Fort Huachuca, Arizona - All of Garden Canyon to now include Lower Garden Canyon is closed to the public for construction to restore the road.

Mobilization began Monday, for the general contractor RORE and subcontractor MCI, Inc. to begin readying the area in preparation for actual construction. The mobilization includes staging their equipment, materials and temporary mobile office in Lower Garden Canyon.

"We want people to know that we aren't actually starting the real construction because we are still awaiting the permitting process and not until the contractor gets his permits can they start really hitting the ground running. They are just doing the prep work for when the permits clear," said Project Engineer Christina Hansen, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Lower Garden Canyon is now closed for the duration of the project for the public's safety, said Hansen. This includes the picnic table area and playground.

Garden Canyon has been closed to the public since July 2014, when the road was initially washed away after a large monsoon storm said Carl Aufdenkampe, chief, Engineer Division, Directorate of Public Works. The total section being repaired is 2.67 miles.

"The road is gone so there is no longer access for vehicle traffic for forest firefighting, law enforcement and rescue missions and that's the problem. The reason it has been closed is because if someone gets lost or injured there is no way to get to them safely," said Aufdenkampe.

"The erosion right now was caused by the water coming down the hill, so the plan is to try to put the water back where it's supposed to be in its stream because it jumped the streambed and started eating away at the road," Hansen said.

The source of the material for the road repair is being supplied from the pit in Huachuca City, and then burned at 300 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit during a special process so it is clean for use in Garden Canyon.

"They are burning it because the environmental sensitivity in Garden Canyon with [protected] species so the requirement is to bring in clean material," said Hansen. Some of the protected species include the water umbel and the Mexican spotted owl.

"The contract completion date is August 17. However with the delays that are already known with the permitting and with us heading into the monsoon season, there is the possibility that the contract with be extended," Hansen said.

Blockades have been set up right after Site Papa to prevent the public from gaining access to the canyon.