Date: May 26, 2017
Contact: Kimberly DeVall, 575-829-4820
Valles Caldera National Preserve will begin making improvements to the preserve’s main entrance road starting next Tuesday, May 30. The road improvement work is being implemented using Congressional funding provided to the National Park Service to reduce its deferred maintenance backlog. Visitors can expect minor traffic delays and congestion while the road work occurs over the next two to three weeks.
The road improvements will start at the preserve’s main entrance near mile marker 39 on NM State Route 4 and continue for two miles to the preserve’s entrance station. The first phase of work will involve adding a base course of gravel to the existing road. Additional work, planned for later this summer, will add a final layer of gravel mix to create a more permanent driving surface. It is anticipated that the work will greatly improve road conditions for visitors and reduce future maintenance costs.
“The work on the entrance road is among the first of many projects we hope to implement over the next few years to improve visitor access and experience at Valles Caldera,” said Jorge Silva-Bañuelos, the preserve’s superintendent. “We appreciate the public’s understanding and patience while this work is on-going,” continued Silva-Bañuelos.
