Rural Nevadans know that cattle and cars do not mix. On Lackawanna Road, they won’t because of a collaborative fence-building project involving local government, and state and federal agencies.

Lackawanna Road, or State Route 490, serves as a major artery for Ely State Prison employees driving to work. En route, the two-lane asphalt roadway slices through the growing community of Cross Timbers, referred to by long-time locals as “The Gap.” Both the roadway and community lie adjacent to the sprawling Georgetown Ranch Allotment, home each spring and summer to hundreds of cattle.

In an effort to prevent livestock from straying onto the roadway and endangering motorists, the White Pine County Road Department, Nevada Department of Transportation and BLM are scheduled early next year to construct, on the west side of Lackawanna Road, a fence that runs the entire length of the allotment.

The total project cost is expected to be approximately $110,000, with the BLM purchasing fencing materials and the Transportation Department paying for, and overseeing construction of, the fence. The agencies and White Pine County Road Department will each contribute cattle guards to the project, providing area residents continued recreational access. BLM-provided swing gates adjacent to the cattle guards will ensure equal access for all users.