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Show THE ZEPHYR/ APRIL-MAY 2003 ROADWORK Seeing RED at Devils Canyon--UDOT should SEEING "RED" IN DEVILS CANYON Throughout much of the country, state governments are struggling to deal with soaring deficits as tax revenues continue to shrink in this dismal economy. Utah is no different; Governor Leavitt has proposed serious cutbacks in the state highway changes its stripes--I hings to Come? In fact, the one difference between conditions on the rim and in the canyon, is speed. Vehicles actually slow down in the canyon, and THAT may indeed be contributing to the very low "deer-related" accident rate in the canyon itself. Incredibly, reducing the gradient may result in increased vehicle speeds and increased accident rates. This $10 million project could ultimately cause more deer-related collisions! program in order to preserve education spending, despite a budget that is $200 million in the red. The Legislature, unwilling to cut highway projects suggested tax increases instead. In southeast Utah, UDOT plans major improvements to US 191 from Crescent Junction to Moab, as well as projects in San Juan County. Its number one priority there is the $10 million reconstruction of four miles of highway in and adjacent to There are some areas of concern along this stretch of highway that need immediate attention. But these problems could be mitigated at a fraction of the proposed project cost. Finally this is a very scenic and beautiful section of US 191. URS staff at the December Public Hearing admitted to me that, if the project is completed as now drawn, the Devil’s Canyon roadway area itself will bear little if any resemblance to Devil’s Canyon, ten miles south of Monticello. It’s not a project on Leavitt's cut list. But can UDOT justify the expense, especially in these difficult economic times? Based on a careful study of UDOT’s Environmental Assessment of this project, the information provided in the document fails to make a case for a rebuilding project of the highway today. this magnitude. At close to $10 million, at a time when the State Treasury is running hundreds of millions of dollars in the red, the cost of this project cannot ultimately be justified. 3 Even if the state of the economy were sound and the government was swimming in surpluses, the argument could still be made that the proposal is over-engineered and will be overbuilt. Further, it’s clear that existing safety concerns could be mitigated at a far lower cost. But to proceed with this project now makes no sense. First consider some of the information I discovered in UDOT’s own Environmental Assessment... The document states that ‘safety is the primary need for the roadway improvements.” It mentions “steep grades, poor sight distance," and “obstructions within the roadway clear zone," among the problems that this project will correct. But are the problems along this short stretch of roadway that severe? At the very back of the Devil’s Canyon EA, in appendix I, I found an eRe document identified as “Traffic ae OSR." Here is what the “traffic summary" said under Section "1.0 Traffic “SR-191 was analyzed as a Class 1 Highway for traffic capacity. It was found that the highway currently operates at an acceptable level of service (LOS). Projected traffic volumes in the 2025 design year were utilized to determine the future traffic capacity for both the existing highway without improvement-and for an improved roadway. It was found that the existing highway without improvement would operate at an acceptable level of service in the future. Traffic capacity therefore cannot be shown as a need for the project. (emphasis added)” Clearly, based on UDOT’s steep grades may impede the major reconstruction. And-that flows more than two decades Next UDOT turns to the justify the project. In section own studies, “traffic capacity" flow of traffic, but there isn’t same stretch of roadway will from now. accident rate in the proposed 1.2, "Need for the Proposed A staffer at the December public hearing admitted that, if the project is is not an issue here. The enough traffic to justify continue to meet traffic completed as now drawn, the Devils Canyon roadway area itself will bear little if any resemblance to the highway today...a veritable no-man’s land, almost 300 feet wide, could be the result. reconstruction zone to Action," the EA states: "Roadway deficiencies as well as the existence of a deer migration route intersecting the highway have contributed to a high accident rate in the area of the Devil's Canyon. Single-vehicle accidents account for 98% of the total recorded accidents, with 74% US 191 looking south, near Devils Canyon... of those accidents being attributed to deer-related incidents (emphasis added)." It then notes that "Clusters of deer-related accidents" within the project zone. "The roadway deficiencies discussed above, such as peek sight distance, io to exacerbate the deer-related accident problems in the area. - But "roadway deficiencies" have very little to do with ef iclated accidents because none of the “clusters’ identified in the EA even exist within the heart of the proposed construction zone, where 75% of the costs will occur. A study of the UDOT “Corridor Map" makes this fact evident. NONE of these accident clusters, identified by UDOT, is in the canyon. They are ALL on the rim, where sight distance ad obstacle problems are negligible. The road cut on the north grade, now less than 60 feet wide, could end up as wide as 300 feet, A veritable no-man’s land, devoid of trees and vegetation. asked to create The scope and the best case for exist, they can be projects. Recently instance, that $80 ff the results would SES Aa ae 970.858.3636 westskydan@aol.com WATCH THE SKIES! erie rene YAU PEACE... April 2: Mercury right of crescent moon, early evening in the West. May 15: Total lunar eclipse, starts at 8pm, totality at 9:15 1430NnS 10 Expedit | photographs if these kinds Last year, I of of extreme what this measures PAGE4 have been difficult to expense of this project cannot be justified. UDOT’s own EA makes scaling back the proposal. While several specific safety problems resolved and needed road monies can be better utilized on other I received an email from UDOT’s Dal Hawks. He pointed out, for million is currently allocated to improvements on US 6/50 through The Historic Pioneer House, Built in 1898. Bly completed, reason it was not done is simply because defend and too embarrassing to display. 888.637.2582 435.6/2.2446 TPM DONS KLAR el HISTORIC BED & BREAKFAST in Bluff's Historic Neighborhood. Hiking, Biking, Skiing & Van Trips computer-generated look like when were taken. These "scenario photos” would not have been very expensive; clearly the TOMRICEGKELLY ANDREWS POBOX219 Bluff. UT 84512 Pioneer House URS/UDOT construction would =| |
