ADOT receives $7 million in federal relief for summer 2017 flood damage

PHOENIX – The Federal Highway Administration is providing $7 million in emergency relief funds to help cover the Arizona Department of Transportation’s cost of repairing two state highways damaged by flooding last summer.

A long stretch of State Route 88 northeast of Apache Junction experienced structural erosion following an intense monsoon storm last July. The highway remained open while ADOT made emergency repairs, and now much of that stretch is part of a previously planned safety-improvement project.

On Mount Graham in southeastern Arizona, runoff from areas scarred by the Frye Fire, which started in early June, damaged the upper reaches of State Route 366, also known as Swift Trail. Because of damage to the roadway and concerns about flash flooding from burned areas, the highest reaches of the highway remained closed until mid-September.

Governor Doug Ducey issued an emergency declaration for both highways.

The $7 million reimbursement allows ADOT to put money spent on these emergency repairs toward other highway projects.

The emergency funds cover the cost of initial repairs to both highways, emergency repairs to SR 88 and preliminary design work to address longer-term issues from flooding along SR 366. ADOT will seek an additional $4 million in emergency relief funds for permanent restoration on SR 366.