•	Introduction
•	Purpose and Need
	•	Roadway Deficiencies
	•	Traffic Volume and Road Users
	•	Maintenance Issues
	•	Road Safety Issues
	•	Social and Economic Conditions

INTRODUCTION
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is responsible for the development of this project as administrator of the Forest Highway Program (FHP) federal funds, and is the action agency under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as revised. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) are cooperating FHP agencies. Highways designated for projects under the FHP in Wyoming are selected at an annual Program Agency meeting of the FHWA, USFS, and WYDOT. The routes selected are those that serve both the national forests and the state (or counties where appropriate), and have the greatest need for improvement. The FHP agencies authorized the scoping and planning for the project design and construction.

The FHWA, under NEPA and USC Title 23, is required to balance transportation needs, costs, environmental resources, safety, and public input in order to arrive at objective, responsible transportation decisions. This statement of Purpose and Need has been developed by the FHWA and cooperating agencies from the viewpoint of defining transportation needs for this project.



PURPOSE AND NEED
The purpose of this proposed project is to provide a safe roadway for access to the Forest and the multiple use opportunities it offers Forest visitors. This includes accommodating the projected increase in traffic volumes from growth of recreational use of the Forest, consistent with the Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, and constructing an environmentally sensitive roadway to modern standards which can be reasonably maintained by public revenues.

The route is inadequate for present traffic volumes and characteristics, and is substandard for its entire length. It was also determined that in its present condition, WY FH 23 cannot satisfy future traffic demands or safety requirements, or Forest resource management objectives and maintenance capabilities.

The needs for the road were refined through a series of public meetings, agency partnering meetings with the Social, Economic, and Environmental Team and Loop Road Steering Committee, and public surveys. Local, county, state, and Federal branches of the government, resource management agencies, environmental groups, and local citizens all contributed to the process. The purpose of this project, agreed upon through these meetings, includes:

•	Improving road safety
•	Accommodating increased traffic volumes for projected growth in USFS multiple use activities
•	Providing an easily maintained, engineered roadway

The proposed project would address five general types of needs: roadway deficiencies, traffic volume and road users, maintenance issues, roadway safety issues , and social and economic conditions.



Roadway Deficiencies
The geometrics of WY FH 23 were designed to accommodate vehicles and traffic volumes of the early 1930's and display characteristics of the era when it was constructed. The nature of accident history, current and projected traffic volumes and characteristics, and existing maintenance requirements render existing WY FH 23 substandard for current and future needs. Specific roadway deficiency concerns, include the following:  

•	Steep grades, especially in the first half of the proposed project, are unable to hold gravel surfacing in place, which has left the roadway without any gravel surfacing, leaving a native dirt surface with exposed rocks;
•	Roadway shoulders or adequate drainage ditches cannot be provided in many locations due to limited width;
•	No roadside area is available to accommodate driver error or to install safety devices, such as guardrails;
•	The road surface cannot be maintained in a crowned condition to shed water and, with steep grades and inadequate ditches, erosion of the road surface occurs causing washboard surfaces and sedimentation of surface water and wetlands;
•	Roadway widths are too narrow in many locations to safely accommodate passing of oncoming vehicles, especially school buses, recreational vehicles, and trucks with livestock trailers;
•	Impaired sight distance in several locations causes reduced traffic capacity and passing difficulties, and excessive dust further reduces the sight distance along the roadway;
•	The roadway lacks designed scenic-vista or slow-traffic pullouts; and
•	The switchback curves were originally constructed with small turning radii that do not accommodate today's larger vehicles.

Traffic Volume and Road Users
Data for 1992 indicated that the SADT volume was approximately 350 vehicles per day (vpd) at Bruce's Bridge. Data collected from 1997 indicated that weekend volumes were 468 vpd just south of Bruce's Bridge and 314 vpd just south of Worthen Meadow Road. The growth rate of traffic on WY FH 23 between 1989 and 1999 was 2.3 percent annually.

The WYDOT forecasts an annual growth rate of 2.5 percent for traffic volumes on SH 131. Using this forecasted annual growth rate, the 2023 SADT (twenty years after construction) is expected to range between 1090 vpd in Sinks Canyon and 240 vpd south of Worthen Meadow Road with no provision of additional or improved facilities or resource management activities within the Forest.

Individuals using Forest resources for recreational purposes constitute the majority of traffic on WY FH 23. The Forest Plan contains specific management prescriptions along the WY FH 23 corridor. Resources are to be managed for emphasis on "rural and roaded natural recreation opportunities" in this area. Motorized and non-motorized recreational activities, such as driving for pleasure, viewing scenery and wildlife, picnicking, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, cross-country biking, and cross-country skiing, are possible. Thus, vehicle characteristics are expected to be a mix of passenger cars, RVs, bicycles, school buses, commercial and recreational car/truck and trailer combinations, and passenger vans modified for the physically disadvantaged. National trends indicate an increasing percentage of traffic will consist of senior drivers (AASHTO, 1994).

WY FH 23 provides the only access to Fremont County Youth Camp on Worthen Meadow Road. A safe and adequate transportation route is essential for youth camp employees, attendees, and suppliers. The youth camp served more than 1,200 youths in 13 camps in 1992 and more than 1,600 youths in 15 camps in 1996. Camp sessions range from a weekend to 2 or 3 weeks in length, beginning in June of each year until the end of August. The youth are transported to the camp by school bus or car, and are taken to camp activity destinations by bus on WY FH 23. WY FH 23 is used on a regular basis by bus drivers, delivery persons, and other vehicles servicing the youth camp.



Maintenance Issues
With the exception of some minor modifications and re-graveling in some areas, WY FH 23 has received only minimal maintenance to sustain a nominal surface and marginal drainage structures and ditches. The existing roadside soils are highly erodible, resulting in an eroded driving surface and hazardous washout conditions over segments of the road.

The road's poor surface condition and narrow width make it difficult to provide a continually free-draining and moderate-quality riding surface. In order to provide a serviceable roadway with a reasonable surface given current conditions, WY FH 23 should receive very frequent maintenance.

The USFS's annual maintenance budget for WY FH 23 varies from $2,000 to $6,000 per year. Due to this constrained budget, the northern 11.6 km (7.2 mi) is graded approximately three times per year and the remainder is graded once per year. Ditch and culvert clearing is conducted every 3 years. The USFS does not recommend increasing their annual maintenance schedule because the absence of surface material negates the return on any increased maintenance expenditure. Due to the intense maintenance requirements of the existing roadway, there is a significant need for road improvements to provide a facility that could be maintained in a serviceable condition with a reasonable expenditure of public funds.

Early in the project development process Fremont County signed an agreement with the FHWA to operate and maintain Louis Lake Road pending reconstruction of the roadway. In 2000, they reaffirmed their commitment to accept jurisdiction for maintenance once the road was reconstructed. Fremont County rescinded their decision to accept jurisdiction for maintenance in March 2001, and accepted jurisdiction again in July 2001.



Roadway Safety Issues
The design deficiencies, projected traffic volumes, and maintenance limitations of WY FH 23, coupled with the accident history on the roadway, suggest that a roadway constructed to modern highway standards would provide a safer traveling environment for the user with the potential to reduce accident rates (accidents per million vehicle-miles traveled).

Accident data for WY FH 23 from May 1989 to May 1992 indicate 27 reported accidents. Eleven accidents involved injuries, but no fatalities. Most of the accidents involved either one or two vehicles on sharp curves. Of these, accident reports indicate that the narrowness and impaired sight distance of the turns were a contributing factor. Other accident reports identified soft shoulders, loose gravel, driver inexperience, and driver inattention as causes. Four were related to alcohol and only two cited excessive speed. It is likely that many one-vehicle accidents go unreported due to the road's remote location. It appears that the narrow, winding roadway, washboard roadway surface, and no roadside recovery area contribute to the accident rate.

If no changes are made to the roadway, the frequency of accidents and near misses due to road deficiencies could reasonably be expected to increase as traffic volume increases. This traffic increase, coupled with the national trend of more drivers operating larger RVs would likely exacerbate the accident problem on WY FH 23.

Inadequate operational characteristics of WY FH 23 also cause safety problems. Road widths are too narrow to safely accommodate passing by opposing larger vehicles, such as school buses or trucks with livestock trailers. Steep grades and impaired sight distance at curves and switchbacks, which is further reduced by excessive dust, cause operational problems and capacity difficulties, especially when passenger vehicles become queued behind larger, slow-moving vehicles. There are few scenic vista or slow-moving vehicle pullouts to mitigate these operational problems.

USFS records indicate that firefighters respond six to twelve times a year to fires within the boundaries of the Forest. Search and rescue operations are called into the Forest on an average of once a month. The most timely access to the Fremont County Youth Camp for emergency ambulance service is on the proposed project route. Current roadway design and conditions impair expedient emergency response. Steep grades, narrow widths, and poor road surface conditions can cause delays for emergency service providers responding to potential resource and personal losses.



Social and Economic Conditions
The roadway is essential to the USFS for the use, protection, and multiple use management of Forest resources. Reconstruction of WY FH 23 to improve accessibility to Forest resources would result in better overall resource development and administration, as well as improved ecosystem management of the Forest. Reconstruction of WY FH 23 would be in conformance with implementation of the Forest Plan.

WY FH 23 contributes to the economies of Fremont County and Lander, Wyoming. In an effort to strengthen the local economy, the Lander Chamber of Commerce has made an investment in promoting the recreational opportunities of the Wind River Mountains.

Individuals utilizing the Forest resources for recreational purposes generate the majority of traffic on WY FH 23. The Forest Plan contains specific management prescriptions along the WY FH 23 corridor. Resources are to be managed for emphasis on "rural and roadbed natural recreation opportunities" in this area. The Louis Lake Road provides direct roadside access to an abundance of recreational opportunities, including driving for pleasure, viewing scenery and wildlife, dispersed camping, picnicking, lake and stream fishing, hunting, hiking, nature trails, backpacking, rock climbing, cross-country biking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, or driving for pleasure. There are areas of historic significance, including the CCC-constructed facilities, mining sites, and Blue Ridge Historic Lookout.

WY FH 23 is the primary local access from Lander to these recreational opportunities in the Forest. A recent survey shows that of the visitors arriving in Lander, only 28 percent continue on to Yellowstone and Jackson Hole (Wind River Visitors Council, 1997). This provides evidence that there is increasing interest in the recreational activities within the Wind River Mountains and could indicate a subsequent increase in usage of WY FH 23 if this upward trend continues. Increasing interest in the recreational opportunities provided along WY FH 23 indicates a potential for local economic growth in the form of lodging, restaurants, outfitters, sporting goods retailers, and other recreational related businesses and services.

WY FH 23 provides the only access to Fremont County Youth Camp on Worthen Meadow Road. A safe and adequate transportation route is essential for youth camp employees, attendees, and suppliers. The youth camp served more than 1,200 youths in 13 camps in 1992 and more than 1,600 youths in 15 camps in 1996. Camp sessions range from a weekend to 2 or 3 weeks in length, beginning in July of each year until the end of August.

Louis Lake Road also provides access to non-recreational resources of the Forest, which contribute to the local economy. These resources include a managed timber harvest program, pole fencing materials harvest, commercial and residential firewood harvest, community watershed management, and livestock management.