PHOENIX — Before the Arizona Department of Transportation can move forward with a design to potentially repair the damaged section of US 89 south of Page, the agency needs to determine the mountain slope has stabilized after last week’s landslide. That’s where the work of the geotechnical engineers comes into play.

Earlier this week, ADOT received environmental clearance and geotechnical engineers began drilling shafts to deploy equipment called inclinometers beneath the ground surface. These plastic pipes will measure slope movement at a specific location.

“This week we know we had an event (on Feb. 20) with a landslide and it’s not a typical landslide,” said Steve Boschen, ADOT deputy state engineer of design. “It’s a deep-seated bedrock-type slip. We are looking at somewhere between 100 and 150 feet and that’s why we had 10 inclinometers installed right now.”

In addition to inclinometers, ADOT is using several other tools to learn what’s happening underneath the foundation of US 89. Extensometers are being deployed above the ground to measure changes in tension from the bottom of the slope to the top with a pulley device that has a 30-pound weight registered to a scale.

ADOT is also using a three-dimensional laser scanner, called LiDAR, to map the landslide from the ground, while an aerial digital terrain map was created by flying above the ground.

US 89 will remain closed for the immediate future. There is no timetable to reopen the highway, which has approximately 500 feet of damage, including 150 feet of pavement that settled four-to-six feet due to a landslide and failure of the slope.

ADOT’s video team traveled to the site to get a first-hand look, and captured videos and interviews with the geotechnical engineers. The video is now available on ADOT’s YouTube page.

ADOT has recently launched a range of communication tools, including a new webpage dedicated to keeping the public informed about the status of the closure and alternate travel routes, complemented by captivating video and photos of the roadway damage on US 89.

For more information on ADOT’s geotechnical analysis, please visit the ADOT Blog.

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation is urging curious onlookers to avoid traveling near the damaged mountain slope on US 89, approximately 25 miles south of Page, because it could be dangerous.

The Echo Cliffs region is a known hiking area, but 30-foot chasms have been spotted near the damaged pavement and the area should be avoided.

ADOT has geotechnical engineers at the site, who are assessing the stability of the ground after a landslide on Feb. 20 forced the closure of US 89 between the US 89A junction near Bitter Springs and the State Route 98 junction near Page (mileposts 523-546).

After receiving environmental clearance on Monday, ADOT will soon begin drilling the shafts to deploy equipment that will measure slope movement at a specific location. Until it has been determined that the area is stable, ADOT cannot move forward with a design project to repair the highway.

Motorists, including all commercial truck traffic, are strongly advised to use one of the recommended alternate routes, which include traveling east on US 160 to SR 98 and northwest on SR 98 for 65 miles to Page. The detour adds an additional 45 miles over the direct route. Non-local traffic and trucks should not use Navajo Route 20; trucks are getting stuck on this mostly dirt road, which is not an appropriate substitute route for highway traffic.

Another option for drivers is to take northbound US 89A through Marble Canyon toward Fredonia to reconnect with US 89 in Kanab, Utah. US 89A remains open and is not affected by the US 89 closure near Echo Cliffs.

“Drivers really need to stick with one of the designated detour routes,” said Jennifer Toth, ADOT deputy director for transportation. “This is a popular area for outdoor enthusiasts and hikers, but until our geological experts can say with 100 percent certainty that last week’s shifting in the ground has stopped, motorists and pedestrians need to stay clear of the area.”

US 89 will remain closed for the immediate future. There is no timetable to reopen the highway, which has approximately 500 feet of damage, including 150 feet of pavement that buckled four-to-six feet due to a landslide and failure of the slope.

PHOENIX — While US 89 is expected to remain closed indefinitely due to last Wednesday’s landslide 25 miles south of Page, motorists should consider their options and allow extra travel time if they are traveling between Flagstaff and Lake Powell or into Arizona from southern Utah via Page, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

A 23-mile-long stretch of US 89 (mileposts 523-546) is currently closed between the US 89A junction near Bitter Springs to the State Route 98 junction near Page.

Alternate routes include traveling east for 50 miles on US 160 to State Route 98 and northwest on SR 98 for 65 miles to Page. The detour adds an additional 45 miles over the direct route.

Motorists also have the option to take northbound US 89A through Marble Canyon toward Fredonia to reconnect to US 89 in southern Utah. On this scenic stretch, drivers may take a pit stop at the Marble Canyon-Navajo Bridge Rest Area. Motorists can reach Page using this route by traveling north to US 89 in Kanab, Utah and southbound on US 89. It’s an additional 80 miles longer than the direct route.

Drivers traveling from Utah to Phoenix can also consider taking Interstate 15 toward Las Vegas before connecting to southbound US 93 in Arizona to US 60 into the Phoenix area.

ADOT is also urging all commercial truck traffic to use one of the proposed alternate routes on state highways and avoid traveling on any local roads.

US 89 will remain closed for the immediate future. There is no timetable to reopen the highway, which has approximately 500 feet of damage, including 150 feet of pavement that buckled four-to-six feet due to a landslide and failure of the slope.

PHOENIX — While the Arizona Department of Transportation is still trying to determine what exactly happened to cause the ground to shift beneath US 89 Wednesday, the agency continues to assess the significant damage to the highway. Geotechnical engineers are currently evaluating the stability of the mountain slope, approximately 25 miles south of Page.

“This area encompasses close to 500 feet of damaged pavement, but we had the opportunity in the plane to circle the area twice and it looks like the settlement could be a lot larger,” said Robert Samour, ADOT senior deputy state engineer of operations. “The area over the guardrail drops off a couple hundred feet; we saw some cracking in the soil down the slope, so I would say that this is probably a 500- to 700-foot section that we’re going to have to take a good look at for settlement.”

US 89 will remain closed for an extended period of time. There is no timetable to reopen the highway, which has over 150 feet of pavement that buckled approximately four to six feet.

US 89 is closed northbound at US 89A. In Page, US 89 is closed at the junction with State Route 98.

Drivers who are traveling to Lake Powell and southern Utah will need to plan for extra travel time. The alternate route requires motorists to travel east on US 160 to State Route 98 and north on SR 98 to Page. The detour is about 45 miles longer than the direct route.

In an effort to get federal funding for the future repair project on US 89, ADOT is working with the Arizona Division of Emergency Management and the Arizona Governor’s Office on an emergency declaration that will allow ADOT to receive reimbursement for the highway reconstruction. Regardless, ADOT has begun the assessment process and is moving forward with the geotechnical investigation, and then the engineers will look at permanent fix which will be paid for using ADOT funding.

“We’re going to work on reconstructing the damaged highway as quickly as possible, although it’s premature to lay out a timeline,” Samour said. “We recognize how important US 89 is the community of Page and the Lake Powell region and that’s why we met with key stakeholders today, including the mayor of Page. We will work through the process of determining what happened beneath the highway and figure out a best plan for a long-term fix.”

For more information on the damage to US 89, including photos and video, please visit:
ADOT Blog
ADOT’s YouTube channel
ADOT’s Flickr