Get ready to cruise a little smoother on SR 260, Paysonites. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has called the locals to talk about roadwork come June 6 at Eastern Arizona College's Payson campus. The public chinwag is set to get the nitty-gritty on the State Route 260 Lion Springs Improvement Project, and ADOT is dangling the carrot of a final design by spring 2025, with hammers swinging as soon as the next fiscal year kicks in.
The powwow details, as posted on ADOT's website, are from 4 to 6 p.m., including a 4:30 p.m. presentation. The location is prime: Eastern Arizona College Payson Campus, snug in room 301 at 201 N. Mud Springs Road. This ain't just a sit-and-nod session. ADOT's project jugglers will be there to field questions, and you've got until June 21 to toss in your two cents via their project site if the meeting's a no-go.
The SR 260 makeover ain't no small potatoes. Expect to see a new lane each way along a four-mile belt from mileposts 256 to 260. They're also throwing in a center left-turn lane between 256 and 257 and a fancy median the rest of the way to 260. Residents of Diamond Point are getting a shiny new frontage road to gussy up the entrance to their subdivision. And because we care about our critter cousins, three wildlife crossings are also on the blueprints.
According to the ADOT announcement, it won't just be wildlife getting the perks. They're talking about improvements to the pipes, including culverts, ditches, and other erosion-fighters to keep the monsoon mayhem at bay. If it's down to the wire and you're road-tripping mid-construction, check the real-time highway conditions at the AZ511 website, or dial 511 and steer clear of the orange cone jungle.
