SR 188

Adopt a Highway: Gila County Sheriff volunteers serve community along SR 188

Adopt a Highway: Gila County Sheriff volunteers serve community along SR 188

Adopt a Highway: Gila County Sheriff volunteers serve community along SR 188

By Mary Currie / ADOT Communications

April 21, 2021

During National Volunteer Week ADOT is extending thanks to all Adopt a Highway volunteers for removing litter from alongside the state highway system that connects Arizona communities.

However, it is more than volunteering for many. Loved ones, veterans, beloved pets – our personal heroes are honored when volunteers gather to beautify adopted miles. Family and friends reunite and remember.

Gila County Sheriff deputies have done just that for the past 26 years on State Route 188 at mile marker 256. On April 9, Sheriff J. Adam Shepherd, Chief Deputy Mike Johnson, Lt. Virgil Dodd, Undersheriff Matt Binney and Major Justin Solberg were recognized along with other deputy team members who could not be present for their longtime volunteer service.

The group also received outstanding volunteer status as part of a new program dedicated to showcasing volunteer groups who clean up three times or more per year. These groups will be identified by an additional "Outstanding Volunteer" placard installed underneath the standard recognition sign.

The deputies use their cleanup time to build camaraderie amongst staff and express their sense of pride in Gila County. The hope is that showing their presence will encourage others to do their part in keeping Arizona clean. One of the interesting findings over the years was a wallet they were able to return to its owner.

A deeper significance for the department’s choice of adopted mile was shared with me by Chief Deputy Mike Johnson.

“In 1994 two of our deputies were investigating an accident where a vehicle had struck a deer at mile marker 256," Johnson said. "During the investigation a DUI driver traveling north on SR 188 struck one of our deputies and then hit the patrol vehicle, knocking it into the second deputy. This is why we chose this particular stretch of highway to adopt in honor of both of those deputies that were injured as a result of the collision."

Whether the deputies are serving on the job or as Adopt a Highway volunteers, they are exposed to the same dangers present when working along the highway. That is why ADOT requires participating volunteers to watch a safety video briefing before each cleanup, to educate and prepare them for a safe and enjoyable experience while working along busy highways.

Johnson had a few words of advice for those wanting to pitch in too.

“Adopt a Highway for the right reason and make sure you plan and are able to fulfill your required cleanups. Above all, have fun with it,” he said.

Thank you to Gila County Sheriff’s Office volunteers for serving the community – whether it be through security, searches, rescues and community activities, or beautifying SR 188 and helping to keep Arizona grand.

Want to join the ranks of 1,200 volunteer groups who give back? To learn more visit azdot.gov/aah.

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Labor Day travelers: Northbound SR 87 restricted as crews continue to repair guardrail from Bush Fire

Labor Day travelers: Northbound SR 87 restricted as crews continue to repair guardrail from Bush Fire

Labor Day travelers: Northbound SR 87 restricted as crews continue to repair guardrail from Bush Fire

September 1, 2020

PHOENIX – Drivers heading north to Payson, the Mogollon Rim and the White Mountains for the Labor Day holiday weekend should budget extra time and consider alternate routes with 7 miles of State Route 87 still limited to one lane while crews repair guardrail and fencing damaged by the Bush Fire.

Work to replace more than 11 miles of guardrail damage has been underway since late July. As of Friday, Aug. 28, crews have repaired 44 percent of the damaged guardrail on SR 87, reducing the northbound lane restriction by about 5 miles. The right lane closure is between mileposts 223 and 230.

Drivers planning on heading to Payson and mountain areas to the east should plan extra travel time and consider Interstate 17 to State Route 260 as an alternate route to Payson and US 60 as an alternate route to the White Mountains.

Also, the shoulder of southbound SR 188 near SR 87 is blocked off until guardrail can be replaced along the two-lane highway. Crews have replaced nearly one-quarter of the damaged guardrail along SR 188. Please drive with care in that area.

ADOT has secured federal emergency relief funds to cover the $2 million cost of repaired guardrail and the right-of-way fence.

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.

ADOT ready for potential flooding following wildfires

ADOT ready for potential flooding following wildfires

ADOT ready for potential flooding following wildfires

By Ryan Harding / ADOT Communications

August 27, 2020

After the Bush Fire was contained and put out, ADOT began to do its evaluation of the damage. In addition to more than 11 miles of guardrail and right-of-way fence damage along SR 87 and SR 188, south of Payson, the land itself was damaged with a lot of the vegetation burned up as fuel for the fire.

This left the area more susceptible to flooding in the event of monsoon storms.

Realizing this possibility, ADOT reached out to the National Weather Service and began to develop an emergency action plan that could help cut response times in the event of flooding in the area.

The plan, which helps fulfill ADOT’s initiatives in the Pathfinder Program with the Federal Highway Administration, will go into effect when a monsoon storm approaches the area just south of Payson. The National Weather Service will contact ADOT’s Traffic Operations Center to advise them of the potential for rain in the area. The TOC will then dispatch maintenance crews to pre-stage equipment such as loaders, skid-steers and backhoes as well as other equipment like barriers and portable message boards.

This emergency plan was put into action in late July when a mudslide occurred on SR 188. Crews were able to respond quickly and close the road. The heavy equipment they rolled out was able to clear the road of mud. See the photos of our crews working to clear the highway.

The Pathfinder Program came about through FHWA’s Every Day Counts innovation recognition program. It’s designed to keep travelers informed and improve safety, mobility and the movement of goods during storms that impact highways, through enhanced collaboration between FHWA, the National Weather Service, state DOTs and other stakeholders.

You can find more information on the program by going to highways.dot.gov and searching Pathfinder.

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ADOT takes proactive stance against potential flooding on SR 87, 188

ADOT takes proactive stance against potential flooding on SR 87, 188

ADOT takes proactive stance against potential flooding on SR 87, 188

August 17, 2020

PHOENIX – While the Arizona Department of Transportation has an ongoing project to replace the guardrail and right-of-way fence along state routes 87 and 188 after they were damaged in the Bush Fire, the landscape surrounding those highways cannot be so quickly fixed, making the whole area susceptible to flooding during summer monsoon storms.

That’s why ADOT has developed an emergency action plan to respond quickly in case of flooding.

ADOT’s plan was developed in coordination with the National Weather Service and engineers from ADOT’s Central, Northcentral and Southeast districts. The National Weather Service will advise ADOT’s Traffic Operations Center of potential storms near the burned area left by the Bush Fire that could result in flooding. ADOT personnel will then respond by pre-staging equipment along SR 87 and SR 188 in case the highways need to close due to flooding.

“The purpose of the emergency action plan is to ensure that the Traffic Operations Center and all three ADOT districts involved have the same information,” said Kevin Duby, ADOT’s Road Weather Manager. “Streamlined communication and preventative measures will allow our maintenance crews to take quick action to close the highways and keep drivers safe in the event of flooding.”

Heavy equipment can include vehicles such as loaders, skid-steers and backhoes as well as other equipment like barriers and portable message boards.

The emergency action plan also helps ADOT fulfill initiatives in the Pathfinder Program with the Federal Highway Administration. Pathfinder, which was born out of FHWA’s Every Day Counts innovation recognition program, is designed to keep travelers informed and improve safety, mobility and the movement of goods during storms that impact highways, through enhanced collaboration between FHWA, the National Weather Service, state DOTs and other stakeholders.

For more information on the Pathfinder Program, visit highways.dot.gov and search Pathfinder.

ADOT is ready for floods out of burned areas; drivers should be too

ADOT is ready for floods out of burned areas; drivers should be too

ADOT is ready for floods out of burned areas; drivers should be too

July 28, 2020

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is prepared to respond quickly to intense flooding out of areas burned by wildfire, including a mudflow that overwhelmed two culverts and had closed State Route 188 until Tuesday afternoon near Roosevelt Lake.

Because of the extent of the Bush Fire, those using SR 188, along with other highways and roads near burned areas, should be aware of the potential for flooding, debris flows and closures.

ADOT is responding to the potential for intense flooding by staging heavy equipment along SR 188 and nearby sections of SR 87 so work crews can begin clearing debris immediately after storms. ADOT is in frequent contact with the National Weather Service to get localized forecasts for areas burned by wildfires.

The mud and debris flow that occurred along SR 188 represents an ever-present possibility out of burned areas. Another recent example is flooding that devastated State Route 88 (Apache Trail) between Tortilla Flat and Apache Lake. A stretch of 7 unpaved miles of that highway, between the Fish Creek Hill overlook and Apache Lake, remains closed indefinitely due to last year’s damage and the potential for more intense flooding out of the Woodbury Fire scar.

Crews have removed thousands of cubic yards of earth and debris from SR 188, which reopened Tuesday afternoon after having been closed between mileposts 242 and 255. Drivers should expect work crews in the area for the next several days to remove debris from box culverts and washes.

Other than damage to guardrail, the highway appeared to be unharmed.

ADOT is exploring the potential for federal emergency funding to cover the cost of cleanup and repairs.

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