A week after battle lines were drawn over the main route to the Grand Canyon Skywalk, tourists can once again visit the attraction – and they’ll soon have not one but two ways to get there.
The Associated Press reports things around the Grand Canyon’s West Rim got tense last week when Nigel Turner, who owns a 100,000-acre ranch in the middle of the path to the Skywalk, closed his portion of the road to traffic and hired security guards that denied access to thousands of tourists. The Hualapai Tribe, who operates the Skywalk and owns 106 miles of the canyon, quickly took action and were granted a federal permit to create a paved bypass route that will be completed in the spring.
As for Turner, it looks like his standoff did more harm than good to his wallet. According to the news outlet, he has since revoked his roadblock and has lowered the fee to cross his land from $20 per person to $5 per car. But now, the Hualapai Tribe’s new road will ensure they are the only ones who cash in on the millions of yearly visitors who come to the Skywalk, which is just about two-and-a-half hours by car from Las Vegas.