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i • <br />The analysis of the truck transportation operations for this mine requires close review of the <br />engineering feasibility of the Arkansas River Bridge to handle the weight and the intense level of very <br />intense year around heavy truck use, approximately 28,824 vehicles per year, using proposal figures. <br />The related impacts of not having ingress and egress lanes on US Hwy 50 for this level of traffic needs <br />to be analyzed. AHRA in concert with the CDOT have placed additional lanes at our busiest <br />recreation sites along Highway 50 to mitigate these impacts. At Parkdale Recreation Site in the last <br />several years alone, CDOT has spent over $1,000,000 on accelerntionldeceleration and tum Lanes. <br />Given the unknown status of the Union Pacific Railroad at this time, it seems premature to place <br />complete reliance on the transportation of product almost entirely upon potentially unavailable rail <br />service. The decision by the Governor, the Union Pacific, and the US Surface Transportation Boazd <br />has yet to be made regarding the future of the rail condor. It is possible that freight service in the <br />Royal Gorge will become a reality. It is equally possible that if there is no railroad operator found to <br />operate the entire corridor that a rails to trails program may be implemented as well. If so, the <br />Pazkdale siding will become one of the major trnilheads for this rail trail, in addition, this same rail <br />siding may became a scenic rnil line train depot for rail service in the Royal Gorge if this occurs. The <br />potential scenic railroad would operate between Pazkdale and the Canon City Depot. <br />No rail service would place an immense and undiscussed number of additional heavy vehicles on <br />Hiway 50. <br />Conclusion <br />With the possibility that AHRA may be asked to manage trail head operations th addition to the <br />existing Parkdale Recreation Site, and a scenic rail operator, i.e. Royal Gorge Scenic Rail Lines, may <br />be involved intensively at or around the Parkdale rail siding area, a large scale gravel operation will <br />require close review and coordination with existing significantly valuable recreation activity. <br />Altogether, the overall impacts of an aggregate mine in the proposed location and opernted as described <br />has the very real potential of significantly and harmfully impacting critical resources, valuable <br />recreation opportunities, and highway safety. With coordination and a willingness to work together, it <br />may be possible to resolve these issues to everyone's satisfaction. The described issues need to be <br />resolved before a Conditional Use Permit is issued. <br />'I1rarrk you for the opportunity to provide input into this process. <br />managemelf/prkdlmin <br />Page 3 <br />