GREEN RIVER - City officials want to buy about 130 acres of Bureau of Land Management land just east of Green River as part of a proposal to construct a new access road to neighboring Rock Springs.

The new access road would roughly follow the remnants of the old Lincoln Highway that used to run between the two cities, according to plans.

Green River officials said the new road could help alleviate growing traffic congestion along Interstate 80, the state's busiest highway, that has come, in part, from the energy boom in southwest Wyoming.

A new access road would increase highway safety and ensure access to medical care for city residents, officials said. The road would provide access to emergency vehicles and other traffic when the highway is closed due to bad weather and accidents.

Green River officials also said acquiring the land could help meet the city's need for more housing due to the increased energy development.

A bill written by Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., that would convey the 132 acres of BLM land passed the Senate last week.

"The folks of Green River are running out of room to meet the needs of their families and their community, and this option allows Green River the opportunity to expand," Thomas said. "With increased energy production and jobs, there's rapid growth and more people. Our cities and towns need some breathing room."

Green River city administrator Barry Cook called Senate passage of the bill "excellent news" for the city. "It's certainly a crowded drive to Rock Springs these days," he said.

"The first thing we wanted to do was acquire that land through federal legislation, and the good news is it looks like that's passing," Cook said in a phone interview Monday.

"Now we need to sit down with Rock Springs and the county and take a look some grant funding … to upgrade and build that access road," he said.

The 132-acre parcel is located east of the municipal cemetery and due north of the Green River's east interchange on I-80.

Only route

Although Green River and Rock Springs are only 14 miles apart in central Sweetwater County, Interstate 80 is currently the only road between the two cities.

Traffic along the interstate is getting more congested every day. Truck numbers are skyrocketing, and they've become a major hazard to Green River residents who commute to work or to shop in Rock Springs, Cook said.

City officials also worry about access to the region's only hospital - Sweetwater County Memorial Hospital in Rock Springs - during bad weather or when accidents close the interstate.

"We started this project basically for safety reasons … For example, we had an accident on the interstate this morning that stopped traffic for a while, and if somebody has an emergency and they have to get to the hospital, how are they going to get there?" Cook said.

"Our main emphasis has been to create a service road that runs parallel to the interstate that would provide an access and a transportation corridor for emergency purposes and for our residents to get back and forth to Rock Springs in the event I-80 is closed," he said.

"But we're also totally aware that if we purchase the land and that road gets developed, it certainly opens up property for economic development and housing purposes," Cook said.

Cook said it will be up to Green River City Council members to determine what kind of future development occurs on the tract.

"The council has not reached a consensus on what their No. 1 priority for that land is," he said. "We've done studies that have looked at expanding both east and west … but at what pace and with what priorities, we don't know yet."

Little room

City officials have long warned that Green River has little room for growth.

With I-80 and the scenic landmark Castle Rock to the north and steep, undevelopable topography to the south, the city is recent years has looked to the east and west I-80 interchanges for possible land annexation in an effort to extend the city limits.

City officials note Green River has lost out on a lot of possible business opportunities in recent years because of a lack of land available for those businesses.

Although the city notified the BLM several years ago of its intention to annex to the east, the land was not on the agency's quick disposal list. So Thomas introduced a bill in March that would require the Interior Department to convey the land to the city at a fair market value.

BLM officials said the 132 acres is currently authorized for livestock grazing, and sufficient access and acreage for grazing would remain available if the land is conveyed to the city. There are no mineral leases or mining claims on the parcel.

At the city's request, the Wyoming Department of Transportation is conducting a feasibility study to determine the best route for the access road, Cook said.

"It's quite the utility corridor up there … so they're looking at the old Lincoln Highway right-of-way documents and old interstate documents," he said.

Cook said early, unofficial cost projections to build an approximately 12-mile-long access road have been estimated at about $2 million per mile, or about $24 million total. He said the WYDOT report should be complete within the next year.

Cook said city officials have allocated $150,000 in the city's budget to buy the land. Thomas staffers said the bill passed the Senate Dec. 7 and now awaits approval by the House.

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Southwest Wyoming bureau reporter Jeff Gearino can be reached at 307-875-5359 or at gearino@tribcsp.com.