HRYUM – Cache County and J-U-B Engineers Inc. held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday for a new Cache County Road and Weed Department facility located at 1420 E. 600 N. in Hyrum. The 38-acre $12-$14 million project is just north of Kilgore, formerly LeGrand Johnson’s gravel pit.
The plan is to develop 14 acres to begin with then grow as the county’s needs grow.
Zan Murray, the project engineer for the new county complex, said the land would give them room to grow for the next 50 to 100 years.
“This is an exciting project,” Murray said. “We appreciate all that have been involved the different aspects of the project.”
Josh Runhaar, Cache County Director of Development, said their current facility (located at 525 N. 1000 W. Logan) was inefficient and too small for a growing county. The facility will include a huge storage facility that will house the county’s vehicles, a maintenance shop and wash bay.
“We vastly outgrew our present shop and looked at multiple sites and multiple buildings,” he said. “Our current location is difficult to get in and out with the increase traffic.”
He said the new location will be more efficient and give their trucks easier access to Highway 165 and getting out on a downhill road will give their vehicles a better chance of getting up to speed and the uphill will make it easier to slow as they return to the facility.
Cache County Executive Craig Buttars said, “This location should meet our current and future needs. We will also build a smaller location on the north end of the valley in the future.”
There were many groups represented at the groundbreaking including county officials and their employees even the weed department. J-U-B officials, builders, architects and county firemen were on hand all had an opportunity to grab a shovel and turn some dirt.
Lundhal Building Systems will build all of the structures on the new parcel.
The county should be moving into the new facility this time next year.