Bridge replacement project to begin on US 60 east of Phoenix
Jan 27, 2024, 6:30 AM
(ADOT photo)
PHOENIX — A monthslong process to replace two bridges on the US 60 east of Phoenix will begin soon, the Arizona Department of Transportation announced.
The project, which will cost $44.7 million, will replace bridges over Queen Creek and Waterfall Canyon between Superior and Miami, which are a little over an hour east of Phoenix.
Having opened in 1949, the current Queen Creek Bridge no longer meets the current standards for bridge design, although it is safe enough for travelers in its final year before it is dismantled following completion of the replacement.
The replacement process warrants a myriad of closures, starting at a date to be determined over “the next several weeks,” according to ADOT.
The department said drivers should plan for as many as three closures per week, occurring from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. During the closures, drivers can instead use the Winkelman detour on state routes 77 and 177, which can add up to one hour to the trip between Superior and Globe.
Toward the end of the project, which ADOT said will be sometime in autumn, there will be a one-time closure of the highway spanning multiple days.
In addition to road closures, construction also necessitates the closure of certain recreational areas, including trails from Magma Avenue in Superior to west of the Claypool Tunnel.
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