Red Rock Canyon Phase 2 Road Improvement Begins October 12
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Las Vegas – Crews will begin construction on Phase 2 of improvements to the 13-mile scenic loop in Red Rock Canyon National Recreation Area on October 12. The construction, which is scheduled to proceed into summer, will improve three parking lots and rehabilitate pavement on the entire loop road.
The project is funded by the Federal Highway Administration and will be performed by Las Vegas Paving.
Construction will start with the improvement of the Calico 1 parking lot. The parking lot is scheduled to close after October 12, and will remain closed for about three months to complete the improvements. Construction is scheduled to start on Sandstone Quarry and Pine Creek Canyon parking lots after the first of the year when the Calico 1 parking lot reopens.
Rehabilitation of the pavement of the 13-mile scenic loop road is scheduled to begin around February. It will initially be performed in one-mile segments. During this time, the travel lane width will be reduced to 11 feet inside the one-mile segment. Each segment should take one week to complete. There will be a reduced speed limit and no passing allowed in the active construction segments. Visitors are asked to take extreme caution while traveling in the construction area, as it could be shared motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians. The segments may expand a half mile if it is determined construction can be performed safely, and with minimal delay to visitors, after the first few miles are complete.
Progress and current construction area updates will be posted to BLM Nevada social media, including the Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/BLMNevada and the Twitter feed at https://twitter.com/BLMNV, and available at the fee booths and Visitors’ Center.
Public information meetings will be held October 12 at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at REI in Boca Park, 710 S Rampart Blvd. Representatives from the Bureau of Land Management Southern Nevada District Office, the Federal Highway Administration and Las Vegas Paving will be in attendance to explain the project and answer questions.
Work on the first phase was completed in February 2016 and was funded by Federal Highway Administration and the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. Phase one included construction of two new bridges that replaced low water crossings at the Sandstone and Red Rock washes which have improved visitor safety and reduced maintenance during flash flood events. The Phase One project also included improvements to the visitor center parking lot.
Public meetings were held in 2014 and the project received wide-spread support. For more information, please visit http://bit.ly/29n23gb or http://bit.ly/29oGKps.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.