18 Road Reconstruction, Paving Project
OVERVIEW: BLM and Mesa County are working with the Federal Highway Administration on a project to reconstruct and pave about six miles of 18 Road to improve public safety and access to BLM-administered lands that are popular for mountain biking and OHV recreation activities.
The completed project will provide a 30-foot paved road with two 10-foot lanes for vehicle traffic, and two 5-foot bike lanes.
Federal Highway Administration, funded through the Federal Lands Access Program, is leading the 18 Road Project construction work. Project managers expect to complete the work in late fall of 2025.
To sign up for updates on the project please email [email protected] or call the project hotline 970-892-1834. BLM will also provide project updates on this web page.
Project Updates
Updated Aug. 27, 2025:
- Crews will suspend work at noon on Aug. 29, returning on Sept. 2, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.
- Pilot car operations continue through the work zone.
- Temporary traffic signals are utilized during the night.
- Motorists and cyclists may see an increase in wait times as the road base operation moves through the work zone.
Attention Cyclists: The construction team strongly recommends that cyclists use the Prime Cut Trail instead of cycling through the 18 Road work zone due to the potential for heavy construction equipment conflicts and traffic delays.
For your safety and the safety of construction personnel, cyclists must obey the same traffic management rules as other vehicles. This includes lane closures and pilot car escorts. Thank you for your patience during this ongoing project to improve access to your public lands. Traffic control continues in a pilot car operation during daylight operations–please drive slowly through the work zone.