue to monitor the road after the pavement project is completed.

“The road is constantly in our system,” Hoffman said. “We use a pavement management system of testing and videos to tell us how the road is performing compared to the rest of the state’s roads. Funds are allocated based on that data.”

Hoffman and the other WYDOT representatives encouraged residents to contact them with any questions or concerns.