EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A popular campground in the Gila National Forest is closed this summer while a bridge is being replaced, the Gila National Forest said.
The South Fork Campground and 4.5-mile segment of Forest Road 141 on the Reserve Ranger District are closed for the summer while a contractor removes and replaces the South Fork Negrito Creek Bridge, the Gila National Forest said in a news release.
The closed road segment extends from Rainy Mesa to Eckelberger Canyon. The designated detour is Forest Road 94 through Apache Creek, which adds about 15 minutes of travel for regular passenger vehicles.
The contractor has placed a detour sign at the location of the road closure, directing traffic onto Forest Road 119, which is a very rough, four-wheel-drive road that is not suitable for most traffic. Heed the warning sign: “Rough Road impossible with trailer or low-clearance vehicle,” the Gila National Forest said.
Gila National Forest installed new culverts on Forest Road 94 this spring and the route is being graded regularly to support increased traffic. The forest roads crew is also working to improve Forest Road 119 and cutting back limbs to make passage safer and easier during the bridge replacement project, officials said.
The South Fork Negrito Bridge was constructed in 1959 and is past its “design life” of 50 years, officials said.
“While the road’s temporary closure is an inconvenience, failure of the 66-year-old bridge would
be catastrophic, and its replacement is necessary to maintain access for recreation, land
management activities, logging and other commercial uses, and general traffic. The new bridge
will be longer to meet modern flood design standards, and more cost effective to maintain,” officials said in their news release.
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