Lincoln - Porcupine Bay Road

Porcupine Bay Road, County Road No. 96430 was established in 1949 and serves as the only access road into Porcupine Bay Campground and Boat Launch on Lake Roosevelt. Lake Roosevelt is owned by the United Stated Bureau of Reclamation and managed by the National Park Service. Porcupine bay is the 3rd most utilized site on Lake Roosevelt. This road also serves many residential and seasonal lakeside vacation homes on Lake Roosevelt.

During the first quarter of 2017 there were significant weather related issues, an abundance of rainfall and a rapidly melting snow pack. These circumstances were accompanied with already saturated soils and high water levels. As a result of these events, a landslide occurred on the Porcupine Bay Road, County Road No. 96430 on April 2, 2017. The toe of the embankment that supports a 500’± section of roadway failed, which caused the remaining embankment plus about one half of the roadway to slide down and into Lake Roosevelt. With this road being the only access to Porcupine Bay and no other alternative routes to consider, it was determined and decided to reconstruct the existing road in its current location with Emergency Relief funds thru FHWA, NPS and CRAB.

The existing road was reconstructed using a soldier pile retaining wall on the uphill and downhill side of the roadway. Shotcrete fascia was installed on the face of the retaining walls. The road was opened approximately 2 years and one month from the date of the landslide. During the closure and construction of the project we received very little positive feedback from the public. Once the road was opened, campers, fishermen and private property owners were among the ones with positive feedback.