PHOENIX – With blasting and daily closures finished along State Route 77 between Globe and Winkelman, the roadway will be reduced to one lane each weekday through early June as crews complete a project to remove overhanging rock, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

A pilot vehicle will guide motorists through the work zone between mileposts 154 and 161, about 15 miles south of Globe, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays until Friday, June 2. Drivers should plan for delays of up to 20 minutes.

Wrapping up a $3.6 million project to reduce the risk of rocks tumbling onto the highway, crews will be paving and installing guardrails and signage.

Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment.

For the most current information about highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Traveler Information site at az511.gov or call 511.

PHOENIX – A project to remove potentially dangerous rocks from the mountain above State Route 77 south of Globe will require lane restrictions on Fridays through April.

The lane restrictions are in addition to closures and lane restrictions on Mondays through Thursdays between mileposts 154 and 161 in the Dripping Springs area.

The work is scheduled to be completed at the end of April. There are no restrictions on weekends.

Lane closures will be in effect on Fridays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. so crews can drill the slopes for future demolition explosions and to remove debris from earlier blasting. Drivers should expect delays in this area during lane restrictions. A pilot car will lead drivers through the work zone.

On Mondays through Thursdays, the road is closed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for blasting operations. Lane restrictions are in place from 7-10 a.m. and from 3-5 p.m., with a pilot car leading traffic through the area.

Workers are removing rocks that could fall during rainy weather and create a danger for drivers.

PHOENIX ‒ A safety project to remove overhanging rock along State Route 77 between Globe and Winkelman east of the Phoenix area will require an additional month of daytime restrictions, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Because of the difficult terrain crews have encountered blasting and removing debris, full closures between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays are now scheduled to continue through the end of April.

Between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, traffic will alternate in one lane. Expect 15-minute delays during those hours.

The work between mileposts 150 and 161 in the Dripping Springs area is reducing the chances of rocks falling from cliffs onto the highway.

Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for workers and equipment.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions and closures, but it’s possible that weather or other factors will affect change project schedules. For the most current information about highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Traveler Information site at az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511.

PHOENIX – Motorists traveling between Holbrook and the East Valley may see Pony Express re-enactment riders carrying mail along state highways from Wednesday, Feb. 8, through Friday, Feb. 10, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Departing from Holbrook at 8 a.m. Wednesday, the Hashknife Pony Express riders will stop at post offices in Heber-Overgaard, Payson and Fountain Hills en route to their final destination in downtown Scottsdale. The Navajo County Sheriff’s Posse has been staging this 200-mile ride for nearly 60 years.

Law enforcement officers will provide a safety escort for the riders, who hand off the mail bags every mile of the relay route. The riders travel along the edge of the highway or shoulder.

Motorists should not stop along the highway to photograph riders.

The Pony Express will travel along State Route 77, SR 377 and SR 277 to reach the Heber-Overgaard post office around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. They will take SR 260 from Heber to Payson, with a scheduled arrival at the post office about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday.

On Thursday, the Pony Express will take SR 87 to reach the Fountain Hills post office about 3 p.m. The final leg on Friday, from Fort McDowell to downtown Scottsdale, takes them south on SR 87 to the Arizona Canal, where riders will head west.

More information on this event is available at HashknifePonyExpress.com.

PHOENIX – Daytime blasting to remove potentially hazardous rocks will resume Tuesday, Jan. 3, in an effort to protect workers and motorists along State Route 77 south of Globe.

SR 77 will be closed in both directions between mileposts 154-161 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Monday through Thursday.  There will be no restrictions on Monday, Jan. 2, because of the New Year’s holiday.

In addition, lane closures are expected each work day from 7-10 a.m. and from 3-5 p.m. Drivers should expect delays of about 15 minutes during those times. The restrictions are expected to remain in place until March.

ADOT crews had been working at night to remove rocks that could have fallen along SR 77 near Dripping Springs. The work was switched to the safer daylight hours after a loosened 18-foot limestone boulder fell 150 feet and landed on the roadway on Nov. 30.

The incident underscored the risk for construction crews and the potential hazard to motorists. In addition to the instability of the rock face that is being removed, blasting creates flying rock that could be dangerous to workers, especially in the dark between sunset and sunrise.

During the closures, drivers can travel SR 177 and US 60 between Globe and Winkelman. That route will add about 20 miles to the trip.

As with any work zone, drivers are asked to drive slowly and cautiously in the work area and watch for construction workers and equipment.

PHOENIX – To protect workers who are blasting potentially hazardous rocks along State Route 77 south of Globe, the Arizona Department of Transportation will close the road for five hours a day, Mondays through Thursdays, for the next four months.

Beginning Monday, Dec. 12, SR 77 will be closed in both directions between mileposts 154-161 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closures will be in effect Mondays through Thursdays with no closures planned between Monday, Dec. 26, and Tuesday, Jan. 3.

In addition, lane closures are expected each work day from 7-10 a.m. and from 3-5 p.m. During those times, a pilot vehicle will guide motorists through the work zone. Drivers should expect delays of about 15 minutes.

The restrictions are expected to remain in place until March.

ADOT crews have been working at night to remove potentially dangerous rock that could have fallen along SR 77 near Dripping Springs. Work is switching to the safer daylight hours after an 18-foot limestone boulder fell 150 feet during previous nighttime blasting and landed on the roadway on Nov. 30.

The incident underscored the risk for construction crews and the potential hazard to motorists. In addition to the instability of the rock face that is being removed, blasting creates flying rock that could be dangerous to workers, especially in the dark between sunset and sunrise.

During the closures, drivers can travel SR 177 and US 60 between Globe and Winkelman. That route will add about 20 miles to the trip.

As with any work zone, drivers are asked to drive slowly and cautiously in the work area and watch for construction workers and equipment.

An Arizona Department of Transportation project is blasting rock from a limestone cliff to prevent it from falling onto State Route 77 between Winkelman and Globe.

Illustrating the need, one of the rocks dislodged early Wednesday was far larger than expected, an 18-foot-tall block that dropped onto the highway from 150 feet above and forced crews to keep the route closed four hours longer than scheduled.

Crews on the overnight project worked until nearly 6 a.m. to break up the rock and push it off the highway. As a result, a detour using State Route 177 and US 60 remained the only way around the work area as area residents began their morning commutes.

The project requires working nights under a full closure of SR 77 between mileposts 154 and 161, in the Dripping Springs area, using explosives to remove potentially hazardous rocks from a cliff that hangs over the highway.

ADOT strives to provide timely information on restrictions, closures and detours, but occasionally the unexpected happens and announced schedules aren’t met.

Sometimes rocks break at naturally occurring joints beneath the surface that cannot be seen or anticipated, said J.J. Liu, manager of ADOT’s Geotechnical Services division. When the charge is ignited, it opens the crack at that joint and the rock detaches itself, he said.

Having an unexpectedly large rock come down increases the time needed to remove it, particularly with some of the extremely dense types of rock common in Arizona.

“The mountain is composed of the Mescal Limestone Formation with large blocks of limestone up to 155 feet above the highway, periodically falling with great energy and destructive potential,” said Brent Conner, a senior geotechnical engineer with ADOT.

The nature of the geology in the Dripping Springs area could mean more unanticipated delays before the project is complete, he added.

“The large block that fell required drilling and blasting at the roadway level to remove it from the travel lanes,” Conner said. “Last night’s work was one of the most difficult for the contractor on this project, but a couple more difficult sections remain.”