Show New highway will make Rangely oil shale shade center Plans announced by officials of the Rio Blanco Oil Shale could make the northwestern nor Colorado town of Rangely the states state's first oil oil- shale capital The company has plans to start construction on a g 93 million complex of underground oil shale retorts in September and announced last week it has spent to design a highway high way to its federal oil shale Tract C-a C that would put it just 25 miles away from Rangely TOM TEN EYCK former Colorado director of Natural Resources now vice president of public affairs for the consortium consortium consortium con con- said the tract em em- will he hopes live in Rangely The city now has a population of 1800 but is expected to in- in u ease to next year as the peak work force of about moves into the area Rio Hlo Blanco expects to have on the project by bythe bythe bythe the end of the year The only other towns of size in the area are Rifle HUll 58 miles south and Meeker 51 miles northeast Using the current highway system which curves around a tract on the east cast and north Rangely is 68 miles away via Colorado 64 But the new highway planned to follow a county road in Rio Blanco County would reduce this to 25 miles Ten Eyck said Rio Hio Blanco officials estimate that the highway will cost million to build Our position has been that the road would be built by the state from money in the oil oil- shale tru trust t fund he said |