Construction at Little Sahara Recreation Area Affects Memorial Weekend Visitors

NEPHI, UTAH— The Bureau of Land Management’s repaving project at the Little Sahara Recreation Area asphalt project is in full operation and may affect Memorial Weekend visitors.

The road to Jericho and the Jericho loop will be pulverized on May 24 and 25. The roadway will be re-compacted and all access will be open for the Memorial Day weekend. Due to rough spots where culverts were replaced and where haul trucks have been entering and exiting the roadway, the speed limit throughout the recreation area has been reduced to 25 miles per hour. Visitors must be aware that reservations will not be taken for Jericho until May 26 at 5:30 p.m. and they cannot leave vehicles or trailers in Jericho from May 19 to May 26. Any trailers or vehicles left in the campground will be towed at the owner’s expense.

The contractor will finish work for the Memorial Day Weekend on May 26 at 5:30 p.m. The entire recreation site will then be open, (with the exception of one or two loops at Oasis), for public use throughout, May 31.

The entire project involves approximately 16 miles of asphalt road, including all loops in Oasis, Jericho, and Sand Mountain, which will be pulverized, re-graded, compacted, and have a new 2.5 inch layer of hot-mix asphalt applied. A total of 16 culverts will have been replaced by May 20. Currently the majority of the work is being done in Oasis, resulting in weekly closures of the campground from Monday at 7:00 a.m. to Friday at 5:30 p.m. These weekly closures will continue until approximately July 26 when the project is complete. Contractors will have loops open during weekends and holidays, however, one or two loops may be closed for the safety of the public.

The Visitor Center summer hours in effect until October 17, 2010 are as follows:

Little Sahara Visitor Center Hours of Operation
Sunday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Monday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The visitor center and pay booth will be open for extended hours as needed throughout the season. For more information about LSRA, call 435-433-5960 or 435-743-3100 or visit: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/fillmore/recreation/special_recreation/little_sahara_recreation.html