Teton County and town staff reviewed 90% designs for the Teton Pass Trail (Trail Creek Campground to Coal Creek) at a May 5 workshop, and commissioners asked staff to finish final design and pursue funding options after hearing the projectcost rose from the figure used in the BUILD grant application.

The project will extend about 3.5 miles of 10-foot-wide paved pathway from Trail Creek Campground to Coal Creek, include a Coal Creek underpass and be sited mostly inside Wyoming Department of Transportation right of way, Brian Schilling, pathways coordinator for the Town of Jackson and Teton County, told the board. "This project will be the most technically challenging project of any project we've done for the Teton County Pathway System," Schilling said, citing steep longitudinal and cross slopes, wetlands and frequent retaining walls.

County civil engineer Aaron Jappel (Jorgensen Associates) and Public Works Director Heather Overholser reviewed cross sections, alignment constraints and material strategies. To limit hauling and reduce cost and traffic control needs, Jappel said designers are using material stockpiled from a recent WYDOT slide site and fill from a decommissioned Forest Service access at Burbank Creek. Designers said wetland impacts are small (under 0.1 acre in the current design) and that in several places the path must be benched into steep slopes, requiring retaining walls and safety railings.

The board focused on cost and funding. Overholser said the estimate in the staff report covered construction ($12,432,506) and the total project estimate including professional services and contingencies is about $13.36 million. "The engineer's estimate, we will not know a definitive number until this project is bid," Overholser said. The county holds a BUILD grant award committed at about $5.15 million from an earlier, lower estimate; Overholser said that grant amount is fixed under the BUILD agreement. County staff also said they expect approximately $1 million in a Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) award toward the Coal Creek underpass, but that agreement is not yet finalized and reimbursement could arrive in a later fiscal year.

Commissioners raised three recurring concerns: (1) how to cover the increased local match (the local share rose substantially when the project estimate increased), (2) wildlife permeability before long-term wildlife fencing and crossings are installed, and (3) whether the county should proceed now or redirect scarce local funds to higher-priority corridor projects (for example, Spring Gulch Road was repeatedly cited as a higher immediate local priority).

On wildlife, designers said the pathway alignment anticipates a future wildlife-fencing plan and certain pathway sections will include "escape ramps" or gaps to help wildlife cross the corridor prior to installation of permanent fencing or overpasses. Schilling and Jappel explained that where retaining walls are necessary they tried to position the taller walls on the downhill side with smaller walls uphill so animals can pass and construction is simpler.

After discussion the board gave staff informal direction but did not take a formal vote: finish 100% design and proceed to bid to get a definitive construction price; continue outreach to nonprofit partners and potential private philanthropy for the local match; and ask staff to engage the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)/USDOT to clarify whether changing or removing this component would jeopardize the larger BUILD grant. Commissioners also asked staff to provide an updated BUILD-programwide financial status and a breakdown of projects in the BUILD suite with outstanding cost-risk items and an accounting of available local multimodal/SPED funds.

Board members emphasized competing priorities. "My priority is funding Spring Gulch," Commissioner Gardner said. Commissioner Carlman asked staff to make an informal inquiry with federal partners and explore other funding sources. Several commissioners said they supported completing the final design (and then bidding) before making final budget decisions.

Next steps staff listed include finishing final design and specifications, advancing permitting and right-of-way expansions with WYDOT and the U.S. Forest Service where needed, coordinating the Coal Creek fish-passage work to seek construction efficiencies, and returning to the board with: (1) a 100% design package for consideration to advertise for bids, (2) the updated program-wide BUILD funding spreadsheet, and (3) results of informal discussions with federal grant administrators and prospective philanthropic partners.

Provenance: The Teton Pass Trail discussion began in the meeting's workshop segment when Brian Schilling introduced the project and the 90% design (start of focused discussion at approximately 01:03:27 in the transcript) and concluded with the board's informal direction on funding and next steps later in the workshop (end of discussion at approximately 02:06:40).

Ending: The board did not authorize construction funding at the meeting. Staff will complete the remaining design work and return with a bid-ready package and a program-level funding update before the board decides whether to commit additional county funds.