City council continues work on overpass

News – The Branding Iron Online The construction site for the Harney Street/UPRR overpass. City council appointed Councilor Pat Gabriel to the Enhancement Committee for the Harney Street/UPRR overpass construction to replace Joe Vitale who is no longer on the City Council. (Photo by Morgan Roppe)
During its meeting Tuesday night, the Laramie City Council unanimously appointed council member Pat Gabriel to the Harney Street/Union Pacific Railroad Overpass Enhancement Committee.
While serving as County Commissioner nearly 20 years ago, Gabriel was part of the original committee that first proposed the project.
“Twenty years ago, as county commissioner, I was on the original committee to look at the possibility of replacing the Curtis Street Viaduct at that time,” Gabriel said. “Here we are, 20 years later, we are starting to build, so I guess that is progress.”
Slated for completion in 2018, the four-lane Harney Street viaduct would replace the two-lane Clark Street overpass and allow for traffic to move over the railway between East and West Laramie.
The project serves as a solution to the growing number of safety hazards of the Clark Street Overpass. According to the project documents, approximately 60 percent of the pier walls exhibit severe chipping, delamination, and exposed and corroded reinforcing steel.
The Clark Street overpass is slated for demolition in 2019
As a member of the committee, Gabriel could participate in conversations regarding the approximately $376,000 of budgeted funds remaining after the city met its required project-funding match of about $37,000.
The council also motioned to authorize the final plat for the Timberline Business Park.
The project has been in development since 2015 and would allow for commercial and industrial land development consistent with commercial and industrial zoning.
The final plat, or the completion of the project, would allow for the sale of lots.
“What we typically see with the final plat, once it is approved and recorded, is the property owner is allowed to ...


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