The Moffat Road and Needles Eye Tunnel are national historic landmarks that ecompass several counties — Boulder, Gilpin and Grand — in the foothills along the Front Range. Access to the area has been blocked for some time due to unsafe conditions in the Needles Eye Tunnel from a cave-in, but an inspection done by Deere & Ault Consultants Inc. in September 2012 revealed it could be restored, making it safe for two-wheel drive vehicles.
This is a natural area for recreation and would serve outdoor enthusiasts during all seasons with passage between Rollinsville and Winter Park but it must be made safe.
Reopening the Rollins Pass Road is also an opportunity to return the surrounding area to its former pristine natural beauty. Currently bicyclists go off-road carrying their bikes and climbing over or hiking around the tunnel, which is damaging the fragile high mountain ecosystem.
There is a public hearing scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, on the third floor of the Boulder County Courthouse in the Hearing Room. This is an opportunity for Boulder County residents to help our commissioners learn the facts, level of support and the affects this proposal contains.
The county commissioners of Grand and Gilpin counties are in favor of this endeavor and have tried the past year to schedule face-to-face meetings with the Boulder County Commissioners to begin a dialogue about reopening the Rollins Pass Road but have not been successful. The James Peak Wilderness and Protection Area law does state this access is not to be denied.
I am encouraged with the prospects this hearing holds for candid discussions of funding, liability, ongoing maintenance, protection and oversight for the ecosystem, among other issues. This may actually be a very good opportunity for some intra-county cooperation and communication for a worthy project for Boulder County and our neighbors to the west.
Ed Lehman
Editor Emeritus