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.

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.

Special Feature : Construction Progress

A great deal of progress has been made on SR 179 through the Village of Oak Creek and in the Coconino National Forest. A majority of the work in the Village has focused on the underground storm drain system. With that work progressing, the community will see more above ground work such as paving (see below in "What's New on SR 179").

The three photos show progress in the Forest on the new southbound alignment.

When complete, SR 179 will have:

• One travel lane in each direction.
• 8-foot shoulders that will allow emergency vehicle access and accommodate bicycles .
• Sidewalks and walking paths for a walkable corridor all the way from the Village to the "Y".
• Curb and gutter throughout.
• One ¾-mile passing lane in each direction through the Coconino National Forest, just north of the Village (northbound between MP 307 and 308; southbound between MP 308 and 309)
• Improvements to the Bell Rock Vista scenic pullout and Little Horse trailhead, and the addition of two brand new scenic pullouts with parking (one northbound MP at 308.3 and one southbound MP at 308.5)
• Multiple dedicated turn lanes.
• Raised medians.
• Roundabout intersections where traffic data warrant intersection control.

What to watch for the week of May 7:

What's New on SR 179

Cortez Road should be reopened by the end of the week, and paving began on SR 179 at Ridge Trail, with the Jacks Canyon and Back O' Beyond intersections to follow.

Ongoing Work on SR 179

The retaining wall north of the new Ranger Station is complete except backfilling on one side. Traffic will continue to be shifted westward onto temporary pavement until the new roadway is in place.

Storm drain work throughout Project 1 is ongoing. Business access will be maintained, although intermittent driveway closures are necessary. The closures are minimized and expedited to the extent possible.

Temporary concrete barrier is installed to help traffic flow, and blue business access signs are installed to guide traffic through the construction zone. There may be minor traffic impacts such as shoulder closures or construction vehicles needing access to the road, or lane closures with flaggers/DPS present.

Work for new bridge construction in the forest segment is ongoing near milepost 309.5, and there may be short duration flagging operations. The HT Trail will be closed through Spring 2007.

Project 2 Utility Work

Evening Lane Closures Continue
Arizona Water Company's Contractor (Tiffany Construction) will be working Monday through Thursday night for the next 3-4 weeks. The night time work will require closure of the northbound lane, with traffic in both directions being directed by flag crews at all times. Tiffany's night time work hours will be 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. Two-way traffic will be maintained during daytime work hours.

Back O' Beyond to Copper Cliffs (APS, Qwest and Cable Vision)
APS trenching crews are working between Back O' Beyond and Highland Road. Work will be concentrated between Back O' Beyond and Chapel Road, and between Sombart Lane and Highland Road.

The overhead power crews are working between Morgan Road and Copper Cliffs Drive. The public can expect to see APS, Qwest and Cable Vision crews and their contractor adjacent to the roadway in this area.

Juniper to Morgan
UniSource’s contractor is installing a new 6” gas line between Juniper and Morgan Road on the east side of SR 179. This work is on-going and scheduled to be completed by June 30th.