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Issues >
Transportation
> Printer Version Loop Road Paving Project (Wyoming) $7 million
The
Loop Road paving project would rebuild and relocate 7.1 miles
of the Louis Lake Road, a 28-mile dirt and gravel mountain road
through the southeastern corner of the Shoshone National Forest
in Wyoming. The upgraded road, which would only be open during
the summer and early fall months, would threaten wildlife and
cost more than $1 million per mile to rebuild. Current Status In
the summer of 1996, a 1.6-mile section of the road near the Shoshone
National Forest Boundary was rebuilt. Now the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) and the USFS are considering rebuilding
the next 7.1 miles. In 1999, FHWA released the Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Loop Road. The DEIS offered only
two action alternatives: completely rebuild and pave the road,
or completely rebuild and gravel the road. The FHWA dismissed
the spot improvement option even though the vast majority of
public comments had requested limited improvements. The FHWA
gained a rebuke from the Environmental Protection Agency for
the lack of alternatives presented in the draft plan. A final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is expected in late December
of 2001 or January of 2002. The more than $1 million per mile price tag makes the project a significant waste of taxpayers' money. The road will be very expensive because of hairpin-turns, steep grades, and environmental considerations. Local residents oppose the paving project. When the Federal Highway Administration held a hearing in October of 1999 on its recently released draft management plan, Loop Road conservationists outnumbered paving proponents by a margin of three to one. In terms of total comments for the draft plan, citizens who favored protecting the road/and or desired spot-improvements outnumbered the opposition by a margin of six to one. Unfortunately, in a critical vote, the county commission recently agreed to pick up maintenance costs for the Loop Road, endorsing a "pavement" alternative. The commission has changed its position on this issue three times in the last year. Locals advocate appropriate improvements such as turnouts and improved maintenance. The Loop Road, although bumpy and dusty, has had only a few minor accidents. If the road is paved, serious accidents are expected to increase. Also, residential neighborhoods would be negatively impacted by increased traffic from the project. Cheaper alternatives exist. Re-graveling sections and routine maintenance would be considerably less expensive. Project Hurts the Environment Paving would dramatically increase traffic volume on the Loop Road. The increased traffic would pass through and harm Sinks Canyon State Park, which was rated as one of the best state parks in America by National Geographic in books published in 1987 and 1997. The
project could potentially damage water quality and threaten wildlife,
the nearby Popo Agie Wilderness, wetlands and meadows. Elk
migrating over the road from their summer to winter ranges would
be at a much higher risk of getting hit by a fast-moving car
or recreational vehicle. Paving the Loop Road would cause increased
levels of soil erosion and stream sedimentation, ruining water
quality and fish habitat.
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