§ 460dd–7 — Proposed Road Study

(a) The Secretary, together with the Highway Department of the State of Utah, shall conduct a study of proposed road alinements within and adjacent to the recreation area. Such study shall locate the specific route of a scenic, low-speed road, hereby authorized, from Glen Canyon City to Bullfrog Basin, crossing the Escalante River south of the point where the river has entered Lake Powell when the lake is at the three thousand seven hundred-foot level. In determining the route for this road, special care shall be taken to minimize any adverse environmental impact and said road is not required to meet ordinary secondary road standards as to grade, alinement, and curvature. Turnouts, overlooks, and scenic vistas may be included in the road plan. In no event shall said route cross the Escalante River north of Stephens Arch. (b) The study shall include a reasonable timetable for the engineering, planning, and construction of the road authorized in subsection (a) and the Secretary of the Interior shall adhere to said timetable in every way feasible to him. (c) The Secretary is authorized to construct and maintain markers and other interpretative devices consistent with highway safety standards. (d) The study specified in subsection (a) hereof shall designate what additional roads are appropriate and necessary for full utilization of the area for the purposes of this subchapter and to connect with all roads of ingress to, and egress from the recreation area. (e) The findings and conclusions of the Secretary and the Highway Department of the State of Utah, specified in subsection (a), shall be submitted to Congress within two years of October 27, 1972, and shall include recommendations for any further legislation necessary to implement the findings and conclusions. It shall specify the funds necessary for appropriation in order to meet the timetable fixed in subsection (b).