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Show Garfield Gets $ 1 .6-Million for Bridge Projects Charles Bame and Ron Wadsworth check erosion and fire damage in Tropic area of Bryce Canyon National Park. Regular photography helps keep park officials informed of changes. Garfield County Commissioner Guy Thompson announced this week that Garfield County will receive approximately $1.6 million in grant funds from the Community Impact Board so that construction can begin on bridges along the Boulder-to-Bullfrog Road. The county will contribute another $1 2 million in matching funds to get i hp project underway. Thompson said the county's funds will come rem B and C road funds. Community Impact Board Hiairman Shirl Clarke said that his board feels that federal and state funds will be forthcoming to complete the $20.8 million project which is planned in four sections. The first section (Boulder to f'apitol Reef Naitonal Park), a distance of 30.6 miles is estimated at $7 8 million; the second section "hrough Capitol Reef National Park) a distance of 8.4 miles, is estimated at $6.3 million. The third action (from Capitol Reef to Glen Canyon) a distance of 19.3 miles, is estimated at $4.4 million; and the fourth section, a distance of 7.6 miles in the Glen Canyon Recreation Area, is estimated at $2.8 million. Thompson said the $2.8 million start with Community Impact funds and county funds joined, will get the project underway by constructing several important bridges, at Deer Creek, the Gulch, Horse Canyon, Muley Twist Wash, Halls Creek and Bullfrog Creek. Should the additional state and tcderal funds fail to materialize, the county feels that construction of the bridges will bring the road up to an all year road status. When the federal funds come, the county will be reimbursed for monies it spent on bridges at Halls Creek and Bullfrog Creek and those funds can be placed back into the fund and spent for other items. Upgrading and paving of the road has recived widespread support form Utah's Governor Scott Matheson, from Senators Jake Gam and Orrin Hatch, and Representatives Jim Hansen, Howard Nielsen, and Dan Marriott. The important section of road will give tourists an alternative to the full 1,400-mile "Grand Circle Adventure" by providing paved routes which will reduce the tour to approximately 750 miles, accessible at almost any point on the perimeter. It will also provide a dependable road for county residents to travel between the east-west portions of the county, guaranteeing that those living in Ticaboo will no longer have to travel 230 miles through three counties to reach the Garfield County seat in Panguitch. The Grand Circle Adventure is being promoted to increase tourism in the Four-Corners area. It includes eight national parks, three national recreation areas, 19 state parks, 25 national monuments, and many historical trails and sites and other areas of national significance. The Utah portion alone of the Grand Circle contains five national parks, one national recreation area, six national monuments, 11 historical trails and sites, nine outstanding natural areas, 24 Bureau of Land Management recreational sites, 63 BLM wilderness study areas, and five Forest Service proposed wilderness areas. More active use of the road is expected to bring economic improvement to Garfield County. While the benefit is seen as secondary to the overall project, it is one of primary interest to Garfield County and to the State of Utah. Increased tourism generated in the county by the all-weather road should play a substantial role in providing new employment positions in an area plagued by high unemployment. The 26-foot wide road improvement project has been planned for an average daily use of the road by 250 vehicles overall, it stretches some 66 miles through some of the county's most unusual and beautiful terrain. |