County reestablishes two roads

Two county roads were officially established last week – neither are new roads, but both are incorrect on the county’s official maps. Neither Wagner nor Rifle Pit Rd actually exists in its original position, requiring an update for the books.

Rifle Pit Rd. was surveyed a while back and easements for its true location were obtained, said County Attorney Joe Baron, who has been working to properly establish these and other county roads in their true locations for several years.

The road was originally established over a century ago, and has been altered several times since then without any formal proceedings. The commissioners felt it appropriate to resurvey the entire route from Beulah to the Old Highway 14 Frontage Rd.

All but one landowner provided easements and consented to the establishment of the road in its new position. This then allowed the commissioners to pass a resolution last week to reestablish the road where it currently exists.

Wagner Rd. was originally known as the Poston Road and was established in 1922. At that time, it crossed a state school section.

However, the road has not existed in that location since I-90 was built across it in the 1960s, though Baron noted that you can still see ruts from where the old road once was.

“This establishes the road where it actually is and where it’s been since the interstate was built,” said Baron. A second resolution was passed to reestablish Wagner Rd. where it currently exists.

The project to properly map the county’s roads has been ongoing for almost a decade and has led to several vacations and a few reestablishments. Miller Creek and Bearlodge Roads, for example, were officially claimed in their current position in 2015.

The project began because, over time, certain roads have moved from their original positions. The purpose of establishing roads where they are currently physically located is to clean up the map, identifying thoroughfares that belong to the county where they actually appear on the ground and vacating the old routes that don’t.