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Show Sen. Wallace Bennett Introduces Bill To Provide Park Road WASHINGTON Sen. Wallace F. Bennett has introduced a bill authorizing a National Parkway across southern Utah, it was disclosed dis-closed today. The proposed Parkway would be a modern highway, approximately approx-imately 180 miles long, connecting connect-ing the national parks in southwestern south-western Utah with the Glen Canyon Can-yon recreation area and national monuments in southeastern Utah. It would be administered by the National Park Service. In introducing his bill, Sen. Bennett pointed out that there are a number of national parkways park-ways In the Eastern United States but none west of the Mississippi. Mis-sissippi. The famous one is the 480 mile Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina. "I understand there are at least four feasible routes across southern Utah, any one of which could serve as a Parkway route. All would require a bridge across the Colorado River to replace the Inadequate ferry service which now exists," he said. Sen. Bennett pointed out that at present there is no adequate access highway between the two areas, and that one must go north up through Salina and Price, a 400 mile trip compared to the 180 mile Parkway. Or. one may go south through Tuba City and across the Navajo Indian Reservation, a distance of about 375 miles. "The Parkway would fulfill a great dream of mine for which I have worked for years, a great scenic loop road in sotuhern Utah." Sen. Bennett Raid. "It would traverse some of the most spectacular country in the United Unit-ed States, most of which is now almost never visited. Construction Construc-tion of this Parkway would would greatly promote tourism and Increase economic activity In many of our southern Utah towns, some of which have had serious population losses because of the lack of economic opportunity." |