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To reopen 5 miles of State Route 88 (the Apache Trail) damaged by flooding and erosion, the Arizona Department of Transportation is recommending an estimated $33.7 million in improvements and has started seeking federal funding for the project.
The highway was closed between Fish Creek Hill Overlook and Apache Lake Marina Road (mileposts 222-229) in 2019, when torrential rain on the adjacent Woodbury Fire burn scar extensively damaged the gravel road, leaving a segment blocked by boulders, as well as the drainage system and guardrail and bridge approaches. The storm also left unstable rock faces, which created safety issues and made the highway vulnerable to additional damage and closures. Before it was closed, according to ADOT, an average of 232 vehicles used the stretch between Tortilla Flat and Apache Lake daily.
The recommendation contained in ADOT’s Final Design Concept Report would be the basis for design and construction when future funding is identified.
“Subject to funds becoming available, we are proposing improvements that would reduce the chances of future damage from storms and enhance safety for motorists,” said ADOT Multimodal Planning Division Director Paul Patane. “We understand State Route 88’s place in the hearts of many Arizonans and have a recommendation that prioritizes safety and responsible use of taxpayer dollars.”
Funded by a legislative appropriation, the State Route 88 (Apache Trail) Study received comments from nearly 1,700 Arizonans, most of whom supported ADOT’s preferred alternative for reopening the roadway. ADOT’s recommendation was based on public input, as well as evaluation criteria including resilience, cost, feasibility, safety and potential environmental impacts of the improvements. These include chip sealing the road surface throughout the five miles, widening the roadway to 15 feet in steeper areas, adding rock bolts to potentially unstable rock faces and scaling to remove loose and overhanging rock, increasing drainage capacity to accommodate 2.25 inches of rain in an hour, rehabilitating or repairing existing bridges, placing new concrete barriers for safety on steep sections, and adding pullouts, signs and other safety enhancements.
The next step in advancing a project in the closed stretch of the Apache Trail would include final design and an extensive environmental study, since this stretch is on an easement through U.S. Forest Service land. That process can be expected to take up to two years.
ADOT has begun seeking federal funding to advance a project. This includes a pending application through a Federal Highway Administration grant program, seeking $3.6 million for design and environmental study.
For more information on the study and State Route 88, please visit azdot.gov/SR88Study.
