Kinder Morgan has agreed to pay Montezuma County $250,000 for road repairs on the company’s truck route to the Goodman Point plant.
Portions of County Roads U, 20 and S totaling 4.5 miles will receive an asphalt overlay to repair failing shoulders, said county road supervisor Rob Englehart.
The county will do the work and is providing a $250,000 match for the project.
“The wet weather and heavy truck traffic has caused severe erosion of the shoulders. We appreciate Kinder Morgan’s help on repairing the roads there,” he said.
The county earmarked an additional $1 million in the 2019 road budget for more paving projects. The extra work includes asphalt overlays for Road 31 from Dolores to the San Juan National Forest boundary, and on Road 29 from U.S. 160 to Road M.
The county determines road upgrades based on traffic counts, main traffic arteries, and road condition, Englehart said. He said 1.25-inch asphalt overlays are used to level out and save badly deteriorating paved roads in order to extend their life.
The county manages 517 miles of roads, including 180 miles of chip-sealed, 269 of graveled surface, and 68 miles of graded earthen.
The Colorado Department of Transportation also has highway improvement projects planned around Montezuma County this summer
From April through October, crews will resurface a 21-mile portion of U.S. 491 between Arriola and Cahone, and more than three miles of Colorado 184 starting at the intersection of U.S. 491. The cost is $11 million, and the contractor is Four Corners Materials. There will be advanced warning sign installed for the intersection of Road BB and U.S. 491.Starting April 29, construction will begin for new passing lanes on U.S. 160/491 north of Towaoc between mile markers 27.75 and 29.75. The cost of the project is $11.2 million. County Roads A and B will be realigned.Starting in June U.S. 160 will be chip-sealed from the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park to Mancos. Also this summer, striping operations will occur on U.S. 160 from the Four Corners Monument to Cortez, and on U.S. 491 from Cortez to the Utah state line.
