Utah road plan would blast canyon cliffs; lawsuit says 47 historic sites at risk

A plan to widen and pave a road through a historic canyon in the US state of Utah has triggered a new federal lawsuit, with conservation groups warning that the project could destroy cliff walls bearing 19th-century inscriptions and damage a landscape known for its Native American rock art.The lawsuit challenges the US Bureau of Land Management’s approval of a project to widen, straighten and pave the existing Gate Canyon Road in eastern Utah. The proposed work would involve blasting sections of canyon walls, some measuring around 100 feet (30 metres) high, to accommodate increased traffic, including trucks travelling to oil fields.According to a Reuters report, conservation groups filed the lawsuit this week, arguing that the project threatens historic sites and wildlife habitats in the area.