24-2-110. Cooperation with counties in construction and maintenance of county roads; allocation of costs.

(a) The board of county commissioners of each county shall establish a separate road construction and maintenance fund solely for the construction and maintenance of county roads, bridges and culverts. Work using funds from the road construction and maintenance fund of a county shall be performed under contract awarded after competitive bidding if the estimated cost of the work exceeds fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00). All work shall be performed under the immediate control and supervision of the board of county commissioners or its authorized representative and in accordance with county road standards as established by the Wyoming county road standards committee. The road construction and maintenance fund program is a supplement to federal aid, primary and secondary road programs in each county. The term "construction and maintenance" as used in this section means construction, reconstruction, surveys, mapping, right-of-way costs, bridges, culverts, general road maintenance and fencing. The county shall use existing grades, bridges and other physical items or facilities in order to minimize or avoid more costly relocation.

(b) All expenses of maintaining the road after its construction is completed shall be paid by the county.

(c) The gasoline license tax revenues distributed by the department of transportation under W.S. 39-17-111(d)(ii) shall be sent to the county treasurers of the various counties and placed in a separate fund in each county earning its own interest and be expended by the board of county commissioners solely for the road construction and maintenance fund program and as otherwise provided in this subsection. This money shall be allocated as follows:

(i) To the highway fund, an amount equal to the counties' contribution for the cost of the university's technology transfer program under W.S. 21-17-115(a)(ii) or thirty-one thousand two hundred fifty dollars ($31,250.00), whichever is less;

(ii) The remainder to the counties and the share allocated to each county shall be based fifty percent (50%) upon the percentage ratio which the rural population including the population within the cities and towns with less than one thousand four hundred (1,400) of each county bears to the total rural population of the state and fifty percent (50%) based upon the percentage ratio which the area of each county bears to the area of the state. Any interest earned on the investment of monies in the fund created by this subsection shall be retained by each county and shall be used for project costs as authorized by this section.

(d) Repealed by Laws 2008, Ch. 24, § 2.

(e) Repealed By Laws 2009, Ch. 170, § 2.

(f) There is created a Wyoming county road standards committee appointed by the governor consisting of:

(i) Three (3) members nominated by the Wyoming county commissioners association, one (1) of whom shall be a registered professional engineer;

(ii) Two (2) members nominated by the Wyoming association of consulting engineers and surveyors;

(iii) One (1) member nominated by the Wyoming contractors association; and

(iv) One (1) member nominated by the Wyoming association of county engineers and road superintendents.

(g) It shall be the responsibility of the Wyoming county roads standards committee to furnish standards for the construction and maintenance of county roads to any board of county commissioners upon request, and to advise boards of county commissioners with respect to highway construction, maintenance and improvements. The committee shall meet as necessary, but at least annually.

(h) Whenever an emergency arises requiring construction or maintenance work using funds from the road construction and maintenance fund of a county, the board of county commissioners may enter into contract for the work without advertising for the letting of the contract. An emergency is an occasion requiring construction or maintenance work, on short notice, because the road has become unsafe or impassable due to events which are beyond the control of the county.