Show i Oil shale access roads discussed at meeting The route location of a new access road rood into the oil shale development area of Uintah County dominated the discussion at the Utah Department of Transportation planning meeting held in Vernal Wednesday of last week for Uintah Duchesne and Daggett counties Conducting the meeting was SarI San Taylor of Moab commission member assigned l re sf mU h DISCUSSION on the oil shale access road was divided between between bet bet- a new direct route from Vernal to Bonanza and a route going from the oil shale Je leases ses near Bonanza northwest to an existing road into Ouray and then using existing roads north and west to Roosevelt via U. U S S. S 40 A Duchesne County group favored the Roosevelt road and anda a Uintah County group favored the direct route from Vernal Grant Gerber chairman of oC the road from Roosevelt to the oil shale field from Roosevelt explained the need for th the road into Duchesne County to prevent a depressed condition due to the decreased oil drilling activities and to tap th the the man manpower man man- nan power reserve in Duchesne County According to Gerbers Gerber's Gerber's Gerbers present presentation the road front front froni Roosevelt to Ouray to the oil shale area area would be only five five- one half miles longer than the present route from Vernal H He said Vernal had one road and the second road should go to Roosevelt TilE THE UINTAH County oil shale direct route road statement was given by Ralph RalphA A A. director of the Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce Transportation Committee The statement was signed by Orlan Oran Cook Uintah County Commission chairman S Samuel er- er Snyder V Vernal City Mayor Kenneth G. G Anderton Uintah School Board president and nd L J Y Y Vernal Area Ch Chamber of Commerce president The paragraph 15 statement stated the direct route road should be built from Vernal The statement reasoned that the development was in Uintah County and the first initial access road should be to the county seat where the services offices schools shopping area find and accommodations were located The direct route would also s serve the gilsonite te mines Inthe in inthe inthe the Bonanza area area are and d the Red W Wash shoil oil field The proposal to align the route through Ouray cannot be supported by the Vernal area or Uintah County as the first direct route to Uintah County's oil shale land because of the reasons given It is felt however that additional routes will be desirable and necessary as later and more comprehensive com corn development occurs oc oc- oc curs A map was shown by Mr indicating the direct rou route t to be 37 miles from Vernal and the route from Roosevelt to tobe tobe tobe be 53 miles Com Commissioner Taylor asked the County Commissioners Com Com- Commissioners missioners of Duchesne and Uintah counties to to appoint a j joint int committee to co come e up with witha a network of roads into the oil shale area with a list of oC priorities This was was' agreed to toby toby toby by the county commissioners representing the two counties present IN OTHER road planning discussion Mr ex ex explained explained the need of a way four fire light a at t the intersection of the Vernal fire station to permit the fire fighting equipment to cr cross cross ss Highway U. U S S. S 40 Also the need ed to plan for a lane four highway for the east and west entrances of oW U. U S. S 40 into Vernal City was stressed Rulon Anderton Duchesne County Commission chairman explained th the congestion problem through Roosevelt City an alternate route needs to tobe tobe be considered he stated Continued on Page 12 f t. t Pf r I i t. t meeting ng Continued from Page 1 Anderton said the heavy vy trucks were bea beating ting ling the roads to pieces He said scales seales were needed to check the heavy loads to be sure they were not overweight Reports w were re also given by staff members of oC the Ed Lovelace district director for tor forthe forthe the area gave a h report on the existing projects currently being constructed He said the Roosevelt Roosevelt Main Main Street and new tr traffic tI t project would be finished in the spring The roadside obstacles obstacles safety project t of widening shoulders on U. U US S S. 40 between Strawberry to Vernal should be completed in another two weeks BIDS inns FOR Foft the grading and draining on the 38 mile road from Dutch John Gap to Wyoming Will be tie advertised within a week The surfacing contract contra t will come at a later date st stated ted Mr Lovelace The Duchesne River road and the Strawberry River bridge were also projects in the construction st stages stat stated Lovelace Lovelace- Dick Roberts program pla planning project ct o officer officer of of- Cicer stated that that Utah had about 14 million annually for road funds to divide up in the entire state This is is' the reason we we need to know the most ne needed d r roads ds in each area it I. RODNEY DAIIL representing representing representing the aeronautics of the told of the extension of she Joo Duchesne airport runway runway and the new Roosevelt airport He said the Vernal airport still needs to be enlarged to o accommodate Boeing planes planes and th that t thee the e west east cr crosswind runway runway- project was Vas still in in the environmental environmental environmental en- en study y Planning is is' being done for a ahard ahard ahard hard surface on the Dutch John rt runway and nd-a nd a possible airport at Bonanza We would like comments on a a. a. a commuter airline system service in the state tate Dahl st ted St Steve ve Laws Lawson n director dir of ot community relations was wasa was a also so present at the meeting and gave comments on public relations |