We've got cows?

How an agency oversight roped us in!

https://vimeo.com/billkelton/wehavecows?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Arizona SR87 - Rye section.. This 5 mile project was in open range with just barbed wire keeping the cows off the road. Clearing for the new right of way fencing required making temporary gates in the existing fence and yes a few times the clever range cows were able to sneak in and munch on the shoulder grass. But we quickly herded them back to their side, no harm.

The Rancher's house was on the West side of the road on the banks of Deer Creek. He had utilized the creek bed under the bridge to cross his herd under the highway and move them onto their summer pasture every year. Only now, in the spring of 1991, we had excavated for a new bridge and installed bank protection, subsequently taking out his cow trail and leaving him with no way to move his herd other than loading them into trucks and hauling them across the road.

The ADOT resident engineer was not really empathetic to the contractor or the residents, so when the rancher brought it up, he was immediately dismissed by the agency. There was little justification to help with the time and money it would cost the rancher.

However, I always found that a good neighbor policy was the key to a successful project, so we worked with him to provide a temporary trail around the new bank protection.

The rancher claimed that ADOT had promised to provide a passage to replace his existing trail, but somehow the agreement never made it to the final project. While it was a minor expense, and a slight delay for us, it serves as a perfect example of how agencies can trap contractors into expensive circumstances and without a good working relationship, things can spiral quickly.

Imagine these at today's prices!