County seeks funds for Red Grade Road improvements

Sheridan County commissioners in their meeting Tuesday voted to seek around $13 million in grant money from the Wyoming Federal Lands Access Program to finance improvements to Red Grade Road.

Commission Chairman Nick Siddle elaborated in an interview with Sheridan Media.

Siddle said Sheridan County has both the blessing of the Bureau of Land Management and the support of the National Forest Service in seeking the grant funds.

He said there are no plans to pave Red Grade Road, but the objective is to widen the road and make Red Grade a little safer for those who use it.

He said the county’s traffic count this year showed a 30 percent increase of traffic on Red Grade Road since the last traffic count five years ago.

In other action Tuesday, commissioners approved a lot size variance that will allow an 80-acre parcel to be divided into two 40-acre lots. The land is on Big Goose Road in the Beckton area.

Siddle said the division was part of estate planning for the landowner, who wants to be able to divide the property equally among his heirs.