The government is considering five different options for reopening the forest service road to Idaho Lookout near New Denver and is inviting public input.
The road, accessed near Sandon, has been closed since June 2020 due to fill slope failures and culvert washouts. The closure has prevented use of the popular subalpine hiking trail leading to the old fire lookout on Idaho Peak.
In the years since the closure, the Ministry of Forests has conducted ground truthing and feasibility studies to identify the most practical options for re-establishing access, and has come up with five possibilities. Those maps can be seen here.
Option 1 would see a new bridge installed across Carpenter Creek, 2.5 kilometres downstream of Sandon. 4.3 kilometres of new road would be constructed to connect with the current road.
Option 2 would also see a new bridge across Carpenter Creek, about 100 metres from Highway 31A near the Sandon turnoff. Ten kilometres of new road would be constructed, with 14 switchbacks before it connects with the forest service road.
Option 3 would use the same new bridge as Option 2, and include 8.7 kilometres of new road with 15 switchbacks and four gulley crossings before it connects with the forest service road.
Option 4 is to repair the existing forest service road. This option would require private land acquisition, since the current road trespasses on private property.
Option 5 would see the permanent closure of the forest service road, requiring full road deactivation. Idaho Lookout would no longer be accessible.
The five options were developed by the Ministry of Forests’ Engineering Branch, with input from the Selkirk Resource District engineering department.
The public may provide comments on the planned work via email until Feb. 28: FOR.SelkirkDistrictOffice@gov.bc.ca.