Latest news with #FederalLandsAccessProgram
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
What to expect as massive project to fix Millcreek Canyon's aging road begins
Construction will begin soon on the upper section of Mill Creek Canyon Road, which will also impact some access in the popular canyon over the next two summers. The Upper Mill Creek Canyon project will finally get underway on May 1 after a few years of planning between the U.S. Forest Service, Salt Lake County and Millcreek. Crews are slated to repair the road beyond the canyon's winter gate, which extends a little more than 4½ miles toward the Little Water Trailhead. No vehicle, bicycle or pedestrian will be allowed beyond the winter gate toward the end of the road, said Adam Shaw, a district ranger for the U.S. Forest Service, as he stood by the canyon gate Thursday. A few trails, including the Little Water and Old Red Pine trails, will be closed, as well as any access to the Little Water Trail from Dog Lake. However, Shaw said all other trails will remain open. The Pipeline and Upper Pipeline trails will 'serve as the main routes between the upper and lower sections of the canyon,' allowing for access to 'most of your favorite spots,' county officials noted. Once underway, crews will work to repair the 'distressed and eroding' roadway during the closure, according to a project description. It ultimately received $19.6 million in federal funds, most of which came from the Federal Highway Administration's Federal Lands Access Program in 2021. Local entities chipped in over $9 million in matching funds, said Helen Peters, director of regional planning and transportation for Salt Lake County. '(It will) make sure that the water is being directed in the right way,' she added, pointing to current environmental concerns. The project also calls for expanded trailhead facilities to be constructed to add more parking, while uphill bike lanes will be added 'where possible' to account for the growing traffic up the canyon over the past few years. Improvements that could lead to new transit access in the future will also be included, should that be added someday. The project is slated to be completed by the end of 2026, with a winter construction hiatus between Dec. 15 of this year and March 15, 2026. Access to winter recreation sites will be available during the pause in construction, but access will be affected again next summer. County officials will continue to post construction updates online in case there are any major changes over the next two years. 'While it's going to be frustrating not being able to use this beautiful space for the next couple of years, it'll be so much better when we get done,' said Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini. 'We want to make this place safer, and one of the things that the road improvements will do is make it more accessible for emergency vehicles if they have to get up here.'
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Yahoo
Construction begins May 2025 for Mill Creek Canyon Road improvements
SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — Construction on the long-planned Upper Mill Creek Canyon Road Improvement Project is scheduled to begin on Thursday, May 1. Bridge work at the Elbow Fork area will reportedly be starting before May 1. The project — a joint effort between Salt Lake County, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Federal Highway Administration — will 'address roadway safety concerns, improve drainage and erosion control, and enhance long-term access for canyon visitors,' a Salt Lake County press release states. 'During the winter, the roadway above the Winter Gate will be groomed for winter recreation.' The project will focus on the upper 4.6 miles of Mill Creek Canyon Road, situated within the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Salt Lake County. Its goal is to improve safety for visitors, enhance access to recreational areas, and address water quality issues caused by erosion and outdated drainage infrastructure. The improvements will reportedly span from the Winter Gate parking area to the Upper Big Water Trailhead. Over the 2025 and 2026 construction seasons, vehicles and pedestrians will be restricted from accessing on the road past the winter gate. Trails, however, including the Pipeline and Upper Pipeline trails, will remain open. The trails will reportedly serve as key routes for hikers and bikers navigating the canyon while the project is underway. 'Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead, consider carpooling, and consult project and trail maps before heading into the canyon,' the release states. Construction is expected to continue through fall 2026. The project is funded through the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP), which aims to improve transportation facilities that 'provide access to, are adjacent to, or are located within Federal lands,' according to their website. More information about the Upper Mill Creek Canyon Road Improvement Project, including maps, anticipated schedules, and visitor guidance, is available here. Long journey to the NFL draft is only the beginning for college prospects aiming to make the pros 'Connection and creativity': Open Streets returning to downtown SLC this June Construction begins May 2025 for Mill Creek Canyon Road improvements Murray man charged with rape, kidnapping after ex-girlfriend found severely injured The surprising brands behind 'American made' cars Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Jasper County approves seal coal and microsurfacing plans near Neal Smith
Feb. 5—Plans to apply seal coat and microsurfacing to roads near Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge were approved by the Jasper County Board of Supervisors last week, which is all part of the first phase of an accessibility project funded in large part through a Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) Grant. According to county documents, the affected roads include West 129th Street South from Iowa Highway 163 to South 96th Avenue West and South 96th Avenue West from West 129th Street South to Pacific Street. County Engineer Michael Frietsch said the streets will be undergoing major upgrades. "We're going to be taking the road and fixing some box culverts that have broken end sections in there," Frietsch said. "We've got a lot of things that we gotta fix up around the toes and the slopes. We're going to fix the embankments and put guard rail up and basically make safety improvements." Crews are also going to stabilize the top 12 inches with cement and then put a layer of millings down and a double layer of what is called Otta seal. Normally, when applying a seal coat, contractors put down a layer of oil and then chip. But chip is pricy. So, instead, the county will put down 3/4-inch road stone. "We're going to let that sit and cure out, and then two weeks later or so we'll put another run of oil on it and we put another layer of 3/4-inch road stone on top of it. Shape it, compact it, get it all rolled in," Frietsch said. "Then the final step beyond this is we're going to put down what is called a microsurface." Frietsch described the microsurface as a polymer-modified asphalt mixed with some coarse and fine materials that get bladed onto the surface and seals it off. "It gives it a nice sort of black color, sort of poor mans looking asphalt road, so to speak," Frietsch said. "...This is a method I've seen. Johnson County has done Otta seals and there are other counties that have done Otta seals. They're better than a plain old seal coat." If it wasn't for all the embankment slope and culvert issues around these roads, Frietsch said this method would come in around $300,000 per mile. "I think we're probably going to be around the $400,000 to $500,000 per mile range with this project," he said. "So similar to what the Lake Road was — or is." The second phase of the project includes curing West 129th Street South from South 96th Avenue West to South 102nd Avenue West, and then South 102nd Avenue West over to the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge's maintenance shed. A bridge on South 88th Avenue West is also addressed in the third phase.
