SR 87

ADOT restores northbound SR 87 to two lanes south of Payson

ADOT restores northbound SR 87 to two lanes south of Payson

ADOT restores northbound SR 87 to two lanes south of Payson

July 14, 2023

Tanker fire a week ago severely damaged pavement, closing one lane

PHOENIX – Great news for those heading to the Mogollon Rim and White Mountains to beat the heat: An Arizona Department of Transportation project has restored northbound State Route 87 to two lanes about 10 miles south of Payson.

The right lane had been closed near milepost 243 since a tanker fire severely damaged the pavement a week ago. To make sure the highway is ready for weekend travel, ADOT engaged a contractor that began work early Friday to repave both northbound lanes.

After the weekend, a daytime right lane closure will be needed from Monday through Thursday in the coming weeks so crews can complete environmental cleanup. Both northbound lanes of SR 87 will continue to be available for weekend travel.

Those planning to take US 60 to the White Mountains should plan for delays just south of Salt River Canyon, where a paving project requires a pilot car to guide traffic in each direction on one alternating lane between mileposts 288 and 293.

Wherever you may be going in the current extreme heat, following these tips can help keep you, your passengers and your pets safe:

Keep your fuel tank at least three-quarters full to avoid running out of gas.
Make sure your vehicle’s air conditioning is functioning properly.
Pack a cooler with cold drinking water and healthy snacks.
Have an umbrella, sunscreen, sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, and loose-fitting, light-colored cotton clothing for sun protection.
Review other ADOT tips for extreme weather at azdot.gov/severe-weather.

Highway conditions and restrictions can and do change rapidly. Before your trip, please get the latest information by visiting ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information website at az511.gov, using the AZ511 app, calling 511 or checking ADOT’s Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT.

ADOT to replace pavement on State Route 87 south of Payson

ADOT to replace pavement on State Route 87 south of Payson

ADOT to replace pavement on State Route 87 south of Payson

August 30, 2022

PAYSON – The Arizona Department of Transportation is starting a pavement replacement project on State Route 87 south of Payson in order to create a smoother driving surface and extend the life of the roadway.

The project will start on Tuesday, Sept. 6, north of the community of Rye and stretch nine miles up to Indian Road, which is mileposts 241 to 250. Drivers heading to and from the Valley and Payson and the White Mountains area should expect lane restrictions and travel delays during the project.

The highway will be narrowed to one lane in each direction while crews are working. All lanes will be open when crews are not working and the new pavement has cured.

The $3.9 million project is expected to be completed by spring 2023.

Drivers heading north on SR 87 should also be aware of an erosion repair project at milepost 230, about 30 miles south of Payson. The project, which started this week, requires a single lane closure on northbound SR 87 as crews work to replace a box culvert and pavement on the shoulder of the highway.

The $650,000 project should be completed in the next several weeks.

For more information on these projects, visit azdot.gov/projects and click on the Northcentral District.

A flowery blog for the merry month of May

A flowery blog for the merry month of May

A flowery blog for the merry month of May

By John LaBarbera / ADOT Communications

May 6, 2022

You know the old saying: April showers bring May flowers. Well, most of Arizona didn’t get much in the way of showers this April, but since May is finally here, it naturally got us thinking about flowers…the only way we know how.

Did you know that several Arizona highways can bring you into locales named for various types of flora?

Let’s start with an easy one. State Route 87 passes through the community of Sunflower. You’ll find it about halfway between Payson and Mesa. Farther north on State Route 87 are the neighboring communities of Pine and Strawberry.

Speaking of pine, it’s quite prolific in the northern part of our state. On State Route 260, you will pass by Pinedale, Pinetop and Indian Pine.

Being Arizona, it's no surprise that motorists may see cactus-themed names on their travels. US 191 features a locale south of Stafford called Cactus Flat. And the small community of Cactus Forest lies just south of Florence on State Route 79.

Speaking of Florence, that name itself comes from the Latin florens, meaning blossoming, flourishing.

Lastly, there is Cactus Road, a street that covers 36 miles across the Valley, crossing Loop 303, Loop 101 (twice!), I-17 and State Route 51.

While not a specific genus, you’ll pass through Flower Pot on Interstate 17 near the junction of State Route 169. Further up I-17, you can take a detour on State Route 260 and soon find yourself in the City of Cottonwood. Of course, Cottonwood was named after the various hard to distinguish trees and shrubs that pop up ubiquitously in the Verde Valley.

The historic Route 66 name lives on in the northwestern part of our state. Turn onto State Route 66 from Interstate 40 and pass through the village of Hackberry, which was named for the nearby Hackberry Mine which, in turn, was named after the hackberry tree.

Finally, take a trip on Interstate 8 and visit Dateland, home of the famous date shake.

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Adopt a Highway: Few words, many memories on Memorial Day

Adopt a Highway: Few words, many memories on Memorial Day

Adopt a Highway: Few words, many memories on Memorial Day

By Mary Currie / ADOT Communications

May 28, 2021

On this Memorial Day, a special thank you to Adopt a Highway Volunteer program groups – over 400 statewide, who gather at adopted segments during the year to clear litter in remembrance of beloved family members, both human and furry. Expressing honor by serving the community is a choice ADOT understands and appreciates.

Traveling northbound toward Show Low on US 60, watch for a mile dedicated to Melissa Pomeroy. For the past three years, Melissa’s sign greets motorists at mileposts 334 and 335. Melissa unexpectedly passed in 2014 at the age of 49, but her twin Michelle keeps her sister’s memory alive within their family. Since 2018, Michelle has participated in the Adopt a Highway Volunteer program and organizes cleanups a couple times a year, mostly with family members.

South of Florence Junction at SR 79 milepost 144, a memorial sign stands at attention to a brave young Marine.

Brodie Denow was committed to serving his country, as his Marine mom does by helping keep Arizona grand and litter-free.

Headed to Payson? The family of Jonathan T. Orcutt adopted a segment to care for on SR 87 at milepost 189 near Fountain Hills in remembrance of their son. Jonathan’s family clears litter along this segment more than three times per year, which is proudly displayed on the Outstanding Volunteer Placard below the recognition sign in the photo.

Adopt a Highway recognition signs hold a maximum of 40 characters to express the name of the volunteer group, which may include a sentiment and name.

“Sometimes, expressing how you would like the sign to read in 40 letters can be a challenge. Adopt a Highway permit coordinators understand and will gladly assist volunteer group leaders to maximize a memorial sentiment printed on the sign,” said Mary Currie, the Adopt a Highway program manager.

In Arizona littering is getting worse. If you are interested in caring for a segment of state highway, we welcome civic-minded groups and individuals that are interested in helping to reduce litter in Arizona by gathering as a group to collect litter a few times per year. Please visit the Adopt a Highway website to learn how.

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SR 87 restricted to one lane near Payson while ADOT crews clean up trash

SR 87 restricted to one lane near Payson while ADOT crews clean up trash

SR 87 restricted to one lane near Payson while ADOT crews clean up trash

February 22, 2021

PHOENIX – Drivers can expect delays along an 11-mile stretch State Route 87 between Payson and Pine this week while Arizona Department of Transportation crews clean up litter that has built up along the highway.

SR 87 will be restricted to one lane with alternating north- and southbound traffic from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, through Thursday, Feb. 25. Drivers should expect delays and intermittent stops while flaggers direct traffic through the work zone between mileposts 255 and 266.

Drivers should slow down, watch for personnel and obey all traffic signs.

A historic stop at the Strawberry Schoolhouse off State Route 87

A historic stop at the Strawberry Schoolhouse off State Route 87

A historic stop at the Strawberry Schoolhouse off State Route 87

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications

February 17, 2021

They say the journey is more important than the destination. We don't mean to contradict conventional wisdom, but as we've told you about before, one of the best parts of the state highway system is that it can take you to some pretty nifty destinations.

And though you will need to go a stone's throw off the highway to get there, one of those places is the Strawberry Schoolhouse, accessible via State Route 87. As its name suggests, this one-room schoolhouse sits in the picturesque community of Strawberry, just north of Pine and about 20 minutes north of Payson. In his book, "Roadside History of Arizona," state historian Marshall Trimble said the Strawberry Valley had been used seasonally by cowboys to graze livestock before the first permanent white settlers arrived in 1877. The community's name came from an abundance of wild strawberries that grew in the area, Trimble writes.

According to the application to put the building on the National Register of Historic Places, public education was nearly nonexistent during Arizona's earliest territorial days. Governor Anson P. K. Safford – the namesake for the town in Graham County – is said to have been mortified that an 1870 census showed 1,923 youth between the age of 6 and 21, but not one public school. He went on something of an one-man crusade for education, making sure the legislature passed a funding mechanism for communities to organize schools.

Settlement in the Strawberry area happened toward the end of Governor Safford's push on the issue. In 1884 the community passed around a petition to both organize a school district and build the physical school house.

The 30-foot-by-20-foot edifice was built with a sandstone foundation and ponderosa pine log walls in 1885 to serve the education needs of local children. According to the application, the 10-foot high ceiling was originally made out of cloth before being replaced with a wooden one. The application also says that the furnishings were actually pretty good for a rural schoolhouse in Arizona. Instead of using the customary handmade wooden benches, factory-made desks that would sit two pupils were purchased. It also came with a blackboard large enough to fill a wall, the latest edition of Webster's dictionary, a current globe and even a pump organ.

When it was completed in the fall of 1885, it was the only public building in Strawberry and would sometimes double as a dance hall, church and meeting house for the community.

The school would serve for a little more than 30 years before shutting down in 1916 due to a lack of students. It fell into a state of disrepair as people "borrowed" furniture or other materials, including its windows, door and even the ceiling. In the 1960s, the property owner donated it to the Payson-Pine Chamber of Commerce for preservation. Today it is run as a museum under the auspices of the Pine-Strawberry Archaeological and Historical Society and is billed as the oldest standing schoolhouse in the state.

As we told you about in a previous blog, Strawberry had become connected to the wider world via an automobile-worthy road by 1927, though it would not be until 1959 – right before the schoolhouse was donated – that State Route 87 is officially shown on a map as being routed through Pine and Strawberry.

So what could be a better excuse for taking a trip along a conveninent state highway than to visit such a historically significant building?

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Arizona Transportation Partnering Excellence Awards Announced

Arizona Transportation Partnering Excellence Awards Announced

Arizona Transportation Partnering Excellence Awards Announced

February 1, 2021

PHOENIX - The Arizona Department of Transportation has been honored by the Arizona Transportation Partnering Excellence Award Committee for excellence shown in a number of infrastructure and other projects statewide in 2020.

These awards recognize transportation partnership teams that show a high degree of achievement by using partnering principles and processes related to the transportation industry.

Partnering is a formal process of collaborative teamwork to achieve measurable results through agreements and productive working relationships. The formal process includes a team charter, mission, goals and guidelines. An issue resolution process is developed along with action plans, evaluation methods, meeting follow-up and reporting.

ADOT is being recognized for the following:

Roadway under $5 million:

Fann Contracting, ADOT, Stantec Consulting Services for reconstructing the access road system of the Grand Canyon National Park Airport.

Roadway $5 million to $25 million:

Fann Contracting, ADOT for SR 64 Pipeline Road to Air Park Project
Fann Contracting, ADOT for US 93 Eleventh Street - Windy Point
FNF Construction, ADOT, City of Flagstaff for I-40 Fourth Street Underpass & Butler Ave TI Overpass
Sunland Asphalt & Construction, City of Chandler, Ritoch-Powell & Associates, Kimley-Horn, MakPro Services, Roadway Electric, LLC for Queen Creek Road Improvements

Roadway over $25 million:

Coffman Specialties, Federal Highway Administration, Union Pacific Railroad, ADOT for I-10 SR 87 to Town of Picacho
Pulice Construction, ADOT, AECOM for 101 Price Freeway Improvement Project

Other transportation infrastructure under $5 million:

Fann Contracting, ADOT for I-40 Haviland Rest Area Truck Parking Expansion

The Arizona Transportation Partnering Excellence Awards are sponsored by Arizona Department of Transportation, Arizona Chapter Associated General Contractors of America, Arizona Public Works Association, American Council of Engineering Companies, Associated Minority Contractors of Arizona, Arizona Transportation Builders Association, Federal Highway Administration and Maricopa County Department of Transportation.

SR 87 signals near Sacaton to enhance safety, improve traffic flow

SR 87 signals near Sacaton to enhance safety, improve traffic flow

SR 87 signals near Sacaton to enhance safety, improve traffic flow

December 9, 2020

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is installing three new traffic signals on State Route 87 near Sacaton to enhance safety and to better manage traffic in an area where traffic volumes have nearly tripled in the past two decades.

Working with the Gila River Indian Community, ADOT is adding the signals at Sacaton Road, SR 187/Olberg Road and at Gilbert Road.

The signals will serve an area where traffic has nearly tripled in 20 years, increasing from about 3,000 vehicles a day in 1998 to approximately 8,500 vehicles today. Prior to installing the signals, there were 53 crashes at these intersections in a five-year period between 2012 and 2017. The $1.2 million project was funded through the federal highway Safety Improvement program.

The signals at Sacaton Road and SR 187/Olberg Road were activated Dec. 2 and 3, while the signal at Gilbert Road activated Tuesday, Dec. 8. During the signal activation process, motorists should expect brief stoppages of traffic and intermittent lane shifts. Short delays are also possible the days before and after the activation as crews install final equipment and adjust pavement markings and signs.

The signals are the latest of several improvement projects ADOT has partnered with the Gila River Indian Community to improve traffic flow, along with safety and pavement conditions in this corridor. In the last decade, new pavement, new rumble strips and turn lanes have been added along SR 87.

“ADOT’s partnership with the Gila River Indian Community has been vital to improving roadways and keeping motorists safe,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “When it comes to protecting motorists, boundaries and borders just don’t matter. We're all neighbors and we all need to take care of each other.”

Along with the work completed on SR 87, ADOT is currently collaborating with the Gila River Indian Community on the Interstate 10 bridge replacement project at the Gila River and the I-10, Loop 202 to SR 387 Wild Horse Pass corridor study.

“The fact that we are able to work together toward solutions and make our roads safer for everyone is so important. Cooperation and mutual respect have always been essential to our success — I’m proud of our strong partnership and I'm grateful that it continues to guide us forward,” Halikowski said.

Guardrail replacement complete along SR 87 near Payson

Guardrail replacement complete along SR 87 near Payson

Guardrail replacement complete along SR 87 near Payson

October 9, 2020

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has completed the replacement of guardrail along more than 11 miles of SR 87 northbound after it was damaged in the Bush Fire this summer.

With the new guardrail in place, lane restrictions along northbound SR 87 toward Payson have been removed. Crews had been gradually reducing the lane restriction as sections of guardrail were replaced.

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

Although the guardrail replacement along SR 87 is completed, crews will continue to replace damaged guardrail along SR 188 and right-of-way fencing along both highways.

The guardrail replacement along SR 188 is approximately halfway done. The shoulder of southbound SR 188 is blocked off in the areas of damage until guardrail can be replaced along the two-lane highway. Please drive with care in those areas.

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 azdot.gov/ADOTAlerts will send critical information directly to app users in affected areas – where possible, in advance of alternate routes.

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.

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