News

PHOENIX —After 90-days of public meetings and comment, the window for public comment on the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed South Mountain Freeway will close on July 24.

During this 90-day comment period – twice the length required by federal law – the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration have conducted a day-long public hearing and a series of community forums to help residents learn about the proposed project, and submit formal input and questions.

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation continues to study the feasibility of a passenger rail line between Phoenix and Tucson and has now narrowed the list of alternatives down to three.

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.

PHOENIX — After months of planning and negotiation, the Navajo Division of Transportation and Arizona Department of Transportation are ready to break ground on a paving project on Navajo Route 20.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the paving of N20 will take place at 11 a.m. on the Navajo Nation (10 a.m. MST in Arizona) on Sunday, June 9 at Tsinaabaas Habitiin Elementary School in Bodaway-Gap. ADOT Deputy Director of Transportation Jennifer Toth will be one of the designated speakers.

On May 28, ADOT officially began construction on N20.

PHOENIX — It’s easy to get out and explore Arizona on two wheels — our state is renowned for its good weather, new infrastructure and beautiful scenery. Those are just some of the reasons that Arizona is ranked number 10 in the country for bicycle friendliness by the League of American Bicyclists in their annual survey. That’s a jump from number 14 in 2012.

PHOENIX — While the Arizona Department of Transportation forges ahead with its geotechnical investigation on the US 89 landslide and works on the long-term solution to restore the damaged highway, the agency is committed to restoring connectivity to the Page and Lake Powell region as quickly as possible.

With that in mind, the State Transportation Board approved funding to pave Navajo Route 20, a Navajo Nation tribal road that runs parallel to US 89, at its monthly meeting April 12 in Tucson.

PHOENIX — The final step to complete ADOT’s geotechnical investigation that will ultimately uncover the best long-term solution to restore the landslide damaged US 89 highway has started.

After receiving environmental clearance, heavy construction began today as crews will cut a pathway down the slope to the base of the mountain slope. The work is expected to take at least two weeks.

PHOENIX — In Page, Marble Canyon and the Lake Powell region, tourism is a major contributor to the economy with more than two million visitors annually — and tourism season is beginning to ramp up. When a February landslide on US 89 closed off direct access to the area, the Arizona Department of Transportation made it a priority to keep traffic moving while coming up with solutions to the complex, long-term problem on the highway.

PHOENIX — To bolster communication regarding the US 89 closure caused by last month’s landslide, the Arizona Department of Transportation has set up an office in Page that is staffed twice a week, beginning today.

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Wednesday and Thursday, ADOT will have a representative at Page City Hall (697 Vista Ave. in Page). The project team member will be available to answer questions from the public and give the latest updates on the agency’s plans to repair the highway.

We’ve got some good news for drivers whose commutes have been impacted by the US 89 landslide...

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation has been granted $2 million in immediate federal aid that can be used to continue investigating the cause of a landslide on a stretch of US 89 last month south of Page.

Following Governor Jan Brewer’s Declaration of Emergency last week, ADOT asked the Federal Highway Administration for the quick release of emergency relief funds and submitted an initial estimate to complete repairs of $35 million. This estimate may change as further information about the landslide is gathered by engineers.

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.

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.

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.

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.

PHOENIX —The Arizona Department of Transportation is set to relocate to new offices in Flagstaff as part of a first-ever public-private partnership designed to acquire new facilities for the agency and free up prime land for local redevelopment.