US 89

ADOT started a project to expand US 89 from two lanes to four lanes through the community of Cameron. The project also includes the removal and replacement of the existing US 89 Cameron Truss Bridge.

The reconstruction of US 89 between Bitter Springs and Page will begin later this month.

PHOENIX —The reconstruction of US 89 between Bitter Springs and Page will begin later this month after the State Transportation Board approved a $25 million project to repair the landslide-damaged highway at Friday’s board meeting in Cottonwood, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The roadway, which suffered catastrophic damage following a landslide on the early morning of Feb. 20, 2013, has remained closed after a 500-foot section of roadway buckled in Echo Cliffs, approximately 25 miles south of Page.

ADOT cleared another hurdle last week in its effort to get the US 89 landslide repair started. ADOT has finalized an agreement with a contractor for preconstruction engineering services.

One year after a landslide forced the closure US 89 south of Page, the Arizona Department of Transportation is gearing up to start construction early summer and potentially complete the emergency repair by the end of this year — if there are no environmental, utility or right-of-way hurdles.

PHOENIX — One year after a landslide forced the closure US 89 south of Page, the Arizona Department of Transportation is gearing up to start construction early summer and potentially complete the emergency repair by the end of this year — if there are no environmental, utility or right-of-way hurdles.

Following an extensive geological investigation into the Feb. 20, 2013 landslide that concluded in July, ADOT has made major strides in accelerating progress on the emergency project.

ADOT is continuing its work toward rebuilding US 89 as soon as safely possible and while there’s no huge project milestone to share with you at the moment, we thought you might be interested in a quick update.

Right now, ADOT is evaluating the US89 project area to see if there are any archaeologically significant sites in the right of way.

ADOT has completed the fencing along the US 89T corridor to help prevent livestock from crossing the roadway. That means the route is now fully open – nighttime and speed restrictions have been lifted.

The long-term fix for US 89 will involve cutting back the mountain slope, building a gravity buttress wall for support and constructing the new road. But before crews can begin on all that, there’s a lot that has to get done.

PHOENIX — Drivers headed to Page and the Lake Powell area this Labor Day weekend will have another option when the Arizona Department of Transportation opens the newly paved Temporary US 89 route (US 89T) on Thursday, August 29, albeit with some restrictions.

ADOT is set to open the newly paved US 89T tomorrow, Aug. 29, albeit with some restrictions. Until construction and fencing is completed, the roadway will be open only during daylight hours (except for local residents) and there will be a 25 mph speed limit.

We know many of you are eager for construction on N20 to finish and we want to let you know that we hear you and understand just how ready you are for this roadway to open! While work isn’t done yet, we hope you can be patient for a little bit longer as ADOT works to ensure that the route is a safe roadway that motorists will be able to use for years to come.

PHOENIX — Now that the Arizona Department of Transportation has completed its geotechnical investigation at the site of the Feb. 20 landslide on US 89 south of Page, the agency is sharing the results and its long-term plans to repair the damaged roadway with the public next week.

Our new video gives a look at the long-term fix being proposed to repair the landslide-damaged stretch of US 89.

Last week, when we shared with you the long-term repair solution that has been proposed for US 89, we explained how experts studied the area for months and put together a comprehensive report that includes a major amount of geological data (seriously, the report is 463 pages).

The geotechnical investigation on US 89 (you know – that one we’ve been blogging about since February) is complete and we’re thrilled to share news of the results.

Yes, paving on N20 has begun, but drivers shouldn’t plan on using the route as a detour until construction is completed later this summer.

PHOENIX — Paving has begun on the shorter, future interim detour route for motorists affected by the US 89 landslide closure south of Page, but traveling on Navajo Route 20 is not an option until construction is completed later this summer.

Several vehicles have become stuck in the sand along this 44-mile-long tribal route, which is a mostly dirt road that stretches from Bodaway-Gap to LeChee, and there is limited cell phone coverage in the area. Currently, only local Navajo Nation residents are permitted to travel on N20.

As you can see in the video above, ADOT and the Navajo Division of Transportation officially broke ground on the Navajo Route 20 paving project yesterday morning. The ceremony marks the start of a project that we’ve blogged about before.