US 191

Overnight detours scheduled on I-10 for US 191 bridge demolition

Overnight detours scheduled on I-10 for US 191 bridge demolition

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Overnight detours scheduled on I-10 for US 191 bridge demolition

Overnight detours scheduled on I-10 for US 191 bridge demolition

March 14, 2024

Project underway near Willcox to rebuild bridge superstructure following crash

WILLCOX – Motorists in southeastern Arizona should plan for overnight detours on Interstate 10 west of Willcox as crews begin to demolish the US 191 bridge that was severely damaged in a crash last year. 

The detours will be in place from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, March 18, through Friday, March 22, while crews demolish the US 191 bridge above I-10. The work is occurring at milepost 331, about 9 miles west of Willcox.

During the overnight work, westbound traffic will be detoured onto a temporary road to pass through the area while eastbound drivers will use exit and entrance ramps at US 191.

The demolition work is the most visible part of a $5.3 million project that began earlier this year to rebuild the superstructure of the US 191 bridge, which includes the girders and deck. Since the existing bridge was damaged by a crash in May 2023, a temporary support structure has been in place to allow I-10 traffic to flow safely underneath it.

After demolition is complete, work crews will begin rebuilding the bridge above I-10. Drivers should expect daytime restrictions and additional overnight detours during construction, which is expected to continue through summer 2024.

The US 191 bridge has been closed since the crash, cutting direct access from westbound I-10 to southbound US 191 and from northbound US 191 to westbound I-10. Connections with eastbound I-10 remain open, and alternate routes between westbound I-10 and points south on US 191 include Dragoon Road at milepost 318. ADOT has worked closely with stakeholders who are eager to restore access.

For more information on this project, please visit azdot.gov/US191BridgeRepair.


 

US 191 reopens south of Willcox following erosion repairs

US 191 reopens south of Willcox following erosion repairs

I-17 101 traffic interchange

US 191 reopens south of Willcox following erosion repairs

US 191 reopens south of Willcox following erosion repairs

July 14, 2021

PHOENIX – A section of US 191 south of Willcox reopened Wednesday morning following more than a week of work to repair soil erosion that damaged the highway.

ADOT crews completed repairs early today, allowing traffic to flow again on US 191 between Birch Road at milepost 53.1 and Dragoon Road at milepost 55.7. The highway closed Monday, July 5, when maintenance crews discovered cracks following heavy rainfall in the area. Traffic was detoured onto local roads during the closure.

After the damage was discovered, ADOT consulted with experts including the agency’s geotechnical unit, to examine the causes of the ground erosion while developing a repair strategy to safely reopen US 191.

The work involved removing pavement to expose cracks, which were then filled with a concrete slurry mix. Afterward, a 2-inch layer of asphalt was installed on a ⅕-mile long segment of the highway.

ADOT asks drivers to use extra caution on this segment until lane stripes are applied to the new pavement. Road maintenance crews will monitor the highway for any additional cracking or damage.

Plan for extended closure, detour on US 191 south of Willcox

Plan for extended closure, detour on US 191 south of Willcox

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Plan for extended closure, detour on US 191 south of Willcox

Plan for extended closure, detour on US 191 south of Willcox

July 7, 2021

PHOENIX – Motorists should plan for an extended closure of US 191 south of Willcox while crews with the Arizona Department of Transportation work to repair soil erosion under the roadway.

US 191 fissure alongside roadThe closure requires drivers to use a clearly marked local detour between mileposts 53.1 and 55.7. Motorists will use Birch, Cochise Stronghold and Dragoon roads while the closure is in place

This section of US 191 was closed Monday, July 5, when crews discovered soil erosion next to the roadway following heavy rainfall in the area. Maintenance crews have since found additional erosion under the highway and are developing repair plans.

The damage is a reminder that many factors, including wildfires and rainstorms, can trigger unplanned closures that will require repairs before a roadway can safely reopen to traffic. Drivers should get road conditions at AZ511.gov before traveling, or by checking with ADOT on Twitter, Facebook or the ADOT Alerts app. 

Adopt a Highway: Mom would be proud! Students reduce litter along US 191 in Morenci

Adopt a Highway: Mom would be proud! Students reduce litter along US 191 in Morenci

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Adopt a Highway: Mom would be proud! Students reduce litter along US 191 in Morenci

Adopt a Highway: Mom would be proud! Students reduce litter along US 191 in Morenci

By Mary Currie / ADOT Communications
May 7, 2021

Fairbanks Middle School-Morenci Trash Pickup_041021

National Volunteer Week officially came to a close April 24, but there is no cutoff date to recognize 15 students, parents and faculty who showed up on a Saturday morning to collect litter in their hometown of Morenci.

On April 10, smiling faces representing the Fairbanks Middle School Science Club huddled in for a team photo. Gabriel Abril, a sixth grade science teacher and former mine worker for 15 years, and Alexia Robles, an eighth grade math teacher, accepted a certificate of appreciation for participation in the Adopt a Highway Volunteer program for the past five years. 

These two led the morning trash expedition northbound from the group recognition sign at mile marker 156 to clear a generous and easily walked area. Abril gave a final safety call for the team, including to respect sounds or sightings of any rattlesnakes by walking away.

I caught up with Kloe, a student volunteer, who was inspecting a discarded Arizona Lottery ticket (obviously not a winner!). The volunteers seemed to enjoy the morning and camaraderie that goes along with all good scavenger hunts. While scouring the landscape, a few of the students identified a desert horned lizard, one of Arizona’s harmless reptiles.

DeeAnn Jensen, a fifth grade teacher and new Adopt a Highway coordinator, contacted me in late 2020 to learn more about getting started with a group of student volunteers. Jensen told me the tradition began five years ago with a former colleague who was an active member in the community and promoted civic duty. 

“Our school and district follows the Wild CATS Code: Care about each other, Act respectfully, Try our best and Show pride and perseverance,” Jensen said. “We recite this code every day after the Pledge of Allegiance. We want our students to take pride in themselves and their work and also be a productive member of society. Adopting a stretch of highway fosters our CATS Code and goals for our students.”

Jensen shared what adopting this section of highway means to the volunteers. “We live in a mining town and there is a lot of commuting. Hours at the mine are long and consist of shift work and everyone seems to be in a rush. There are some people who work at the mine who don’t live in our community and will drive every day to go home to their town an hour or more away. Sadly, this opens the opportunity for trash to be dumped out into the desert by the highway.”

Morenci is a temporary relocation for some, but for others it's a home. Mining is a way of life. While Jensen is not a native to the community, her belief in civic duty and community pride is revealed in the advice she gave for others getting started in the program.  

“Spread the word about your cleanup. Anyone 12 or older is able to attend, even if they are not in your club. Bring gloves to your cleanup. You don’t know what you will find or how dirty and long it has been out there. Plus, in some areas picking up trash in Arizona means encountering stickers, thorns and weeds.” 

Thank you to the students, family and faculty from Fairbanks Middle School Science Club who welcomed me to participate in the volunteer cleanup event. I could not be more proud of the spirit exhibited by these young men and women who spent a Saturday morning clearing 13 bags-worth of trash from their two-mile segment. 

The community and copper mining operations of Morenci are situated along US 191 in Greenlee County on Arizona’s eastern border.

For more information about supporting highway litter reduction visit Adopt a Highway. Need motivation? Find it in the Adopt a Highway News!

The fourth tunnel

The fourth tunnel

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The fourth tunnel

The fourth tunnel

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications
April 12, 2021

Did you know that there are some 6,700 miles of state highways in Arizona, which include something in the neighborhood of 4,800 bridges?

Chances are you may have known that, either because we've shared it before or you just went to the link we shared in that first sentence (in that case, no fair, you cheaters!). But we don't want to focus on those impressive numbers today. Instead we want to call your attention to a much lower number when it comes to state highway infrastructure: 4. 

That's the number of tunnels on the state highway system. So that means it's time for a pop quiz - can you name them?

Go ahead, take 30 seconds; we'll wait.

Okay, time's up! How did you do?

We're willing to bet two came easily to mind: the Interstate 10 Deck Park Tunnel in Phoenix and the Queen Creek Tunnel on US 60 east of Superior. With a bit more effort you might have even remembered the Mule Pass Tunnel on State Route 80 outside of Bisbee. 

We kind of feel that we've talked a lot about these three, from the bowels of the Deck Park Tunnel to the Queen Creek Tunnel's precurser to the Mule Pass Tunnel's bit of cinema infamy

But what about that fourth tunnel that we haven't mentioned yet? Were you able to think of it?

Don't feel too bad if you didn't, but a big kudos for those who remembered the Coronado Trail or Rock Tunnel on US 191 near Morenci. 

This tunnel appears as the "Rock Tunnel" on ADOT's statewide tunnel inventory. From the basic information we learn that it was built in 1949, which actually makes it the oldest tunnel out of the four. It runs for 410 feet with a horsehshoe arch that is 25.7 feet wide with a minimuim vehicle clearance of 12.8 feet. And, unlike the more polished look of the Deck Park, Queen Creek and Mule Pass tunnels, it's just a straight hole bored through rough rock. If you ever drive out that way, you'll notice the steel frame and chainlink wrapping the tunnel's ceiling and walls to mitigate rock falls.

According to our state transportation history, a road running between Springerville in the White Mountains and the mining community of Clifton existed in 1926, built at the cost of $874,000 by either the U.S. Forest Service or the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads (what we know today as the Federal Highway Administration). By 1939, this road was still mostly paved with gravel. But in 1962, 10 years of construction made the Springerville to Clifton route into the Coronado Trail, named for the 16th-century conquistador who had taken a similar route on his search for the mythical city of Cibola. That's why you sometimes see this tunnel list as the Coronado Trail Tunnel. This entire stretch of highway, stretching north toward Sanders and beyond and south toward Douglas, would later be incorporated into the ominiously named U.S. Route 666.

But here's the kicker – though this tunnel was built in 1949, it was not originally part of the highway. You see, before 1974, the Coronado Trail didn't run through it, because the road's alignment was to the east. Due to the growth of the mine, the road was rerouted onto portions of former mine roads, which remains its route to this day. 

This also means the Rock/Coronado Trail tunnel joined the state highway system and became the answer in today's bit of highway trivia. So, if you are ever driving in southeastern Arizona, why not enjoy the scenic Coronado Trail and see the state's fourth tunnel for yourself?

US 191 overnight closures in Morenci begin Feb. 16

US 191 overnight closures in Morenci begin Feb. 16

I-17 101 traffic interchange

US 191 overnight closures in Morenci begin Feb. 16

US 191 overnight closures in Morenci begin Feb. 16

February 11, 2021

PHOENIX – Motorists traveling US 191 north of Morenci should plan for about 7 weeks of overnight road closures starting Tuesday, Feb. 16, for repairs to a rock tunnel.

The closures are scheduled each Monday through Saturday night between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. During those hours, no vehicles will be allowed to pass through an area just north of Morenci between mileposts 169 and 171.

The overnight closures will affect motorists traveling between Morenci and Alpine. Drivers who plan to travel during the closures will need to take US 191 south from Morenci to Three Way, follow State Route 78 east into New Mexico to US 180, and follow US 180 north to Alpine.


 

Federal grant will advance US 191 bridge improvements on Navajo Nation

Federal grant will advance US 191 bridge improvements on Navajo Nation

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Federal grant will advance US 191 bridge improvements on Navajo Nation

Federal grant will advance US 191 bridge improvements on Navajo Nation

September 10, 2019

PHOENIX – Winning a $10.4 million Federal Highway Administration grant will allow the Arizona Department of Transportation to advance improvements to four US 191 bridges in a corridor important to residents of the Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona.

The bridges cross major drainages on the Navajo Nation between Chinle Wash at milepost 470 north of Many Farms and Lukachukai Creek at milepost 488.

ADOT plans to use accelerated bridge construction methods on the project because of the economic importance of this stretch of US 191. This innovative approach reduces traffic impacts by shortening the time needed to improve each bridge while reducing the overall cost.

In applying for the Competitive Highway Bridge Program grant, ADOT bundled the four bridges under one project, which allows resources to be shared during construction. The agency’s application, developed in consultation with tribal leaders, noted the route’s importance to those who rely on it for access to education, employment and essential services.

The grant allows ADOT to use funds currently committed to this project to address other transportation needs in Arizona.

The Federal Highway Administration issued a total of $225 million in Competitive Highway Bridge Program grants to 18 states.

US 191 bridge reopens near Morenci Mine after repairs to abutment

US 191 bridge reopens near Morenci Mine after repairs to abutment

I-17 101 traffic interchange

US 191 bridge reopens near Morenci Mine after repairs to abutment

US 191 bridge reopens near Morenci Mine after repairs to abutment

March 25, 2019

PHOENIX – A US 191 bridge about 7 miles north of the entrance to the Morenci Mine has reopened after work by the mine’s contractor to stabilize earth around an abutment.

In consultation with Freeport-McMoRan and its contracted engineers, the Arizona Department of Transportation determined the Coronado Bridge is safe for traffic while long-term repairs continue. Brief delays are possible.

The bridge, near milepost 177, closed Feb. 28, requiring those traveling between Morenci and Alpine to detour through western New Mexico. It was built in partnership with Freeport-McMoran, which operates the Morenci Mine.

According to Stacey Koon, General Manager-Administration Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Operations, the company was able to expedite work to reinforce the bridge abutment by redirecting internal resources.

US 191 bridge north of Morenci to close for repairs

US 191 bridge north of Morenci to close for repairs

I-17 101 traffic interchange

US 191 bridge north of Morenci to close for repairs

US 191 bridge north of Morenci to close for repairs

February 27, 2019

PHOENIX – A US 191 bridge about 7 miles north of the entrance to the Morenci Mine will close at noon Thursday, Feb. 28, for urgently needed repairs to a bridge abutment.

US 191 will remain open except for the area around the bridge, which is located north of Morenci near milepost 177. There is no estimated time for the bridge to reopen.

Drivers traveling between Morenci and Alpine will need to take US 191 south from Morenci to Three Way, follow SR 78 east into New Mexico to US 180, and follow US 180 north to Alpine.

The bridge was built by Freeport McMoRan, which operates the mine. A recent inspection identified the need to close it for repairs to address deterioration to an abutment that has occurred over time.

US 191 improvements to begin between Safford, Morenci

US 191 improvements to begin between Safford, Morenci

I-17 101 traffic interchange

US 191 improvements to begin between Safford, Morenci

US 191 improvements to begin between Safford, Morenci

September 6, 2018

PHOENIX ‒ A project to preserve the pavement and make improvements along a 12-mile section of US 191 east of Safford will begin Monday, Sept. 10.

Drivers on a section of US 191 between US 70 and SR 75 should expect significant delays between mileposts 139 and 151 through early 2019. The location is east of Safford and south of Morenci.

Arizona Department of Transportation crews will be milling the road surface, sealing cracks, building up shoulders, repaving the road surface and adding guardrails and rumble strips.

The roadway will be reduced to a single lane in the work area, with flaggers and pilot cars directing traffic. Restrictions are expected to be in place from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays.

The work zone is about 20 miles south of a separate project to realign US 191 near the Morenci mine and create a tunnel that will keep mine trucks and private vehicles safely apart while moving mine vehicles more efficiently. That project began in August and is expected to be completed in December.