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Proposed road closures in the Yosemite project draw a fight from Mariposa County
By Jerry Bier
The Fresno Bee - September 25, 1998
A federal judge has scheduled a hearing Monday on Mariposa County's request
for an order blocking reconstruction of El Portal Road into Yosemite National
Park.
The county sued the federal government contending that rebuilding the road
without breaks for summer tourist traffic would have a "devastating, irreparable"
impact on Mariposa County and its economy.
The lawsuit, filed last week, contends the National Park Service "unilaterally
departed" from an environmental assessment on the new road that promised "a
three-year construction schedule with no construction being allowed during
the summer tourist season."
Repairs to El Portal Road, which is state Highway 140 into the park, were
needed after the Merced River overflowed its banks in January 1997.
The $33 million, 7 1/2-mile construction project would transform the highway,
built in 1926, into a wider, straighter two-lane roadway that can be used
safely by buses and recreational vehicles.
But during construction, the roadway is scheduled to be closed more than it
is open. From Oct. 1 until April 30, the road is scheduled to be open only
to escorted convoys, and then only for a few hours in the morning and late
afternoon to evening.
Even during the peak summer tourist season, the road is scheduled to be closed
every night.
Initially, during the project's environmental review, the National Park Service
had proposed a three-year road-building schedule, with fewer road closures.
Park service spokesman Kendell Thompson said last week that contractors submitted
bids that far exceeded the project's budget. So the park service opted to
save money by slashing the work schedule to two years.
The cost overrun and related changes has already resulted in a 10-month delay
in the project- and a work schedule that includes more closures than had been
planned initially.
Lawyers for Mariposa County are asking U.S. District Judge Anthony W. Ishii
to issue an injunction blocking the rebuilding of the road until the government
complies with the National Environmental Policy Act which governs construction
projects.
The act also is cited in a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club that is scheduled
for a federal court hearing today in San Francisco.
The Sierra Club is attempting to block plans to replace motel-style visitor
lodging and parking lots, as well as the E1 Portal Road reconstruction.
Lawyers for the Sierra Club contend the Park Service planners acted in haste
and need to comply with environment regulations before any construction can
take place.
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