Road Construction on Pacific Creek Road

September 7, 2010
10-82
Construction work on Pacific Creek Road in Grand Teton National Park will begin next week. Roadwork will be underway from one mile north of the junction with Highway 26/287 to the Two Ocean Lake Road. Park visitors and residents of Pacific Creek Road are advised to plan for travel restrictions to be in place Monday through Friday from Monday, September 13 to mid-November. Construction activities will require temporary delays of up to 30 minutes and possible road closures. No weekend work is expected at this time, but may occur if necessary to complete the project before winter weather sets in.

Residents and visitors who wish to access Pacific Creek Road, Two Ocean Lake Road, trails to Two Ocean and Emma Matilda lakes,
and the Bridger Teton National Forest should expect delays of up to 30 minutes at any time of the day or night during weekdays. Additionally, full road closures may be implemented between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday in order to complete the project. Passage of emergency vehicles will be accommodated whenever necessary.

Notification of road closures will be given approximately one week in advance. Updates will be recorded on the park’s road information hotline at 307.739.3614. Information will also be found on the park’s website at www.nps.gov/grte.

The Pacific Creek Road construction project is necessary to repair a section of the roadbed that was damaged by the erosion of a supporting hillside and the subsequent collapse of a portion of the road’s edge. The project will stabilize the embankment, widen the road through a steep cutbank area, and provide long-term protection for this secondary park road that serves visitors and residents of the Pacific Creek subdivision near Grand Teton’s northeast boundary. In 2007, concrete barriers were placed on the narrowed section of eroded roadway as a safety precaution; however, the creek continued to wear away the embankment and threaten the integrity of the road itself. Stabilization of the steep cutbank slope is necessary to ensure that the road remains useable and safe.

The project’s design calls for certain steps to be taken to minimize impacts to the wild and scenic character of Pacific Creek. Those steps include reseeding of the cutbank with native plants and the placement of logs to screen boulders that will be placed at the toe of the slope to stabilize the cutbank and reduce its continued erosion.

Roadwork schedules may change or be delayed due to weather conditions, equipment failure, or other unforeseen circumstances.