Drivers in Superior are probably used the temporary closures on U.S. 60 from Devil’s Canyon to Oak Flat, but they’ll have to be patient a little longer. The blasting operations that began in August were set to end last month, but the Arizona Department of Transportation says the latest timeline is the end of April 2016.
This entire project involves constructing a westbound passing lane from Devils Canyon to Oak Flat, just east of Superior, and shoulder widening in Devils Canyon. Bridge work at Waterfall Canyon is also required, with some drainage improvement just west of Miami.
Blasting is required to create the new passing lane and wider shoulder, which is why portions of U.S. 60 have to close temporarily for 90-minutes on certain days. The additional blasting happening from now until April is to allow crews to build a better road. Rather than building the roadway out to a retaining wall they will be able to build it back into the embankment. Crews have blasted more than half of the cubic yards of rock needed for the project.
The next closure is scheduled on Thursday, January 28th from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and again from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Traffic on the eastbound side of U.S. 60 will be stopped east of Superior and westbound traffic stops at the Top of the World, west of Miami. Drivers can take S.R. 77 and S.R. 177 as alternate routes during the closure.
