SR 260 to intermittently close for rock blasting near Payson on Sept. 22

PAYSON – The Arizona Department of Transportation advises drivers to expect intermittent closures of State Route 260 east of Payson, near Star Valley, on Tuesday, Sept. 22; Tuesday, Sept. 29; and Tuesday, Oct. 6, for rock blasting operations. The work is part of the SR 260 Lion Springs Improvement Project. 

Drivers should be prepared for delays of up to an hour at a time on SR 260 from 10 a.m. to noon on these days between Walters Lane and Gila County Yard (mileposts 256-257) while crews remove loose rock. 

Flaggers and law enforcement officers will be on site to direct traffic and the speed limit will be reduced to 25 mph. Additional blasting work will continue after Oct. 6 with additional intermittent closures. 

The schedule is subject to change due to weather and other unforeseen circumstances. 

The work is part of a $76 million project to widen SR 260 east of Payson by adding an additional travel lane between mileposts 256-260 and making other improvements. 

For more information on the SR 260 Lion Springs Improvement Project and to subscribe for updates, please visit azdot.gov/Lion-Springs. Visitors to the webpage can also watch a narrated flyover video simulation of what the project will look like upon completion.