Buena Vista County Engineer Bret Wilkinson briefed the county board of supervisors last Tuesday on two key infrastructure updates—ongoing roadwork near Platinum Crush and a new winter maintenance initiative.
Wilkinson said the county is finalizing Phase 1 payments and has just signed the contract for Phase 2 of road improvements near the soybean processing facility east of Alta. A pre-construction meeting is expected soon.
He also addressed mounting complaints about ongoing truck congestion concerns tied to harvest season on 70th Avenue, where vehicles have been lining up to access the Platinum Crush facility.
Wilkinson planned to meet with Platinum Crush officials last week to revisit earlier promises about traffic control and explore additional staging options, something encouraged by board member Kathy Croker.
In other business, the board approved Wilkinson’s recommendation to purchase three brine tank kits for the county’s tandem axle trucks. Each kit costs just under $9,000, with a total estimated cost of $26,580.
The tanks will spray saltwater onto the salt-sand mixture during winter operations—a method known as pre-wetting, says Wilkinson.
The county budgeted $200,000 for a full brine system, but Wilkinson suggested starting small.
Installing the tanks in-house will save costs and allow for customization, says Wilkinson.
