Hi Bill,
Sounds great. How much are the prints? I might want a set here.
Did you see the post from Ed Lecuyer at Maptech concerning a CD with the USGS maps of the ROW they are giving to the project?
Do you have any contacts with anyone in or near Durango who can keep an eye on the Colorado DOT plans for the highway Jessica reported on?
I think it is critical to make sure the plans for the highway have provisions for the possible inclusion of the railroad. Without getting provisions in these plans, we'd have to probably find money for a overpass or an underpass and I think that would kill any hopes because a bridge would cost in the upper-6 to mid-7 figure range.
They have not had environmental impact studies yet so the Herald's report of construction being about 5 years off is reasonable. So it's not panic time, but we do need to have a presence there.
It is discussed elsewhere that maybe a Friends of EBT approach to taking care of existing property at Gato, Arboles, and Dulce would give us credibility. It now occurs to me that taking care of and having inspected the existing steel bridges (near Gato and around Navajo Lake) would be well worth while. I'd hate to have the most expensive bridges be sold for scrap or be condemned when we are putting things together for the ROW and then have to come up with 6-7 figures to repair/replace each of those bridges.
If we can get enough interested, we would need a two pronged approach here, what you are currently doing in research and protection/stabalization of the existing assets.
I guess it becomes more imperative to find out what the current condition of the ROW is.
Doug.
