State Route 473 to Hawley Lake closing for the winter

PHOENIX ‒ State Route 473 leading to Hawley Lake in the White Mountains will close for the winter on Thursday, Nov. 16, at its junction with State Route 260, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The 10-mile-long highway east of Pinetop-Lakeside will remain closed until at least April 15.

Other high-country state highways that will close over the next six weeks include SR 67 leading to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. That route, traveling 43 miles south from US 89A, will close Friday, Dec. 1, unless a major snowstorm occurs before then.

With park facilities closed for the winter, ADOT doesn’t plow SR 67, which will be blocked about a half mile south of US 89A at Jacob Lake. It’s scheduled to reopen in mid-May along with North Rim lodges, campgrounds and other amenities.

State Route 64 remains open all year to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim.

Other winter closures include State Route 273 past Sunrise Park and State Route 261 west of Eagar, which are scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 28, unless a severe storm happens sooner.

In southeastern Arizona, the upper, unpaved portion of SR 366 that leads to Mount Graham near Safford has already closed for winter. Motorized vehicles aren’t allowed on SR 366 past a locked gate a half mile past the Coronado National Forest’s Shannon Campground, but hikers, mountain bikers and cross-country skiers can still use the area. 

State routes 366, 273 and 262 will reopen in the spring.

Tips on winter driving are available at azdot.gov/KnowSnow.

Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, by calling 511 and through ADOT’s Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT. When a freeway closure or other major traffic event occurs, our free app available at ADOTAlerts.com will send critical information directly to app users in affected areas – where possible, in advance of alternate routes.