Travelers planning to navigate the historic Apache Trail in Arizona will need to brace for a series of closures over the next month, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has warned. The closures are aimed at facilitating an $18 million paving project on State Route 88, situated west of Theodore Roosevelt Dam. The stretch between the entrance to Apache Lake at milepost 229.9 and west of the dam overlook at milepost 240.5 will be the focus of these shutdowns, as reported by the Arizona Department of Transportation.
According to Arizona Department of Transportation's announcement, the 11-mile section will experience 48-hour full closures from 7 a.m. on Tuesdays through 7 a.m. on Thursdays, specifically on the dates April 8-10, April 15-17, April 29-May 1, and May 6-8 but there's also a 72-hour closure set from April 21 to April 24 which will begin on Monday at 7 a.m. and end on Thursday at the same time.
The closures come as part of a collaborative effort between Arizona Department of Transportation, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Federal Highway Administration. Initiated in late 2022, the project will pave 11 miles of gravel road and update drainages which have ceased to function properly or have been damaged by floods; it also aims to enhance visibility at certain points along the route.
Importantly, access to the Theodore Roosevelt Dam Overlook will still be possible via SR 188, even during the closures – a point not to be lost on residents and visitors looking to take in the historic site and the drivers who make their way east from Phoenix are reminded that the section between Fish Creek Vista (milepost 222) and Fish Creek Bridge (milepost 223.5) remains rough and ready only for high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles and utility terrain vehicles, trailers being a no-go, as per the Arizona Department of Transportation.
