| Show Antelope Road There By LESLIE W W. W KING First in a series of articles on the Great Salt Lake and Antelope An Antelope Antelope An- An Island No one drowns in the Great Salt Lake The They are suffocated stated Rod Sutton Davis County Planning Director AN ARMY plane went down downa a mile from Antelope Island a afew afew afew few years ago he said All aboard strangled to death in the water If the road to the Island had been built there is a possibility their lives would have been saved he added d. Part of the road is there In fact exactly six and one-half one miles of road has been built It was brought to within one and quarter one-quarter miles of Antelope Island where it was stopped pending state legislation This legislation would permit purchase purchase purchase pur pur- chase and development of ap approximately approximately ap- ap proximately acres at the north end of the island THE ROAD was built with Davis County funds building equipment and labor at sea off son and slow periods beginning Jan 15 1964 This road exists now as f firm rm evidence that a road built of salt flats mud out into the lake can be a permanent practical thing Largely due to the existence of this unique and initially much scoffed at roadway continued discussion of Antelope I Island si and as asa asa asa a possible state park has snowballed snowballed snowballed snow snow- balled wide interest THIS TIllS YEAR the 1967 State Legislature passed Senate Bill 60 This permits the Great Salt Lake Authority the right to buy lease rent or otherwise wise negotiate negotiate in any way possible with the Island Ranching Company owners of the acre island is island is- is land to obtain the northern tip Davis County maintaining a vested interest in the development development development develop develop- ment of the island as a state park initiated a survey of visitors to the area on Easter week end THE SURVEY developed by bythe bythe bythe the Davis County Planning Commission Commission Com Com- mission Office was taken on Mar 25 and 26 This disclosed that a total of persons took the trip westward along the I i Syracuse road past the Free- Free port Center across the mud flats to the point where the road just out like a pointing finger toward the desired northern northern northern north north- ern tip Generally one individual in each vehicle filled out the ques ques- There were 96 surveys surveys surveys sur sur- veys taken on Saturday Mar 25 and taken on Mar 26 The key question was question number number number num num- ber one Would you like to see this road completed and a recreation recreation recreation rec rec- facility developed on Antelope Island OUT OF 96 questionnaires 92 answered persons yes three had no comment Out of questionnaires an answered answered answered an- an yes and four had no comment The road is the first phase of the desired recreational devel devel- As Mr Sutton stated ready accessibility to the is island island island is- is land might have saved the 11 lives ves of those suffocated as a result of the plane going down in the lake EMERGENCY accessibility 1 i t y ySee ySee See ANTELOPE on Page 2 Antelope Continued from front page i Rs is always a prime factor Last year it cost Davis County half of the entire cost of fire firefighting firefighting fighting on the island In 1966 iThe The other half was borne by the Ranching Company Planes had to be summoned from Salt Lake City carrying which smothers flames In order to fight the fire Had ad the road been completed fire experts maintain th that t fire equipment could have been there within 15 minutes from Syracuse Syracuse Syracuse Syra- Syra in far less damage damage damage dam dam- cuse re resulting age to the islands island's vegetation DAVIS COUNTY Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commis- Commis Glen V W. W Flint FUnt says the road could easily be completed from from the island eastward toward the mainland once negotiations are finalized Rocks and other raw material found in abundance on ron the island could be used as asa asa asa a road base S A A bridge could be built si milar milar m- m ilar to Fishing Bridge at Yellowstone Yellowstone Yellowstone Yel Yel- Park to permit the circulation circulation cir cir- of the water he said I THE ROAD ing to Davis County was accepted accepted accepted ac- ac into the state road system tern tem in May 1966 It has very recently been repaired red and oiled i so that it provides a smooth I hard surface to dri drive ve along to its temporary dead end facing Antelope Island lk Ik |
