PHOENIX ‒ With about 2,000 truckloads of earth still to remove, blasting to create a passing lane along US 60 east of Superior is expected to continue through June.

The highway will be closed in both directions from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a schedule the Arizona Department of Transportation designed to provide consistency for those relying on US 60.

Crews have removed about 105,000 cubic yards of rocks and dirt since the $8.8 million project began in August. Another 25,000 cubic yards of earth must be removed for the project between Devil’s Canyon and Oak Flat.

Working in a tight passage carrying US 60 uphill from Superior has made the work more time-consuming than originally expected. With no room at the worksite to store rocks and dirt after blasting, crews must truck the materials out and clear the roadway before reopening to traffic.

During blasting, eastbound traffic is stopped at milepost 227 east of Superior and westbound traffic at Top of the World, (milepost 235 west of Miami) until the debris is cleared.

Drivers should use caution, watch for construction equipment and personnel, and allow extra time.

Once the blasting work is complete, ADOT will pave the widened roadway before opening the additional travel lane to traffic. The project also includes widening the shoulder in Devil’s Canyon (mileposts 233-234), bridge work at Waterfall Canyon (milepost 229) and drainage improvements (milepost 242) west of Miami.

During the closures, drivers should consider taking state routes 77 and 177 between Superior and Globe, a route of about 68 miles. Motorists headed to the White Mountains region, including Show Low and Springerville, can take State Route 87 through Payson and travel east on State Route 260.

For more information on the project, please visit azdot.gov/us60oakflat.