Central Oregonian

Federal agency to reimburse Beaver Creek Road repairs

The money will enable the Crook County Road Department to address multiple deficiencies

Jason Chaney

January 31, 2013

Repair work on Beaver Creek Road may not conclude until late this summer, but Crook County has reached an agreement with a federal agency to cover the costs.

“It feels good to have it under our belt,” said Crook County Commissioner Ken Fahlgren.

More than a decade ago, the County road, which connects the Post/Paulina Highway to the Rager Ranger Station, had reached a complete state of failure. The County consequently turned to Western Federal Highways to fund the repairs. The federal agency took over temporary jurisdiction of the road to make repairs with the understanding the County would accept the road back into its system once they completed the job.

However, when the work was completed in 2011, it did not meet Crook County safety and durability standards. The shoulders dropped off too steeply, heightening the risk of a rollover accident, and the asphalt was too porous and would not last the standard 15 to 20 years before failing.

The County Court therefore refused to accept the road until Western Federal Highways fixed the mistakes. The agency conducted a review of the road and agreed to rectify the situation.

“The County Court signed, in March 2012, an agreement for reimbursement for the County performing the services to correct the shoulders and to correct the pavement deficiencies,” said Crook County Road Master Penny Keller. “The County has elected to accept it back into the system based upon the signed agreement.”

At this point, the County Road Department has begun work on the shoulder repair as it fits into their schedule. They will have to wait to repair the road surface.

“We are anticipating that we will do the pavement preservation portion of it in July or August,” Keller said. She added that they are considering a hot-oil chip seal treatment, but they have not yet decided to go that route for sure. “We will wait and see what the pavement looks like when the winter is done.”

Fahlgren is glad that Beaver Creek Road will eventually meet County safety and durability standards, and the experience has not soured him on Western Federal Highways. He does not anticipate similar problems with future projects, and said the County has already applied for help on another County road.

“There is nothing wrong with the process,” Fahlgren stressed. “We would have had no possible way to repair that (Beaver Creek) road to the level it has been repaired, so it is a benefit to us . . . What we have actually completed will be something that will last the next 20 or 30 years at least.”