News Release

Kelbaker Road to Open by March 10th Then Cima Road Closing March 20th

Estimated Completion Date for Kelbalker Road Temporary Repair is March 10th. Morning Star Mine and Kelbaker Roads to Serve as Detour During Cima Road Construction.

Kelbaker Road will remain closed to all traffic during construction. Users of the Mojave Road may only Cross at Seventeenmile Point. Do not use Kelbaker Road.

NPS

News Release Date: February 24, 2023

Contact: 'Sierra' Christopher Willoughby, 760-252-6124

Contact: Visitor Information Line, 760-252-6100

KELSO, Calif. – The next phase of road construction at Mojave National Preserve is to begin on Kelbaker Road between Kelso and Baker on Monday February 27^th. The contractor Las Vegas Paving Corp. will perform a temporary repair for two missing sections of Kelbaker Road damaged in the 2022 monsoon season. The completed temporary repair will allow two-way traffic over a compacted aggregate surface.

During the period of construction, Kelbaker Road continues to be closed to all vehicles for the safety of road crews and motorists.  The road is expected to be open to all traffic by March 10^th 2023. Weather and other unforeseen circumstances may delay this opening date.   

On March 20^th, Mojave National Preserve anticipates the initiation of a major road construction project along 17.6 miles of Cima Road..

Cima Road connects to I-15 at exit 272 and terminates at the intersection of Kelso-Cima Road and the Morning Star Mine Road located within the Preserve. The road construction will require the closure of the Cima Road for approximately 1 year requiring a detour to North Kelbaker Road or Morning Star Mine Road.

During the period of Cima Road construction, access to the Cima Dome and Teutonia Peak Trailhead areas will be very limited.

This $24M dollar project will improve visitor safety and involve infrastructure designed to reduce mortality of the Federally Listed Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) from motor vehicles impacts. The Cima Road Rehabilitation project is not expected to be controversial.

-NPS-

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Full-sized Image of Construction Map and Road Closures in effect February 26th to March 10th

NPS / MOJA Media