Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico will continue making improvements to the park's main entrance road starting Monday, with work continuing through September 28.

The road improvement work is being implemented using congressional funding provided to the National Park Service to reduce its deferred maintenance backlog. Visitors can expect minor traffic delays; one lane of the road will remain open while the road work occurs over the next two weeks. Flaggers will control the flow of traffic.

“The work on the entrance road is among the first of many projects we hope to implement over the next few years to improve visitor access and experience at Valles Caldera,” said Jorge Silva-Bañuelos, the preserve’s superintendent. “We appreciate the public’s understanding and patience while this work is ongoing.”

The road improvements will start at the preserve’s main entrance near mile marker 39 on State Route 4 and continue for two miles to the entrance station. The work will include adding a final layer of gravel mix to create a more permanent driving surface. It is anticipated that the work will greatly improve road conditions and reduce future maintenance costs.