Overnight dirt haul on SR 89 between Prescott and Chino Valley this week

PRESCOTT – Traffic on State Route 89 between Prescott and Chino Valley (mileposts 320 to 325) will be required to stop intermittently this week to allow trucks to safely cross the highway.

The hauling operation will begin tonight (weather permitting), Aug. 12 through Thursday, Aug. 14 between 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. and intermittent closures are expected for dirt hauling and removal of temporary concrete barrier along the roadway.

The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage. ADOT advises drivers to allow additional time to reach their destinations and to proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

ADOT issues report and asks for comments on Hell Canyon Bridge

Hell Canyon Bridge is a steel three-span cantilevered Pratt deck truss with riveted connections. It has a total length of 585’ - 6”, and a width of 35’ - 4”, with a 30’ - wide roadway. - ADOT photo

Hell Canyon Bridge is a steel three-span cantilevered Pratt deck truss with riveted connections. It has a total length of 585’ – 6”, and a width of 35’ – 4”, with a 30’ – wide roadway. – ADOT photo

hell-canyon-bridge-01The Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have completed a Programmatic Section 4(f) Evaluation and Approval for FHWA Projects that Necessitate the Use of Historic Bridges report for the Hell Canyon Bridge project located on State Route 89 at milepost 345.70, Yavapai County 18-miles north of Chino Valley and south of Ash Fork, Arizona.

The report states that the bridge no longer meets minimum FHWA standards. The bridge across Hell Canyon, “…is structurally deficient and is functionally obsolete which rehabilitation cannot address.” Cited examples include the bridge not being wide enough and the inability to handle heavy loads. The bridge also qualifies to be placed in the Arizona Historic Bridge Inventory. That will have to be sorted out before the bridge can be destructed.

The report explains three options used to determine the best course of action: Do nothing, build on new location without using the current bridge or restoration preserving historic status. The first was rejected because it does not bring the bridge up to FHWA standards. The third would still require some reconstruction to widen the bridge and replace the superstructure which would eliminate the historic integrity.

The favored plan is to build a new bridge alongside of the old one and destroy the old bridge. The reason given for destroying the old bridge is that neither ADOT nor Prescott National Forest intends to build a rest stop in the area. In addition there are no bicycle or pedestrian trails in the project area which could utilize the old bridge. The rest area/overlook of Hell Canyon has been closed for several years.

Hell Canyon Bridge will be removed and replaced with a new bridge as part of this project, thus causing impact to a Section 4(f) property. A 103-page pdf of the Section 4(f) report as well as other project information are available at the ADOT web site.

Please send these comments September 8, 2014. Comments can be sent directly to the project team via phone at 602.458.7478, via e-mail at ddunn@aztec.us, and via mail at 4561 E. McDowell Rd, Phoenix AZ 85008.

Delays on US 89 north of Cameron as paving continues

adot-logo-03aThe Arizona Department of Transportation is currently paving an eight-mile section of US 89 near US 160, between mileposts 477 and 485, about 15 miles north of Cameron.

Drivers can expect heavy delays during the paving operation, which must take place during the day because the asphalt must be applied within in certain temperature range that cannot be reached overnight.

Flaggers will guide vehicles through the construction zone during work hours. Paving takes place from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Wednesday, Aug. 6 and Thursday, Aug. 7 this week and Monday, Aug. 11 and Tuesday, Aug. 12 next week. During work hours, delays could range between 45 minutes to one hour.

SR 89A reduced to one lane through switchbacks

Drivers can expect minimal delays as crews finish striping SR 89A through the switchbacks from Pine Flats Campground to the Vista Point Overlook. One lane will be closed during operations, with flaggers allowing alternating access for traffic. Striping is expected to be completed by Friday, and will be underway daily from 6 am to 6pm during operations.

Traffic delays may occur during construction with traffic reduced to one lane. There will be directional signage and flaggers present during construction. ADOT advises motorists to be alert for construction equipment and personnel, and to proceed through the work zone with caution.

SR 89A south of JW Powell to expect hauling activity

Drivers traveling north- and south-bound on SR 89A just south of the JW Powell intersection can expect short delays as flaggers allow trucks and heavy equipment to cross over the roadway near milepost 399.

Crossing operations are required to allow the equipment to travel over SR 89A via a haul road. The trucks will be carrying fill material to construct the southbound on-ramp to I-17 as part of an improvement project, which includes installation of a roundabout.

Construction hours are between 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Drivers can expect short delays during equipment crossings and hauling activity can be anticipated for the next two weeks during on-ramp construction.

US 89 landslide repairs to begin later this month

ADOT-sr89-photo

ADOT Photo

PHOENIX — The reconstruction of US 89 between Bitter Springs and Page will begin later this month after the State Transportation Board approved a $25 million project to repair the landslide-damaged highway at Friday’s board meeting in Cottonwood, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The roadway, which suffered catastrophic damage following a landslide on the early morning of Feb. 20, 2013, has remained closed after a 500-foot section of roadway buckled in Echo Cliffs, approximately 25 miles south of Page.

The repair will include moving the roadway approximately 60 feet away from the landslide area toward Echo Cliffs and using rock material removed for the roadway realignment to construct a downslope buttress to stabilize the area.

The closed section of roadway is scheduled to reopen prior to next summer’s busy travel season. The construction contract will also include a monetary incentive for the contractor if it is able to complete the project ahead of schedule.

Work on the project will begin in a couple of weeks, but major work is expected to start in late August when crews begin drilling and blasting operations to build the rock buttress. Nearly 1 million cubic yards of rock material is expected to be removed and a 1,500-foot section of US 89 will be realigned with new pavement.

The ultimate repair of US 89 is the final step in fulfilling ADOT’s three-pronged approach to the US 89 landslide incident, which included providing immediate emergency access, conducting a geotechnical investigation and restoring essential traffic to the area.
Last summer ADOT paved Navajo Route 20 (Temporary US 89), which was a mostly dirt road stretching from Bodaway-Gap to LeChee.

“Once a long-term solution was identified, ADOT worked diligently to complete all the federally required clearances needed prior to construction,” said Steve Boschen, ADOT deputy state engineer of project delivery. “This process can sometimes take years, but with help from many of our Navajo Nation partners, the Federal Highway Administration and other regulatory stakeholders, we are ready to begin the US 89 landslide repair.”

Prior to breaking ground on the project later this month, ADOT had to clear several hurdles. After an extensive geotechnical investigation identified the necessary repairs last summer, ADOT retained an engineering design firm and developed plans for the eventual repair.

Following that, the team finalized all federally required environmental reviews that include cultural, biological and water quality measures, completed the plans for the required right-of-way easements, and finalized negotiations with the contractor.

The final step prior to Friday’s board approval was completing negotiations on a guaranteed maximum price for the project construction with FNF Construction, the same contractor that completed the paving of US 89T.

The US 89 landslide repair project is eligible for reimbursement through the Federal Highway Administration’s emergency relief program, which provides funding to state and local agencies for the repair or reconstruction of highways, roads and bridges that are damaged in natural disasters and catastrophic failures.

SR 89A reduced to one lane through switchbacks

The Arizona Department of Transportation will close one lane of State Route 89A through the switchbacks at milepost 389 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, July 14, to complete repairs to roadway damage caused by recent weather events.

Traffic delays may occur during construction with traffic reduced to one lane. There will be directional signage and flaggers present during construction. ADOT advises motorists to be alert for construction equipment and personnel, and to proceed through the work zone with caution.

Overnight work scheduled on SR 89 between Prescott and Chino Valley next week

PRESCOTT/CHINO VALLEY – Traffic on State Route 89 between Prescott and Chino Valley (mileposts 320-325) will be required to stop intermittently next week to allow trucks to safely cross the highway and crews to relocate temporary concrete barrier along the roadway.

Overnight work will begin on Monday, July 14 through Thursday, July 17, between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. each night.

Drivers can expect intermittent closures for dirt hauling and delays of up to 15 minutes at a time.

The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage. ADOT advises drivers to allow additional time to reach their destinations and to proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

Night time schedule replacing daytime hours for US 89 paving project north of Cameron

adot-logo-03aThe Arizona Department of Transportation will be switching to night-time hours for work to a nine-mile segment of US 89 at Moenkopi Wash, starting about 10 miles north of Cameron. The work just south of the US 160 Junction will maintain the same one-lane closures which have been in place for the daytime work, with alternating access and reduced speeds through the project area.

Drivers should anticipate delays and allow for extra travel time as they continue through the construction zone, 5 p.m. – 5 a.m. Sunday night through Thursday morning (June 30-July 3). Flaggers will guide traffic through the work zone. Both north- and southbound lanes will be unrestricted for daytime travel.

No construction is scheduled for the Fourth of July holiday weekend from Thursday morning to Sunday night.

Nighttime work will resume from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Friday (July 7 – July 11) and maintain the nightly schedule until further notice.

This project is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2014.

Tanker rollover closes I-17 northbound in New River most of Thursday

An oil tanker rollover has triggered a closure of Interstate 17 northbound in New River that is expected to last most of Thursday, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Drivers traveling from Phoenix to northern Arizona destinations such as Flagstaff will need to use alternate routes Thursday through Prescott or Payson and plan for extended travel times.

The Prescott route involves using US 60 from the Phoenix area to Wickenburg, where drivers will turn onto US 93 until reaching State Route 89. Once taking SR 89 into Prescott, drivers can take SR 69 to Dewey, and then SR 169 to return to I-17.

The Payson route involves taking SR 87 from the Mesa or Fountain Hills area. About 20 miles north of Payson, drivers will turn northwest on SR 260 to return to I-17 in Camp Verde. Drivers should expect extra traffic on either of these alternate routes today due to the I-17 closure.

There is no estimated time to reopen northbound lanes of I-17 while a hazardous materials crew responds to the tanker rollover. Southbound lanes of I-17 are unaffected and remain open.