The city of Sedona is seeking state appropria­tions to help ease traffic congestion in Uptown as it has nearly $14 million in three major traffic improvement projects.

Sedona Public Works Director Kurt Harris esti­mated that $10 million to $12 million of the funding could come from external sources.

The improvements are concentrated near the ‘Y’ Roundabout, where State Routes 89A and 179 meet, and are intended to improve vehicle flow through one of the city’s most congested corridors. The plan includes a $5.4 million roundabout at the intersection of the recently completed Forest Road Extension and State Route 89A designated Sedona in Motion Project 5E; a $3.1 million exten­sion of Ranger Road connecting to that new roundabout; and a $5.1 million roundabout at Ranger and Brewer roads, SIM Project 5D.

These changes would decommission the existing roundabout at State Route 89A and Brewer Road that will allow vehicles heading towards Uptown the ability to either make a right turn onto Brewer Road or continue to the ‘Y’ roundabout. Vehicles on Brewer heading to the roundabout would be allowed to make a right turn onto State Route 89A.

Currently, two bills are working their way through the Arizona State Legislature seeking state funding, following support from the Northern Arizona Council of Governments recognizing it the projects regional priority during its meeting on Aug. 28. House Bill 2201, sponsored by Arizona State Rep. Selina Bliss [R-District 1], who represents Sedona, seeks $8,025,600 from the state General Fund for the SIM-5E and Ranger Road extension. Additionally, House Bill 2609, spon­sored by Arizona State Rep. Walt Blackman [R-District 7], seeks $5,016,000 to just fund SIM-5E.

“This project popped out because of the high volume of traffic, and it’s an emergency medical services-law enforce­ment and safety issue,

Bliss said to the NEWS. “Because what I carry with me is [a] photo of all of the traffic backed up on that circle. You can’t get a fire truck or an ambulance through there, and the amount of tourism and out of town traffic up there is just beyond compared to any other road project throughout Arizona. So when you look at some of those statistics and the safety issue, it stands out as a higher priority than others.”

In Arizona, most appro­priation requests typically do not pass as standalone bills. Instead they end up in the annual budget reconciliation bill that the state passes at the end of the legislative session. Harris said he is antici­pating potential state funding to come through that omnibus appropria­tion, Gov. Katie Hobbs [D] signed the 2025-2026 General Appropriations Act into law on June 27.

Bliss told the NEWS she’s optimistic about HB 2201.

To “keep going after grants as they become available to stay the course,” Harris said is the backup plan if funding from the state does not come through.

For the 5D project — the Ranger and Brewer road roundabout — Sedona City Council unani­mously authorized Harris on Jan. 27 to apply for potential funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development gr ant , whi ch could provide approximately $3.6 million. As a sepa­rate agenda item, Sedona City Council also autho­rized an application for a $2.3 million BUILD grant to fund the Coffee Pot Shared Use Path.

“We can’t add lanes. So what do we do? We improve intersections and create alternative directions or bypasses” to improve traffic, Harris said. “If we build this [project] without this other one, we’re not going to utilize the full effec­tiveness … because these are sister projects.”

The city applied for BUILD funding last year, but was not successful. Harris subsequently said he is more optimistic about the Coffee Pot SUP potentially earning that grant. The city anticipates learning in August if they were awarded BUILD funding.

“We’re going to go for congressional discre­tionary funding … we tried that last year, [it] wasn’t awarded,” Harris later said. “They said it was a ‘good application.’ So we’re going to try again for that, and I think we’re going to be more successful.”

Mi Amore Sedona

Consideration during the meeting was given to Sandy Patel, of Mi Amore Sedona, which operates out of the historic Hart Store at 100 Brewer Road. Her primary concern is how the projected 10- to 12-month construction of 5D could affect her business, particularly the potential loss of parking spaces and reduced ease of access to the roadway.

“But this roundabout, for one thing, having it be a year, we don’t even know if it’s going to be a year, more than a year, it is going to put me out of business,” Patel said. Resident Robert Cornuko also spoke in opposition to the project.

Harris said the miti­gation plan includes establishing temporary parking arrangements at nearby Ranger Station Park, placing directional signage on both State Routes 89A and 179 to guide customers to alternative parking loca­tions and constructing a shared-use path that will run directly in front of the store to maintain pedes­trian access.

“I just want to know that we’ve done every­thing we could possibly do to mitigate the impact on this business,” Councilman Derek Pfaff said. “I don’t know if there is more, but at this point, I’m not convinced that we couldn’t do more, or at least look at more options. So when this comes back to us for a contract, whatever it’s going to be, I’m going to expect to see some more efforts been made.”

Pfaff also floated the idea of adding a shuttle stop during construc­tion and City Attorney Kurt Christianson said he does not believe that idea has any Gift Clause concerns.

Traffic

Harris said he is also currently working to bring a traffic light system to the ‘Y’ roundabout.

“We’re at 60%, we should be going to 90% design soon, and the planning and scoping for that project is completed, and we submitted the Arizona Department of Transportation easement,” Harris said and estimated the new lighting system might be installed this summer.

Harris did not provide an anticipated start date for any of the three proj­ects, pending the outcome of funding applications, and is working to obtain necessary easements.

For more information visit sedonaaz.gov/sim.