Buttermilk Road will be closed to the public starting at 7 p.m. Sunday, August 25 to accommodate road crews as they carry out the first of what is hoped to be many more improvement projects in the popular recreation area.
The project will involve placing boulders along the edge of the road and parking areas to prevent further resource damage, and is part of the Buttermilk Infrastructure and Recreation Planning Initiative launched by the Eastern Sierra Council of Governments (Inyo and Mono counties, the City of Bishop, and Town of Mammoth Lakes). Work is expected to be finished by the end of next week, with reopening of the road scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, August 30.
The project is a joint endeavor of Inyo County, Inyo National Forest, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and is being performed with in-kind labor from all three agencies. Personnel from the Inyo County Road Department, Inyo National Forest Engineering division, and LADWP Construction will be doing the work.
Inyo National Forest decided to close a portion of Buttermilk Road to vehicular traffic to ensure the safety of both the public and work crews.
“I want to thank our Public Works team, as well as our partner agencies,” said Inyo County CAO Nate Greenberg. “Their willingness to find and act quickly on a creative solution is refreshing among the typical challenges and red tape we contend with. It’s also worth noting that accomplishing this project now, ahead of the busy climbing season (which starts in the fall), will make a big impact and is greatly appreciated by all involved.”
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