There will be turnaround spots for drivers prior to the closure areas at the following locations:

South end of canyon:

• Northbound drivers can turn around at the roundabout just north of uptown Sedona.
• Southbound drivers can turn around near Purtymun Lane, just south of Sedona Views Bed and Breakfast.

North end of Canyon:

Emergency access through the canyon will be maintained at all times for first responders and other emergency crews. First responders will be able to travel through the work areas as needed for medical or other emergencies. Regarding wildfires, there will be an emergency evacuation plan in place for canyon residents and businesses.

Unfortunately, since SR 89A is so narrow there is no room to maintain one lane of traffic in each direction through the work zones during construction. Thus, it is not possible to safely construct the improvements without some limited full closures and single lane restrictions. We recognize any restrictions on SR 89A corridor are going to be inconvenient; however, we have done our best to keep the closures to a minimum and limit the overall impacts.

Due to the type of work involved and nature of the narrow corridor with steep slopes, having the contractor work at night or during the winter when there is the possibility of ice and snow is both hazardous and much more costly. The blasting work at the south end of the project cannot be completed at night, as this would impose unacceptable safety risks to construction crews and the public. There is also some work, such as paving, that must be done in certain temperatures. In the Oak Creek Canyon/Sedona area, we typically shut down work during the winter due to the weather conditions.

ADOT will notify the public seven calendar days in advance through roadside message boards and traffic alerts via email. The best way to stay informed is to sign up to receive traffic alerts, which will be emailed directly to your inbox. Visit the project web page at azdot.gov/SR89A to sign up.

Aside from the five daytime full closures at MP 375, which are allowed to occur from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, we do not anticipate any weekend or holiday closures. However, there will be 24/7 lane restrictions in place at the bridge and erosion control work zones while construction is underway on these two improvements. This will include temporary traffic signals. Closures are subject to change based on unforeseen circumstances, such as weather or traffic incidents.

The contractor is required to notify ADOT 20 business days in advance of all full closures. Once the closure and traffic-control plans are approved, ADOT will inform the public seven calendar days in advance through roadside message boards and email notification.

The detour routes are expected to add about an hour of travel time, depending on the point of origin and destination, without any other additional traffic delays. The one lane of travel through the north end of the canyon with temporary signals is expected to add approximately 45 minutes during weekday off-peak times and approximately one hour during peak travel periods. However, this corridor is subject to wide variations in traffic levels so there could be times when travel times are higher.

• Drivers traveling from Sedona to Flagstaff will use State Route 179 to Interstate 17.
• Drivers traveling from Flagstaff to Sedona will use I-17 to SR 179.
• Message boards and other social media will be used to notify the traveling public seven calendar
• days in advance of full closures.
• A signed detour will also be provided during the closures.

Up to five full daytime closures from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday mornings through Thursday evenings at the south end (MP 375) and up to 10 overnight full closures from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday nights through Friday mornings at the north end (MP 387-389) of the project. The closures may be on consecutive or non-consecutive days.