Conservationists' Spot Improvement Alternative for Sections 1 and 2,
Logan Can:yon
August, 1987
We consider the most important issues involved here to be safety, scenic values, and ecological integrity. Our alternative is based on the premise that rrodifications which alone or in the aggregate would appreciably increase traffic speed in the Middle Canyon must be avoided.
We believe that increased speed in this section would be likely to lead to more (and more serious) accidents. The construction involved in
increasing the traffic speed would seriously disrupt the scenic values for which this canyon is nationally known, and would seriously degrade
the ecological integrity of the Canyon, particularly in the riparian zone. Our goal is a highway that fits into Logan Canyon with minimal
ecological disturbance and maximum safety, rather than a highway that purports to move the greatest number of people through the area at the highest rate of speed.
Consistent with this emphasis, we strongly recommend enforcement of speed limits and substantial improverrents in signing as an important part of our proposal. As a corollary, changes in the roadway in the Upper Canyon should not be so drastic as to encourage high speeds in that area and thus a possible difficulty of driver adjustment to the lower speeds of the Middle Canyon. We have identified several gravel turnouts which should be paved, and plowed consistently in winter, to aid the Utah Highway Patrol in pulling over speeders and to aid in the passage of the occasional emergency vehicle.
LOCATION PROPOSED ACTION RATIONALE IMPACTS AND PROBLEMS WITH REJECTED ALTERNATIVES
