Request by Gilpin and Grand Counties to open road based on language included in Public Law 107-216 – the James Peak Wilderness and Protection Area Act. • Boulder County Commissioners have expressed concerns about opening the Rollins Pass Road including • The difficulty and expense in making the road and tunnel safe • Liability for injury resulting in use of the road and/or tunnel • Protection of the fragile high alpine ecosystem in the area • The purpose of today’s hearing is to gather public input on this request

1. Rollins Pass Road:
Public Input
Boulder County Public Hearing
February 13, 2014

2. Purpose of Hearing
• Request by Gilpin and Grand Counties to open road
based on language included in Public Law 107-216 –
the James Peak Wilderness and Protection Area Act.
• Boulder County Commissioners have expressed
concerns about opening the Rollins Pass Road
including
• The difficulty and expense in making the road and
tunnel safe
• Liability for injury resulting in use of the road
and/or tunnel
• Protection of the fragile high alpine ecosystem in
the area
• The purpose of today’s hearing is to gather public
input on this request

3. Background
• Commissioners and staff have had meetings with
representatives from Grand and Gilpin Counties and the
USFS over the past decade to discuss the opening of the
Rollins Pass Road and the Needle’s Eye Tunnel to vehicular
traffic.
• Several Boards of Commissioners have expressed concerns
over the environmental and financial impacts of opening this
road.
• The safety of the roadway and tunnel and any liability
associated with injury from their use.
• Costs associated with the necessary environmental
assessment, road and tunnel reconstruction, and ongoing maintenance.
• Impact of the road and increased vehicular access to
fragile high alpine Wilderness areas.

6. History
• Moffat Railroad through Boulder and Gilpin Counties
to Grand County was opened in 1904 and this “Hill
Route” was used for more than 20 years until the
Moffat Tunnel was opened
• Railroad traversed trestles, a tunnel and a pass and
was abandoned in 1935
• Needle’s Eye Tunnel was closed by a rockslide in
1979, reopened in 1988 and closed again in 1990
after an interior rock fall
• The James Peak Wilderness and Protection Area Act
included language requiring the USFS to provide
technical assistance with respect to repairing Rollins
Pass Road

10. Current Status
• Rollins Pass Road (117J) is currently closed at
Needle’s Eye Tunnel
• Bicycle, Motorcycle and Four-wheel drive vehicles
currently circumvent closure over top of tunnel
• “No Motorized Access across Continental Divide”
• Current road leading up to pass is narrow, two-track
with minimal improvement
• Trestles are deteriorating

11. South Portal Needle’s Eye Tunnel
(note bicycle and pedestrian bypass over
tunnel)

12. North Portal Needle’s Eye Tunnel

13. Interior of Needle’s Eye Tunnel looking north

14. Deterioration of Rollins Pass Road
embankment support

16. Deterioration of Rollins Pass Road
trestle structures

17. Layout / Topography
• All properties surrounding road in Boulder County are
US Forest Service Ownership
• Rollins Pass Road was declared a county road by long
usage in 1959
• Only courts can declare it public
• Forest Service maintains the road is under their
jurisdiction
• Road is mostly “two-track” on natural grade; minimal
improvement
• Many additional tracks have been created over the years

19. From US Forest Service Motor
Vehicle Use Map, Jan. 1, 2010
- Shows boundary of James Peak
Wilderness Area and status of
Rollins Pass Road according to
USFS
- No road shown from Tunnel to
road across Divide

20. Note Wagon Road and other off-road
paths

21. Boulder County Maintenance
of Existing Road
• Limits of Maintenance: 1.3 miles within Boulder
County east of the Needle’s Eye Tunnel; no
maintenance in Gilpin or Grand Counties
• Covered under Schedule “A” with Forest Service
• Boulder County expends approximately $800-$1,000
per year to maintain the road to minimal travel
requirements; no snow removal is performed

22. Boulder County Road Map, 2013,
showing limits of road within Boulder County

23. Costs to Improve Road
• Open Needle’s Eye Tunnel:
• Deere and Ault Study (Jan., 2013)
• Boulder County did not participate in this study
• P. 3 – “[the study] confirmed the previous
evaluations that the tunnel was not stable with the
existing support.”
• Two methods of repair suggested (p. 5):
• Significant rock bolting with wire mesh and
small amounts of shotcrete ($535,000)
• Smaller bolting effort with shotcrete lining of
entire tunnel ($610,000)
• D & A Recommended repairs to be made: option 2 –
shotcrete lining

24. Deere and Ault Repair Option 1

25. Deere and Ault Repair Option 2

26. Costs to Improve Road
(cont’d.)
• Improve Rollins Pass Road:
• USFS Report (Dec., 2013)
• Definition of “Level 3” Road: “Assigned to roads
open and maintained for travel by a prudent driver
in a standard passenger car. User comfort and
convenience are not considered priorities.”
• Low speed, single lane
• Three counties need to agree to alignment and
construction
• FS will not issue easement to a county outside their
jurisdiction
• Cost:
• Bringing road up to “level 3”: $3,240,000
• Repair and restore trestles: $6,300,000
• Includes closure and restoration of bypass roads

27. Boulder County Concerns
• Safety and impact of a roadway in this area
• Current Wagon Road is not safely passable by
passenger vehicles
• Trestle is unsafe/unusable – requires structural
stabilization
• Work to bring Rollins Pass Road up to safe standard in
original alignment is not possible, a new alignment
would be required to meet the USFS road standards
• Realignment of Rollins Pass Road to be more
passable/usable would have a great and lasting impact
on this area

28. Boulder County Concerns
• Costs Associated with opening this roadway
• Liability for injury
• USFS estimate for required environmental review would
be approximately $1 million
• Preliminary costs associated with roadway and trestle
replacement is more than $9.5 million
• Increased on-going maintenance costs
• Additional use of area requires continual management
and enforcement to protect the adjacent wilderness
areas

29. Questions