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BLM closes portion of Missouri Creek Road due to washout
MEEKER, Colo.— The Bureau of Land Management has temporarily closed 8.3 miles of the Missouri Creek Road in Rio Blanco County near the Utah border due to large sinkholes and washouts resulting from recent moisture.
The road, also referred to as BLM Road 1062, will remain closed to public use through April 7, 2010, beginning two miles east of its intersection with County Road 109 to its terminus near Red Cedar Springs.
“Given the current condition of this road, we have no choice but to close it to ensure public safety,” said Kent Walter, BLM’s Field Manager for the White River Field Office in Meeker. “Until we can get repairs accomplished, it is simply not safe for travel during the winter months when the road is often wet.”
The road borders a deep drainage and the potential for additional washouts and landslides remains high. It’s a fairly remote, primitive road generally infrequently travelled. It typically sees more travel during the big game hunting seasons.
“We are currently investigating our repair options,” Walter said. “At this point we do not have an estimate on when the road can be repaired. We appreciate the public’s patience.”
For more information on the closure, call the White River Field Office 970 878-3800 or log onto http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/wrfo.html.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
2300 River Frontage Road Silt, CO 81652