• Plan details will be released in May

Lincoln County’s elected leaders at both the municipal and county level were updated late in March on a list of transportation projects that are part of a master transportation plan.

The plan was first announced in September of 2024 when Avenue Consultants met with town, county and federal officials at introduction meetings in Kemmerer and Star Valley.

At that time Thomas McMurtry, from the Avenue team told SVI Media, “We’re focusing on the road network, cars, trucks, bikes and walking — everything that encompasses  transportation in Lincoln County.”

At the first Star Valley meeting, there will be attention to detail. “We’re working on county roads, paved and gravel, and we will even look at off-road trails and how they access the forest,” he said.

“We’re looking at all of those elements to come up with a comprehensive plan for Lincoln County.”

During the intervening months, public comment was sought through a the county website.

In the late March, McMurtry presented a list of 85 projects to town and county leaders that could be considered.

“Today we are going through them, refining what the actual improvement is,” McMurtry told SVI at the March meeting at the Afton-Lincoln County Civic Center. “Can we actually pave, widen the road, improve the intersection add stop signs and stop bars to make them safer?”

He said the plan will help answer those questions and give the local leadership direction in the subsequent years.

“The plan is to address the needs as the county continues to grow,” he explained. “We’re refining the projects and getting them to a final list.”

A refined plan will be ready later in the spring.

“Our ultimate deliverable is a detailed project map and list, as well as cost estimates so the commissioners have a detailed action plan and list,” McMurtry said. “Commissioners will know what is expected as far as roadway improvements, how much it will cost and when they expect it to happen — in five, ten years or whenever it might be.”

In the coming weeks, McMurtry said, the final details will be prepared. “We are refining those details and dialing in the costs, so that everyone is on the same page,” he said.

In addition, to the presentation to local, state and federal agencies, there will be time for the pubic to review the plan.

“We will provide all this information to the public in May and we’ll host meetings in Kemmerer and Afton with invitations for people to come out and look at the improvements,” McMurtry summarized. “They can ask questions about the cost and what would be implemented. That’s when we get feedback and the plan is to wrap this up in the early summer.”