Commissioners reject $25,000 short‑term repair for remote Bridal bridge in 3–2 vote

A proposal to perform a targeted repair on a remote Sweetwater County bridge — restoring capacity for light vehicles at an estimated county cost of about $25,000 plus engineering fees — failed on a 3–2 roll call.

Public Works Director Gene Ligurski presented three options for the bridge (replace a badly deteriorated bent, do a fuller replacement, or leave the bridge closed). Ligurski said the bridge carries an annual average daily traffic of roughly 279 vehicles (about three vehicles every four days) and that the detour if the bridge stays closed is about 50 miles. He also reported vandalism to travel warning infrastructure, including a variable message sign he estimated cost about $14,000 to replace. Ligurski recommended a targeted bent repair (sub‑option b) that he said could be completed by county crews in a matter of weeks or via contractor work; he estimated a spectrum of repair costs from roughly $25,000 (pickup‑truck rating) to about $71,000 for a more complete replacement. He also cited engineering fees in the neighborhood of $19,000, putting an engineering + repair estimate near $31,000.

Commissioner Jones said he could not support spending county funds on a short‑term repair that will likely be superseded by a scheduled full replacement in 2028. "I'm gonna vote against this…with our declining revenues, something that's going to be replaced and repaired and paid for by somebody else anyway — I just can't support it," Jones said. Commissioner Richards and Commissioner West also voted against the repair; Commissioners Toman and Slaughter voted in favor. The motion failed 3–2.

Commissioners discussed enforcement of weight restrictions and whether industry users such as Hillcorp could arrange temporary access; staff said Hillcorp had offered to assist in some instances. Ligurski said the county will pursue other mitigations, including replacing permanent signage and coordinating with the sheriff's office on permitting and enforcement. The commission provided no new appropriation for immediate repairs.