Road work along the South entrance to Grand Canyon National Park will create some temporary traffic snarls in the coming month/NPS

Road construction along the southern entry to Grand Canyon National Park could create some traffic snarls for the next three or four weeks.

The work, at the South Entrance Station and Hermit Road, is set to begin Monday. Grand Canyon National Park visitors and local residents may experience short traffic delays or temporary closures, a park release said. Visitors and residents should obey all traffic control signs and directions and be alert for workers on the road.

At the South Entrance Station, work includes replacement of all the concrete paving in lanes 2, 3, and 4. Starting with Lane 4 on September 21, crews will work on one lane at a time to keep traffic flowing with minimal delays. Construction of each lane will take up to three and a half weeks, weather providing.

In addition to replacing the paving, the walkways between lanes will be also be paved and curb cuts added to facilitate barrier-free crossing for employees. The South Entrance Station construction should be complete by the end of November.

 On September 28, work will begin on Hermit Road to replace portions of the shuttle bus braking pads at all ten shuttle bus stops. Work at each stop will take between two and three weeks. Some of the shuttle bus stops may close during construction and buses may not stop. The walking trails between bus stops will remain open and the nearest adjacent stop will be open for buses.

The shuttle bus operates on Hermit Road through November 30; starting December 1, the road is open to private vehicles. After December 1, road work will also occur at the Hermit Road interchange. When that construction begins, Hermit Road traffic will be diverted along Rowe Well Road. There may be short delays; however, one lane of traffic will always remain open.

The construction along Hermit Road is anticipated to be complete by mid-January, weather permitting.