South Park Loop Bridge and Chicken Rock Closed by BLM

[Dusty 66]

Saw this yesterday...Bummer in the pase few years I know at least 2 jeeps went over the side.

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[calstyl2]

The roll over and rescue or lack of rescue for a very injured person had alot to do with this, Ridgecrest BLM is also a real bitch to deal with.

 

[bogus one]

The roll over and rescue or lack of rescue for a very injured person had alot to do with this, Ridgecrest BLM is also a real bitch to deal with.

was that the jeep rollover that was mentioned here a few months back?

 

[spressomon]

Well that just sucks!!!!!!!! One of the only loops in the park and they had to close it because of some dumb asses.

 

[calstyl2]

was that the jeep rollover that was mentioned here a few months back?

I thinks so, Ridgecrest BLM is being a general biotch with land use issues and event permits.

 

[Kofoed]

Well that just sucks!!!!!!!! One of the only loops in the park and they had to close it because of some dumb asses.

Yeah the BLM oversees that section of the road. The Park boundary is a little ways beyond the closed section of road--and then no dirt bikes, quads, and other non-street legal vehicles in the Park.

It basically turns the road into what it was before the bridge was built--not a loop trail.

 

[calstyl2]

I talked to a Ridgecrest BLM guy today, the bridge on the trail does not meet any form of construction standard, has several major structural failures and at minimum needs to be rebuilt, the BLM local manager would like to replace it but BLM is required to meet existing construction requirements. So they are limiting the bridge to motorcycles, quads and UTV's till someone at the State BLM or Regional BLM makes a plan to improve or replace.
This is not the site of the Jeep rollover and PVD fiasco.

 

[Kofoed]

I talked to a Ridgecrest BLM guy today, the bridge on the trail does not meet any form of construction standard, has several major structural failures and at minimum needs to be rebuilt,

My recollection is that the Friends of Briggs Cabin installed the bridge, under BLM approval (hence the weight limit sign with the BLM sticker on it at the bridge). If it has deteriorated and failing, that is another thing altogether.

 

[calstyl2]

His impression was the trail was gonna stay closed to 4x4 traffic till some group, either government or trail group solves the bridge replacement issue.

 

[spressomon]

My recollection is that the Friends of Briggs Cabin installed the bridge, under BLM approval (hence the weight limit sign with the BLM sticker on it at the bridge). If it has deteriorated and failing, that is another thing altogether.

Based upon our conversation with the guys that built/rebuilt the bridge and do the lion's share of maintenance on the bridge (as well as the Briggs cabin and surrounding property), back in March when we were there, the BLM kinda looked the other way, regarding the bridge, which is very unusual for a government entity. However the bridge seemed to be in great shape...probably better shape than its ever been. Having said that I'm not a CE.

Its difficult to imagine what improvements to the bridge would look like that would satisfy the BLM. I imagine the entire shelf trail would need to be widened, guardrails installed, steel beams imbedded, etc. to satisfy the way they have to do things...

There's always a story behind the story...I just think the BLM probably has someone new of capacity and decided they couldn't justify the risk any longer. Two boneheads rolling off the shelf trail certainly didn't help matters...