The U.S. Forest Service wants to convert a three-mile section of Tower Ridge Road in the Charles Deam Wilderness into a section of the Grubb Ridge hiking and horseback riding trail.

The section of the gravel road under consideration has been closed since last July due to unsafe conditions from storm damage. The proposal would close the road permanently to motorized vehicles.

Stacy Duke, of the Hoosier National Forest, said the conversion would protect the quality of the Deam Wilderness.

“We are expected to uphold wilderness character, and part of that includes providing opportunities for solitude,” Duke said. “One way of doing that is by minimizing vehicular traffic and noise adjacent to our wilderness area.”

Duke said the conversion would cut back on costs from the routine grading and maintenance the road requires.

“Our roads budget would essentially have to contribute the majority of it to Tower Ridge Road to continue to maintain it,” Duke said. “And in turn that would create issues for other roads within the forest, roads that are more developed and a higher priority, and with a higher need of keeping open to the public.”

The road was commonly used by off-road vehicle riders before its closure.

Duke said the public would still be able to access the Hickory Ridge Lookout Tower, Grubb Ridge trailhead, and Todd Cemetery through the recently repaved Hunters Creek Road.

A public comment period on the proposed change is open until Sept. 24.