Cattle guard issue still contentious

A weeks-long impasse over who is responsible for upkeep on a Quay County Road AF cattle guard on state right-of-way has ended, but issues that emerged from it have not.

County commissioners at their regular meeting Monday learned the landowner recently repaired the damaged cattle guard on state right-of-way near U.S. 54. The guard had been installed by the state, but the state refused to fix it. Quay County officials have insisted they only would maintain county-installed cattle guards.

County manager Richard Primrose said he learned at a recent meeting with other officials from a five-county region the lack of responsibility for cattle guards in state right-of-way was not an anomaly.

“They have the same problem. It’s not just Quay County. It’s not just us,” Primrose said.

He and county road superintendent Larry Moore said they hadn’t heard from state officials on how to resolve the issue. The lack of a clear answer on cattle-guard upkeep irked District 1 commissioner Sue Dowell.

“It’s going to keep happening,” she said. “It’s ridiculous to me. This needs an answer.”

In other road business, Moore said County Road Ai, also known as Airport Road, likely would be closed for several hours Thursday or Friday to seal-coat the surface. The road, which links Interstate 40 to U.S. 54, often is used by large trucks. It underwent base repairs several weeks ago.

After seal coating, Moore said the road would be restriped the following week.

Dowell also passed along complaints from residents about the condition of Quay County roads AG and AB. She said a few residents bought and laid down their own caliche to make the road more accessible.