Crews finish rockfall mitigation work along switchbacks on highway north of Sedona

PHOENIX – Crews have completed rockfall mitigation work more than a year after a rockslide crashed down on a twisting highway north of Sedona.

The cleanup and work required intermittent closures and restrictions on State Route 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff.

However, all SR 89A restrictions south of the Oak Creek Vista scenic overlook have been lifted, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) announced last week.

The rockfall mitigation was necessary after heavy rainfall caused a rockslide on the highway in March 2023.

Crews from three ADOT projects have been working to remove loose material and stabilize a cliff face along the switchbacks in the area of the rockslide.

They also installed a new pipeline to direct storm runoff away from the cliff face and toward Oak Creek.

What else was done for SR 89A rockfall mitigation?

In addition, crews made improvements to the Pumphouse Wash Bridge near the switchbacks and completed an erosion and sediment control project.

The work also included the removal of a large rock overhang just north of Sedona.

Contracts for the three construction projects added up to $11.1 million, ADOT said.

Get the latest KTAR News 92.3 FM traffic alerts sent straight to your phone by texting “TRAFFIC” to 620620.

Related

Sedona area mopping up after storm triggers floodingClosures of State Route 89A north of Sedona for rockfall project to start next weekState Route 89A closure north of Sedona starting August 15As Abdul El-Sayed breaks a barrier, anti-Muslim vitriol surges on multiple frontsTropical Storm Hernan forms in the Pacific while a different weather system could soak HawaiiTrump’s vaccine plan would require millions of individual shots last used decades ago