11
From the Mine Area, the Miller Creek Access Route proceeds west on Bear Lodge Road which
is gravel surface for 1.86 miles (2.99 km) to the Project Area boundary and continues another
0.23 miles (0.37 km) to the Black Hills National Forest (BHNF) boundary. At the BHNF
boundary, Bear Lodge Road turns south and continues for 7.2 miles (11.59 km) to Miller Creek
Road (Crook County Road 266) which is also gravel surfaced. The route follows a general
southeastern direction for 3.8 miles (6.12 km) to Warren Peak Road (Crook County Route 100),
which is asphalt-paved surfaced, continuing on Warren Peak Road for 1 mile (1.61 km) to U.S.
Highway 14. The route follows U.S. Highway 14 for 1.5 miles (2.41 km) to Wyoming Highway
116. At Wyoming Highway 116, the route turns south and proceeds 30 miles (48.24 km)
southwest to the junction of Wyoming Highway 116 and U.S. Highway 16 at Upton, Wyoming.
The route turns right onto U.S. Highway 16 and proceeds 1.5 miles (2.5 km) to the Upton
Regional Industrial Park turnoff (Buffalo Creek Road), and continues 1 mile (1.61 km) south on
Buffalo Creek Road to the Hydromet Plant (see Map 4.2-1).
4.3.2 Existing Roads
Project access is made up of existing federal, state, county, and Forest Service highways and
roads. Existing Forest Service roads within the Project Area are shown on Map 4.2-2 (map
pocket). The existing roads were constructed for recreational and seasonal (May through
November) forestry use and are mostly dirt-surfaced, unmaintained, and are unsuitable in their
current condition for use by heavy mining equipment within the Project Area.
4.3.3 Proposed Secondary Roads and Haul Roads
The project will remove 8.71 miles of Forest Service roads from public access. These are roads
within the Mine Area (see Map 4.2-2). Roads that will be affected include all or portions of the
roads listed in Table 4.3-1.
Table 4.3-1
Distance of Existing Forest System Roads Removed from Public Access
Road Name
Forest System Road
Name
Distance within
Bull Hill Mine
(miles)
Taylor Divide BR 2A
838.2A
0.40
Whitelaw
851.1
2.21
Whitelaw BR 1A
851.1A
0.34
Whitelaw BR 1B
851.1B
1.23
Whitelaw BR 1C
851.1C
0.56
Whitelaw BR 1D
851.1D
0.20
Whitelaw BR 1E
851.1E
0.21
Cole Springs
879.1
2.60
Cole Springs BR 1A
879.1A
0.86
Cole Springs BR 1C
879.1C
0.14
Total
8.75
Because of the extensive road network in the Project Area, RER has identified existing roads
that can be upgraded. Two haul roads are proposed; one from the Mineable Pit to the Waste
Rock Facility and one from the Mineable Pit to the PUG Plant. The proposed haul road from the
Mineable Pit to the Waste Rock Facility will be 0.49 mile (0.79 km), of which 0.27 mile (0.43 km)
will be on federal lands and 0.22 mile (0.36 km) will be on private lands. The haul road from the
Mineable Pit to the PUG Plant is 0.31 miles (0.50 km), all on federal lands. Approximately 0.53
mile (0.85 km) of existing Forest Service Road 851.1 will be upgraded to a secondary road
which will provide access for light vehicles and trucks (going to Upton, Wyoming) between the
main gate and the PUG Plant (see Map 4.2-2 – map pocket). Roads will also be constructed
