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May 8, 2025:
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Rehabilitation of South Kelbaker and Kelso-Cima Road
Mojave National Preserve » Rehabilitation of South Kelbaker and Kelso-Cima Road » Document List
The National Park Service (NPS) is proposing a project to rehabilitate Kelso-Cima Road and South Kelbaker Road in the Mojave National Preserve (the Preserve). Proposed rehabilitation of the roads will include the demolition and removal of existing asphalt road surface, the installation of a new stable road base, and the reapplication of the asphalt road surface. Existing low water crossings on the roadways will be maintained at the current locations but will be stabilized to prevent erosion. In addition, fencing will be constructed to facilitate safe passage of the desert tortoise (a federally threatened species) to reduce fatalities and prevent further decline in the population. Additionally, the parking lot at Granite Pass will be improved to increase parking and provide additional access points to improve vehicle operations and safety measures for visitors.
The purpose of the project is to reduce the number and severity of automobile accidents and to improve visitor experience and access within the Preserve by addressing safety concerns and correcting structural and road design deficiencies along 42 miles of major Preserve roadways, while providing additional resource protections and increasing roadway resilience in the Preserve. Additionally, the project will restore roads to meet current conditions standards by resurfacing and correcting design deficiencies, improve road safety, enhance the visitor experience and access with better driving conditions and new amenities, including a welcome area and scenic pullouts, and installing exclusion fences to reduce wildlife mortality on Preserve roads.
The Preserve is a 1.6-million-acre desert solitude of canyons, mountains, and mesas located in a remote portion area of San Bernardino County, California. The Preserve was created in 1994 as part of the California Desert Protection Act, and maintenance of the roadways was transferred to the NPS in 2013. The Preserve protects a diverse mosaic of desert ecological communities and functions, and evidence of a 10,000-year history of human connection with the desert. Of the Preserve's 1.6 million acres, about 700,000 acres are designated wilderness. In addition, about half is designated as critical habitat for the federally listed threatened desert tortoise.
An Environmental Assessment (EA) has been completed for the project. The NPS is the lead agency for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Federal Highway Administration is a cooperating agency.
760-221-4740
The purpose of the project is to reduce the number and severity of automobile accidents and to improve visitor experience and access within the Preserve by addressing safety concerns and correcting structural and road design deficiencies along 42 miles of major Preserve roadways, while providing additional resource protections and increasing roadway resilience in the Preserve. Additionally, the project will restore roads to meet current conditions standards by resurfacing and correcting design deficiencies, improve road safety, enhance the visitor experience and access with better driving conditions and new amenities, including a welcome area and scenic pullouts, and installing exclusion fences to reduce wildlife mortality on Preserve roads.
The Preserve is a 1.6-million-acre desert solitude of canyons, mountains, and mesas located in a remote portion area of San Bernardino County, California. The Preserve was created in 1994 as part of the California Desert Protection Act, and maintenance of the roadways was transferred to the NPS in 2013. The Preserve protects a diverse mosaic of desert ecological communities and functions, and evidence of a 10,000-year history of human connection with the desert. Of the Preserve's 1.6 million acres, about 700,000 acres are designated wilderness. In addition, about half is designated as critical habitat for the federally listed threatened desert tortoise.
An Environmental Assessment (EA) has been completed for the project. The NPS is the lead agency for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Federal Highway Administration is a cooperating agency.
Contact Information
Megan Wilkins760-221-4740