Arizona Department of Transportation SR 179 Improvement Project
(800) 529-2876 www.scenic179.com pr@scenic179.com

Welcome to the State Route (SR) 179 Project Weekly Construction Update - your electronic connection to the SR 179 Project with the most current information on construction plans and activities.

What to Watch for Week of April 21

Project 1

Continuing Work:

Roadway Work South of Village
Work on Reconstructing Northbound Alignment Through Forest

Project 2

New News:

Post Office/Brewer Area
Storm Drain Work in Area of Tlaquepaque

Continuing Work:

Oak Creek Bridge Structures Ongoing
Utilities Work in Hillside/Hozho Area
Morgan Road Taking Shape
Retaining Wall Near Poco Diablo
Underground and Roadway Work Chapel to Mallard

Project 1

Continuing Work

Roadwork South of Village

Crews are completing the roadway south of the Village, including work on the medians as well as work along the sides of the road.  Thank you for driving with care through the construction zone.

Work on Reconstructing Northbound Alignment Through Forest

The old pavement is mostly removed from the northbound alignment through the forest.  Work is underway on two box culverts, which will convey stormwater under the new roadway .

Project 2

New News

Post Office/Brewer Area

In addition to continuing daytime work on the underground utilities and retaining walls at the Brewer Roundabout, crews will work at night this week in the Burger King/Coldwell Banker area.  The night work currently is planned for Tuesday and Wednesday between the hours of 8 pm and 5 am; however it is important to remember that construction schedules can be unpredictable and are subject to change.  Brewer Road will be closed for these two nights and traffic will use Ranger Road.

Two lanes of northbound traffic are currently in place approaching the “Y,” a change that was made in response to input from the community and from the City of Sedona.  At a certain point it will be absolutely necessary to restrict that area to one lane in each direction however, we will do our best to minimize the time that the restriction is in place.  The change to allow two northbound 89A lanes required that Brewer road be restricted to right-in, right-out only.  Traffic from that area wishing to access West Sedona and traffic wishing to access that area from Uptown will need to use Ranger Road/SR 179 as a detour.  The businesses on Brewer Road remain open.

Storm Drain Work in Area of Tlaquepaque

Crews were able to complete the curve of the storm drain in the Ranger Road area this week and now will proceed down SR 179 toward the bridge.   The storm drain in front of Tlaquepaque will be placed down the center of the road (rather than down the side of the road), a change that was made last fall to protect trees in the area.  Because the installation will be down the center of the road, traffic impacts are certain.  Crews will cut the trench, lay the pipe, and backfill as quickly as possible, but will need to pass across the entrances to businesses in the area, including Portal Lane, and during those times the entrances will be restricted to right-in, right-out only. Please plan ahead and we thank you for your patience.

We have added a temporary Road Runner Shuttle stop in front of Crystal Castle/New Age Center while the storm drain works its way down the middle of the road.  Please do not cross the construction zone on foot.  A much safer way to access the area is to ride the free Roadrunner Shuttle on its short loop around the business districts that encompass SR 179 and Uptown.

Continuing Work

Oak Creek Bridge Structures Ongoing

Work continues on the abutments and drill shafts for the new Oak Creek bridge.  Pedestrians are not permitted on the bridge during construction.  When the project is complete, there will be excellent pedestrian accommodation throughout the entire area, with dedicated sidewalks, crosswalks, and even a special bridge over Oak Creek dedicated for pedestrian movement and creek observation.  During construction, we ask for safety reasons that pedestrians stay clear of the area.  The free Roadrunner Shuttle is available to safely transport people across the Bridge.

Utilities Work in Hillside/Hozho Area

Work is progressing on the gas line and storm drain installation, along with a number of other utility activities.  ADOT monitors the traffic backups and makes adjustments to the signal at the Y, signage, and placement of flaggers; however, traffic backups are to be expected through the construction zone as this is a major roadway reconstruction.  Please plan ahead and we thank you for your cooperation.

Morgan Road Taking Shape

Morgan Road is being realigned to correct the angle for the roundabout at that location, and elements of the roundabout are now visible.

Retaining Wall Near Poco Diablo

Work is progressing on the retaining wall near Poco Diablo, which cannot be easily seen from the road, but is a major structure that will be approximately 700 feet long and 20 feet high when it is complete.

Underground and Roadway Work Chapel to Mallard

Minimal lane restrictions are in place as work proceeds on a number of underground structures associated with the new, wider roadway.  Also, rough grade has begun, and the roadway will be taking shape over the next couple of months.

Please note: Changes to construction plans can happen frequently due to weather, equipment availability and personnel issues. We try to anticipate construction activities a week in advance but changes may occur. Intermittent lane closures, with short delays, may not always be known in advance.

For a complete listing of freeway and highway restrictions across Arizona visit ADOT's Travel Information Site at www.az511.com or call 5-1-1.