It’s a grand reopening for ADOT’s Fredonia commercial port of entry

Visitors to the Town of Fredonia in far northern Arizona may see tongue-in-cheek bumper stickers saying, “Fredonia, AZ: Center of the Universe.” 

It might seem light years away from much of Arizona due to its location at the farthest edge of the Arizona Strip next to Utah, but Fredonia is smack in the middle of wonders such as the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, Zion National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and much more. It’s lovely in its own right as well, set along US 89A and beneath layer cake cliffs so common in the area. 

And as of Wednesday, Fredonia is home once again to a full-time Arizona Department of Transportation commercial port of entry. The photo above is from the port’s grand reopening ceremony held by ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division (ECD), whose mission includes ensuring that commercial vehicles are safe to operate on Arizona highways. 

The Fredonia Port of Entry opened in 1964 due to highway use by trucks serving the agricultural, logging and mining industries. It was originally staffed by four civilian agents. ADOT closed it in 2008 amid the nation’s economic downturn, though since 2022 ECD officers have been conducting commercial vehicle details there about once a week. 

On Wednesday, with statistics pointing to the need for a regular presence,  ADOT invited the community to celebrate the Fredonia Port of Entry’s reopening. It’s another way ADOT is safely connecting people and empowering Arizona’s economy and the economy in and around the great Town of Fredonia.