Project Spotlight: I-40 stretch in Northeastern Arizona gets upgrades

HOLBROOK – A stretch of Interstate 40 in Northeastern Arizona features improved pavement and a new bridge deck thanks to an Arizona Department of Transportation project completed in conjunction with the Navajo Nation. 

This $30 million improvement near Petrified Forest National Park removed the top layer of pavement between mileposts 319 and 331 and replaced it with an asphalt-mix overlay to improve the driving surface. This work included guardrail installation, drainage improvements, pavement markers and striping.

Crews also replaced the eastbound I-40 Dead River Bridge deck, superstructure and guardrails at milepost 316 to extend the structure’s life and enhance safety.

To reduce the impact on traffic, ADOT only scheduled work on Mondays-Thursdays and maintained at least one lane of traffic in each direction throughout. 

This project supports ADOT’s commitment to protecting Arizona’s investment in highway pavement and bridges and to maintaining I-40 as a key corridor for commercial and personal travel. In this calendar year alone, ADOT has completed or started five major projects to rehabilitate and preserve pavement on 57 miles of I-40 and four others rehabilitating or replacing bridges. These represent a total investment topping $160 million.

For more information, please visit the I-40 Bridge, Pavement Improvements East of Holbrook page at azdot.gov/projects > Northeast District.