Work along State Route 89A from Interstate 17 to the Vista Overlook — which impacted traffic last year for several months — has returned.

But unlike last year, the work is expected to impact motorists far less.

Work has been scheduled for the final paving operation, which includes applying the top layer of asphalt to the completed project. Work began Friday, May 18, and will continue until Friday, May 25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The schedule and times of day are due to temperature requirements, asphalt plant availability and trucking of material, which depends on traffic, project spokeswoman Kristin Darr said.

Traffic will be maintained during the operation with one lane in each direction. Flaggers will assist traffic flow and access to side roads. The road will
be open for the Memorial Day weekend starting at noon on Friday, May 25, with construction activities resuming Tuesday, May 29.

“There will be very little traffic impact after Memorial Day,” Darr said. “They need to do final striping 15 days after paving, and then will have a couple of offroad spot improvements. It is looking like they will be completely out of there in July. There is one drainage improvement at the north end that is still being designed, which is a change to the original contract and is a bit of a holdup.”

The Central Federal Lands Highway Division of the Federal Highway Administration, in cooperation with the Arizona Department of Transportation and U.S. Forest Service, widened and rehabilitated approximately 8.4 miles of State Route 89A.

“It’s important to understand this is not an ADOT project,” ADOT spokesman Ryan Harding told the Sedona Red Rock News last year. “This is a Federal Highway Administration project. The contractor working the project was hired by the FHWA, not ADOT. I understand that this can seem a bit confusing since SR 89A is a state highway, but this is a unique project that FHWA is running and funding.”

This work is part of a massive project that was started more than a year ago. The overall project included the following improvements:

• Wider shoulders so that vehicles can pull over safely.
• Passing lanes in select areas to help improve traffic flow.
• Improved “clear zone,” which is the unobstructed, relatively flat area beyond the edge of the highway that allows a driver to stop safely or regain control of a vehicle that leaves the highway.

“Last year was very challenging for the team and the community,” Darr said. “It was a very major reconstruction project that required massive amounts of earth to be moved from location to location, and the traffic restrictions were significant.

“We are very happy with how we have been able to coordinate with the community and completely understand how painful it was for everyone,” Darr continued. “The team is proud to have had the opportunity to deliver this much needed improvement for the community and traveling public.”

Ron Eland can be reached at 282-7795, ext. 122 or by email at reland@larsonnewspapers.com