Show Work Scheduled to Start on Capitol Reef Area Road Soon By By Barbara Ekker After fifteen years' years of planning and working with various agencies agen agen- des cies and road committees actual actual actual ac ac- ac- ac work has been scheduled to get underway on on ah an an ol oiled ailed d road from Fruita Utah through Capitol Capitol Ca Ca- pitol Reef Cainsville and Hanksville Hanks Hanks- ville rille in Wayne county to the Emery county border a total of ot 43 miles The project is expected to be completed within the next three years and will cost in in inthe the neighborhood neighborhood neigh neigh- of accordIng accordIng accord accord- Ing to Wayne county commissioner commis Harold Ekker The completion completion com corn of the road will open up for the first time an oiled all- all weather highway through Capitol Capitol Capi Capi- tol Reef and the Wayne Wonderland Wonderland Wonderland Wonder Wonder- land area It will connect with US U.S. 6 50 near Green River and I S. S highway 89 at Siguard over U. U S S. S highway 24 A group of men from the Wayne Vayne county area along with officials of the Utah state road commission Bureau of of Public Roads Park Service and guides made the trip Friday April 28 Into the area of the proposed highway to establish the route planned last January when The trip made on horseback was o members of ot the Wayne county commission Harold Ekker chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man and Keith Taylor and Wilford Wilford Wil- Wil ford who had spearheaded spearheaded spearheaded spear spear- headed the project met with the Park Service and state road commission Already has been appropriated appropriated ap up- through the Bureau of Public roads and the state road commission for the con con i of ten miles of oiled surface from west Construction on that portion Is exp expected in the near future Mr Me Ekker stated Mr Me Ekker said that the urvey survey sue sur vey of the new road scheduled to get underway the first part of ot June with the possibility of rome fome ome preliminary construction this year Approximately 6 miles of ot the thenes new nes road will be constructed with the Park Service funds while the Bureau of ot Public roads and state road commission will pay for tor the other 37 miles I ISome Some air all survey has already beer been completed with the ground layout to begin In June The new route will cut about ten miles oft off the present dirt road It will go nearly strai straight qt Vast east m Fruita through Capitol Capi Cap tol wash to Cainsville cutting out the present route Joute that fol follows fol lows a southerly direction to Pear near the he tar fur eix end of Qt the thc mom ment merit and back northeast The new route will Involve changing chang ing the course of the Fremont river Iver to eliminate many bridges and will wUl possibly Include two tunnels in the Reef area The Park Service has ed that they wilt will continue to maintain the present road In Capitol Ca pitol pito Reef eef as a scenic sideline for tourist travel Emery mery county commissioners have shown favorable fa reaction to g go alon along with Waynes Wayne's to make Highway 24 an oiled oiled oiled oil oil- ed road through their county to U. U S. S 50 Their route would be eleven and a half miles long to Temple Mountain Mountain Moun Moun- tam tain junction where oiled road is already completed |