Arches National Park seeks comment on proposed road improvements

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK — The National Park Service is seeking public comments to help identify issues associated with a proposed road maintenance and modifications project at Arches National Park.

Comments will be used to help develop alternative resource protection options to be outlined in an environmental assessment analyzing the effects of conducting improvements to the park road, pullouts and parking lots within the park.

Proposed road maintenance activities include rehabilitating, restoring and resurfacing approximately 18.2 miles of the park's main entrance road including: the Devil's Garden Loop, the Windows road including the Windows Loop, the Delicate Arch road, the Panorama Overlook road, Salt Valley Overlook road and the Fiery Furnace road.

The park is also proposing construction of loop-around road sections at the Devil's Garden and Windows areas, expanding parking options at Devil's Garden, and formalizing or rehabilitating pullouts along the park's paved road system. The park's entrance station road would also be expanded to include an additional lane intended as a bypass route for future shuttle buses.

Public comments is online at the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website: parkplanning.nps.gov/arch. Written comments can be submitted to the National Park Service, Attention: Planning and Compliance Office, 2282 S. West Resource Blvd., Moab, UT 84532. Comments are due by March 12.