Show t Access Roads to Open pen Up Southeast Utah Scenic Wonderland The March 25 edition of the New York Times contained contain ed an authoritative article on the proposed access road construction con construction in the uranium district district dis of southeastern Utah written by Jack Goodman Its correspondent The story was illustrated by a map of the area which Is reproduced herewith The dotted lines on the map show the roads which are to be Improved or con strutted The New York Times article is given below Edl Edi Editors Editor's tors tor's Note Because uranium deposits and fascinating scenic spots lie close together In southeastern Utah the spectacular but isolated iso iso- natural bridges and prehistoric pre historic cliff dwellings of the states state's last frontier are arc soon to become more accessible to cross country tourists A million dollar mile 11 dollar m e road building program primar primarily Ily ly intended to expedite the trucking of uranium ore from the plateau region of the Colorado Colo Cola rado and San Juan Rivers Rives to distant railheads has hs been approved approved ap ap- ap proved by the United States Public Roads Administration and Utah's State Road Commis Commis- sion slon Work on the vital project projects is s getting under way so speed speed- ily ly Ily that by summer It Is expected ex ex- motorists will be able to o venture into the wilderness country with much less danger of broken springs and ch chewed chewed- wed up tire treads than In previous seasons a Mon ro t. t rr 1 I nC MO t o Mh lo j 1 N Ica 0 La Sol s t NATIONAL cr o oae oa e Q Co 1 iiLa G U T 14 r 1 S rs b PA v I U WYO fan gl a eth r rC LAKE LAE C CITY TY UTAH ry i rap u bo yanta r Ctt y A ARI R. R I 21 ZO O N A Z 0 OMo Map of Southeastern Utah Showing Location of Proposed Highway High way Improvements to be Financed by Atomic Energy Commis sion slon Strategic Location of Moab in Center of Uranium Belt I is Shown New York Times Map As a n result of the highway I Imp Improvements r 0 v e men t s three scenic areas tire are to be opened up They are the seldom visited seldom visited Natural Bridges National Monument west of Blanding handing the Hoven weep National Monument on the Utah Colorado Colorado border and the capitol Reef National Monument Monument ment west of at Hanksville Gravel Gravol Surfaces While no pavements of the superhighway type are to be laid tourists are arc promised ade ade- adequate quate surfacing and gravel topping top top- ping on the routes which will give Ive access to these monuments The TIle constant hazard of flash flood In the dry washes alon along the way will also be reduced by ditching grading and bridge building After completion of the road projects motoring In Inthis Inthis inthis this region will still have its difficulties but to the hardy sightseer the scenery would be well worth the trouble 1 It takes to get to it The new highway program can be bo divided Into three pro I jests 1 I H the construction reconstruction reconstruction re re- re construction and rerouting of the present mlle mile mountain moun mount I tain tamn and desert track between the trading post of Blanding and the Colorado River ferry outpost of lute IUt 2 nine miles of new road thirty four thirty four miles of C improvement and considerable consider able bridge building on the four mlle stretch of State Route 47 south and west from Blanding to Mexican lint Hat and 3 about miles of improve ment on the route running i southwest from Green River Continued on last page Access Roads Continued from first paste page I through to the Henry Hen Item ry Mountains The The first of these projects will open the way to Natural Bridges es cs National Monument Motorists Motor NonoUS on US 50 the well paved Salt Denver t Lake City highway wh which I parallels the Rio Grande Railroad can already reach Blanding with little difficulty by hy turning south at Crescent Junction and following mid fair sections of US 1 ICO and State Route 47 passing through Moab and Monticello on the way Road noad to lUte However the route fro from m Blanding west to which leads to the natural bridges and Is designated State Stale Route 93 95 on the maps hardly descry deserves es Cs to be he termed a road rondo About I Is being spent here foran for foran foran an weather all highway in the lee Ice of foot foot Bear Ears Pass Over the remodeled road it will be he a n seven mile mile drive from handing Blanding to the monument monument ment headquarters which Is Is' just a few hundred yards from the first of the three great natural bridges Inthe in inthe Inthe the preserve Bathed in desert sunshine the long foot foot long Bridge which rises nearly feet above the canyon provides a striking entrance gate to the region about three miles miles miles-a a not too difficult hike Is Is Kachina Bridge rising feet above the canyon floor midway in its foot foot span Sipapu Bridge another three miles mlles along the trail trait is stillmore still stillmore more awesome Its awesome Its span being feet long and the arch feet high Travelers familiar with Virginias Virginia's Vir ginia's more easily reached Na Na- Bridge can gain some idea of the Utah formations by comparing comparing com com- paring the dimensions The rock span in n Virginia is 21 5 feet high but only 90 DO feet long Sipapu Is so large that a NewYork New NewYork NewYork York City block covered with d story fifteen buildings could be placed under it with space to spare To Navajo Country I Work on Route 47 between betwee n Blanding Standing and Mexican Hat willII will benefit tourists in two ways I It II will Improve the entrance entrance en tran trance e to Monument Valley th the e most scenic portion of the Navajo Na Na- vajo Indian Reservation on the th e Utah Arizona border It will also al also al so make it easier casler to reach Ho- Ho Monument Motorists driving south over ove r rebuilt 47 will still have to traverse traverse tra verse twenty twenty four four miles mlles o of f r primitive road which runs easto east cast t to the monument but the tre trek from Blanding will be cons considerably consid less time The preserve contains contains' four groups of prehistoric Pueblo Pu eblo ebbo ruins ruin which prove as in to the average sightseer sightseer sight sight- seer as to the archaeologist Tucked away in Ruin Cajon Keeley and Hackberry Canyons these include the House Square Tower Stronghold Strong hold House Horseshoe House I Cool Spring House and Hackberry hackberry Hack hack- berry Castle Each of these structures rates in interest with the better known ruins of Mesas Verde National Park The third highway project stretching south from Green River flyer will provide a new route to the Capitol Reef National Monument section of the foot Aquarius Plateau an area erea rea of great interest to geologists I I Capitol Reef reached from fromI I over State Route 24 I boasts erosion formations more spectacular than those of ZIon I or Bryce National Park Con Con- I taming petrified trees prehistoric ruins gorges 1200 feet II deep monoliths and pinnacles f the monument has everything but tourists I f Hazards of the Region I Although the new all wea ther highways are going tomake to tomake make traveling easier In southeastern south eastern Utah prospective visitors I tors should be forewarned that pot not all of the dangers and discomforts discomforts dis comforts have been I r ed cd At any time of the year motorists mo mo- heading south from US 50 would do well to carry spare water and gasoline extra food bedrolls and even a shovel for unexpected rough spots Local residents always warn th the unwary to get out of dry washes washes gullies gullies to the easterner eastern eastern- er er-at er at the first sign of rain and they are In dead earnest The desert Is cloudburst country country coun coun- try particularly In late summer summer sum sum- mer and torrential floods can descend suddenly out of a seemingly seemingly seem seem- arid landscape The high I plateaus and passes arc are likewise likewise like like- wise subject to occasional heavy hea vy snows in early spring As for the discomforts visitors tors should remember that the I three national monuments de described described de- de scribed here are undeveloped Insofar as overnight accommodations are arc concerned However lodgings are to be found within with in easy driving distance Mon Mon- and Blanding range range- country trading posts on the eastern eastern edge of the road new projects have decent motel accommodations ac ac- ac as do Loa to th the e west and Moab and Green River Ri ver vcr to the north Moab in fact boasts several handsome lodges es which are frequently patronized patro by Hollywood film units unit out to shoot authentic background back ground scenes of the picturesque e Zane Grey country |