PHOENIX – Drivers traveling US 89 near Cameron in northern Arizona should allow extra travel time, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. A paving project along an eight-mile section (milepost 477-485) of US 89, about 60 miles north of Flagstaff, is causing delays.

Motorists may be delayed between 45 minutes to one hour. Flaggers will guide vehicles through the work zone. Restrictions are expected from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6 and Thursday, Aug. 7 this week and Monday, Aug. 11 and Tuesday, Aug. 12 next week.

For the most current information about highway closures and restrictions statewide, visit ADOT’s Travel Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow us on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 5-1-1.

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.

The repair will include moving the roadway approximately 60 feet away from the landslide area toward Echo Cliffs and using rock material removed for the roadway realignment to construct a downslope buttress to stabilize the area.

The closed section of roadway is scheduled to reopen prior to next summer’s busy travel season. The construction contract will also include a monetary incentive for the contractor if it is able to complete the project ahead of schedule.

Work on the project will begin in a couple of weeks, but major work is expected to start in late August when crews begin drilling and blasting operations to build the rock buttress. Nearly 1 million cubic yards of rock material is expected to be removed and a 1,500-foot section of US 89 will be realigned with new pavement.

The ultimate repair of US 89 is the final step in fulfilling ADOT’s three-pronged approach to the US 89 landslide incident, which included providing immediate emergency access, conducting a geotechnical investigation and restoring essential traffic to the area.

Last summer ADOT paved Navajo Route 20 (Temporary US 89), which was a mostly dirt road stretching from Bodaway-Gap to LeChee.

“Once a long-term solution was identified, ADOT worked diligently to complete all the federally required clearances needed prior to construction,” said Steve Boschen, ADOT deputy state engineer of project delivery. “This process can sometimes take years, but with help from many of our Navajo Nation partners, the Federal Highway Administration and other regulatory stakeholders, we are ready to begin the US 89 landslide repair.”

Prior to breaking ground on the project later this month, ADOT had to clear several hurdles. After an extensive geotechnical investigation identified the necessary repairs last summer, ADOT retained an engineering design firm and developed plans for the eventual repair. Following that, the team finalized all federally required environmental reviews that include cultural, biological and water quality measures, completed the plans for the required right-of-way easements, and finalized negotiations with the contractor.

The final step prior to Friday’s board approval was completing negotiations on a guaranteed maximum price for the project construction with FNF Construction, the same contractor that completed the paving of US 89T.

The US 89 landslide repair project is eligible for reimbursement through the Federal Highway Administration’s emergency relief program, which provides funding to state and local agencies for the repair or reconstruction of highways, roads and bridges that are damaged in natural disasters and catastrophic failures.

PHOENIX —The Arizona Department of Transportation cleared another hurdle this week in its effort to get the US 89 landslide repair started. ADOT has finalized an agreement with a contractor for preconstruction engineering services, which includes assistance with the final design and construction logistics for the ultimate fix.

Tempe-based FNF Construction, Inc. was selected by ADOT as the contractor for pre-construction services on the landslide-damaged highway that links Bitter Springs and Page.

FNF Construction is the same contractor ADOT successfully partnered with to complete the Temporary US 89 (US 89T) project, which now serves as the primary detour to and from the Page and Lake Powell areas. The previously unpaved Navajo Route 20 was paved in only three months to become US 89T, which opened to traffic in August.

Through a Construction-Manager-At-Risk contract, FNF Construction will work with the project design team. This early collaboration can lead to completing projects faster with reduced costs. Preconstruction services will also include the design of access roads at the project site that will be needed when construction starts as anticipated this summer.

“Every day, ADOT is getting closer to our goal of starting the US 89 landslide repair to reopen this roadway by the end of the year,” said Steve Boschen, ADOT deputy state engineer for design. “Using the Construction-Manager-At-Risk delivery method will ensure that we can optimize construction efficiency.”

The new preconstruction agreement with FNF Construction does not include the construction project to repair US 89. That contract is expected to be finalized later this spring.

The environmental and design process for a normal project can take two years to complete, but ADOT has been working with the Federal Highway Administration, Navajo Nation, Navajo Division of Transportation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to expedite the environmental, utility and right-of-way clearance and approval processes, knowing the lack of a usable road between the Bitter Springs and Page communities is a hardship for many people.

Recently, ADOT received the necessary environmental and utility clearances on the ultimate repair of US 89. Without the clearances, ADOT cannot use federal funds for this repair project.

ADOT also continues to work with the Navajo Nation on obtaining the new right-of-way easements that will be necessary prior to construction. An agreement between the Federal Highway Administration, Navajo Nation and Bureau of Indian Affairs must be reached to establish an expanded easement that facilitates construction, as well as operations and maintenance, of the repaired roadway.

The repair is currently programmed at $25 million. The project will include moving the roadway approximately 60 feet toward Echo Cliffs and using that rock to construct a downslope buttress to stabilize the area.

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation has started a project to expand US 89 from two lanes to four lanes through the community of Cameron within the Navajo Nation, approximately 50 miles north of Flagstaff. 

Major work on the $36.7 million project includes widening US 89 to two lanes in each direction between State Route 64 and the Little Colorado River (mileposts 464-467) and removal and replacement of the existing US 89 Cameron Truss Bridge, which was built in 1959, with two new bridges at that location.

Additional improvements on US 89 through Cameron include constructing a roundabout at the existing intersection of US 89 and SR 64, new sidewalks, streetlights, and four pedestrian/livestock underpasses.

Construction is anticipated to be completed in two major phases with completion expected fall 2016.

Traffic delays may occur during construction with traffic reduced to one lane. There will be directional signage and flaggers present during construction. ADOT advises motorists to be alert for construction equipment and personnel, and to proceed through the work zone with caution.

US 89 is the primary travel route that connects Flagstaff, southern Utah, and the popular tourist destinations in the Page/Lake Powell region. US 89 between Bitter Springs and Page is currently closed due to the Feb. 20, 2013 landslide.

Motorists traveling on US 89 between Page and Flagstaff can bypass the landslide closure by using the newly paved, 44-mile-long US 89T route that runs parallel to US 89 from The Gap to LeChee. US 89T is the former Navajo Route 20 that connects with US 89 approximately 17 miles north of the US 160 junction (Tuba City exit).

With the reconstruction of the landslide-damaged portion of US 89 not expected to start until early this summer, ADOT, along with the Navajo Nation and Federal Highway Administration, pursued paving Navajo Route 20 (which became the US 89T route) to serve as a short-term solution.

To stay up-to-date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at az511.gov or call 5-1-1.

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.

Since August, ADOT has retained an engineering design firm and developed plans for the eventual repair; finalized all federally required environmental reviews that include cultural, biological and water quality measures; and completed the plans for the required right-of-way easements.

The environmental and design process for a normal project can take two years to complete, but ADOT has been working with the Federal Highway Administration, Navajo Nation, Navajo Division of Transportation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to expedite the environmental, utility and right-of-way clearance and approval process, knowing the lack of a usable road between the Bitter Springs and Page communities is a hardship for many people.

ADOT passed a major milestone this week toward beginning construction on the ultimate repair of US 89. The final environmental documentation was submitted to the Federal Highway Administration today for review. Without this clearance, ADOT cannot use federal funds for this project. While that approval is pending, ADOT continues work on the pre-construction elements of the project, like finalizing the design of the repair.

ADOT also continues to work with the Navajo Nation on obtaining right-of-way easements that will be necessary prior to construction. An agreement between the Federal Highway Administration, Navajo Nation and Bureau of Indian Affairs must be reached to establish an expanded easement that facilitates construction, as well as operations and maintenance of the full repair.

“Our final goal for delivery of our three-pronged approach — which initially included the geotechnical investigation and providing emergency access, and restoring mobility to the region with the paving of Navajo Route 20 — is to complete the US 89 reconstruction by advancing the necessary environmental, utility and right of way clearances as diligently as possible while complying with all the regulations in conjunction with our Navajo Nation partners and other regulatory stakeholders,” said Jennifer Toth, ADOT state engineer and deputy director for transportation. “This project remains a top priority for ADOT and our project partners.”

The repair is currently estimated to cost $25 million. The project will include moving the roadway approximately 60 feet toward Echo Cliffs and using that rock to construct a downslope buttress to stabilize the area. ADOT wants to start the repairs as soon as possible following environmental, utility and right-of-way clearances.

Shortly after the landslide, ADOT, along with the Navajo Nation and the Federal Highway Administration, pursued paving Navajo Route 20 (which became the US 89T route) to serve as a short-term solution. By paving N20, the length of the originally established detour route (US 160 and State Route 98) was cut in half.

After three months of intensive work, the newly paved two-lane roadway was opened to traffic in August.

The US 89 emergency repair project is eligible for reimbursement through the Federal Highway Administration’s emergency relief program, which provides funding to state and local agencies for the repair or reconstruction of highways, roads and bridges that are damaged in natural disasters and catastrophic failures.