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Show y"- ' .V... . ' " ...,,., L l v - - -"', .v f .i-v " '--.v 1 - r, . - . A; . . ' :' ' . - ' ' . v .- f. 1 . ' ( , : . , . - .r ; . .. - . , . - , . i .. ''" V" J1 ;-- -" ". . ". " ''. 1 ' 1 -i " "j ' 1 ! ; - v !: VI ' . Bicyclists will soon be traveling mor.e safely along Scenic Byway 12 through Red Canyon when the Dixie National Forest completes the Red Canyon Bicycle Trail project. Breaking ground for the $1.7 million dollar Federal Highway Administration's Enhancement Program are H. Dell LeFevre, Garfield County Commission; Dal Hawks, UDOT Region Four Director; and Mary Wagner, Dixie National Forest Supervisor. Groundbreaking Gets Bike Trail Through Red Canyon Underway PANGUITCH Visitors cycling cy-cling through the spectacular scenery scen-ery of Red Canyon on State Scenic Byway 12, west of Bryce Canyon in the Dixie 'National Forest, will soon be traveling more safely, thanks to a new bicycle trail. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Red Canyon Bicycle Trail was held Wednesday, Feb. 21 for the $1.7 million sponsored by the Dixie National Forest, Utah Department De-partment of Transportation (UDOT), Garfiejd County and other project partners." The event took place at the Thunder Mountain Trail Head 2.5 miles east of the SR89SR12 junction junc-tion south of Panguitch. Highway 12 is a favorite route for bicyclists who enjoy exploring Southern Utah's many parks and monuments, but stated Garfield County Commissioner Maloy Dodds, "it was not originally designed de-signed for the bicycle traffic it now receives. Highway 12 is too narrow nar-row to accommodate so many bicyclists, bicy-clists, especially in the two tunnels. tun-nels. We've worried about the safety, and the safety of motorists who have to avoid them. The trail will improve safety for everyone, as well as providing a great recreational recrea-tional experience." Envisioned to ultimately extend 17 miles from US 89 to Bryce Canyon National Park, this first phase of the trail project will complete com-plete a 5.5 mile section starting at the Thunder Mountain Trailhead and ending at the Paunsagunt Plateau. Interstate Rock Products of Hurricane Hur-ricane expects to complete construction construc-tion by late September. The trail will be 8-to 10-feet wide and have an asphalt surface. It will roughly parallel the highway through several sev-eral washes below the red and orange or-ange spires of Red Canyon and will safely separate cyclists from the motoring public. |