The revamped West Gate entrance to Joshua Tree National Park will be breaking ground in fiscal year 2024 according to National Park Superintendent Jane Rodgers. Rodgers was part of a 3-person panel discussing Joshua Tree visitation and tourism that took place on Wednesday – and during the question and answer session an audience member asked for an update on the west gate entrance to the National Park. Rodgers says that the west gate gets more traffic than the other two:
Rodgers: “Up to 50 to 60 percent of our visitors come through that entrance – about 20 percent at Twentynine Palms and Cottonwood…”
That extra traffic can back up onto the two-lane Quail Springs Road that approaches the park, blocking driveways and hampering travel for residents, park employees, visitors, and emergency services.
The current west gate entrance is one lane in and out with room for a single Ranger to accept payments. Superintendent Rodgers says the new west gate will move about a 1/3rd to a 1/2 a mile inside the park, hopefully alleviating the gridlock that can stack up at the entrance – alongside doubling the park’s inbound and outbound lanes.
It will also be safer for staff who work the current booth – the small booth and crosswalks near the entrance can become hazardous when traffic is at its peak.
Rodgers says that the contract is done and barring any further delays, by this time next year the new west gate will be built and ready to accommodate the 3 million yearly visitors the National Park receives.
