ADOT opens another 2 miles of SR 88

GLOBE - The Arizona Department of Transportation has reopened a nearly 2-mile segment of State Route 88 west of Theodore Roosevelt Dam to provide access to Reavis Trailhead Road/Forest Road 212. 

Crews recently completed repairs from erosion damage to this unpaved segment of roadway, which had been closed due to damage from a 2019 storm that left sections of the highway unpassable and unsafe for public use. The newly opened segment allows the public to access Reavis Trailhead Road from Theodore Roosevelt Dam to the east, where the public can now use the road between mileposts 227-229.

However, SR 88 remains closed between the Fish Creek Hill scenic overlook at milepost 222 and Reavis Trailhead Road near milepost 227 because of the extensive flood damage that occurred in a burn scar area following the Woodbury Fire.

ADOT is conducting a study to determine the scope and cost of reopening the damaged portion of SR 88. The study results are expected in 2023. 

Meanwhile, ADOT and the Tonto National Forest began a project in September to pave and make other improvements to an 11-mile gravel section of the highway between Apache Lake and Theodore Roosevelt Dam. The project is intended to improve the resilience of the roadway during heavy rainfall and to reduce the amount of repair work required after flooding. Because current drainage features aren’t able to handle more severe storms, the improvements will help prevent further damage and closures that limit public access. 

The roughly $18 million project is expected to take about one year, with work scheduled from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Drivers should expect delays of up to 20 minutes when crews are working.

For more information about SR 88, please visit the project page at:

/projects/southeast-district-projects/state-route-88-apache-trail