Damaged Beatty Cutoff may reopen soon to relieve local businesses

BEATTY — The road into Death Valley from Beatty may be open by the end of this month, according to information from the National Park Service.

The expected opening date will be determined after the contractor, Steve Manning Construction, Inc. has begun work on site.

The company is scheduled to start mobilizing on Friday, Sept. 9, and the Beatty Cutoff is the first road they are scheduled to work on.

Funding for the project is part of $11.7 million in “Quick Release” U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration emergency funds released on Aug. 15 for road repair work needed after the flash flood of Aug. 5, now officially recognized as the rainiest day in the recorded history of Death Valley.

“The quick release funds we are providing will help get those repairs done as soon as possible and better prepare this area for future floods,” acting federal highway administrator Stephanie Pollack said.

It is expected that when the Beatty Cutoff first opens there will be short sections of gravel road, still passable by passenger vehicles. The road will then go to bid for permanent repairs, with the same company expected to be among the bidders. That is the part of the work that has an eight-month estimate for completion.

The contract specifies that during that final phase of the work one lane will always be kept open for traffic.

The “Quick Release” funds are seen as an “initial installment,” with additional funding coming from the Federal Highway Administration’s emergency relief program. One aim of that program is for repairs, where possible, to “incorporate resilience in the design, restoration and repair of damaged infrastructure, to better withstand future damage from climate change and future weather events.”

This may or may not mean that the Beatty Cutoff will be more resistant to flood damage as a result of the repairs. It may not be possible or economically feasible, given the topography involved and the need to preserve the natural features of the landscape. It is something that will be watched with interest by residents of Beatty.

Richard Stephens is a freelance reporter living in Beatty.