The Arizona Department of Transportation announced this week that after a year and a half of work on widening State Route 260, the project will remain unfinished until spring. Both lanes will be open during the hiatus, with the current un nished pavement being driven in the interim.
“Original plans called for the final layer of pavement to go in before winter hiatus, followed by permanent lane striping in the spring,” wrote ADOT in a press release. “After unusually wet weather from remnants of Hurricane Rosa combined with a drop in temperatures, both of these final steps will be completed in the spring. The road surface needs to be around 85 degrees in order for new pavement to cure properly.”
“As a result, the road surface, while smooth and safe to drive on, will be a bit noisier than it otherwise would with the final pavement layer.”
According to ADOT Office of Public Information’s Ryan Harding, the extended schedule will not affect the costs of the project.
Once warm weather comes in the spring, the construction will be resumed, though ADOT cannot predict how soon that will be.
“We anticipate it would take about six weeks altogether,” Harding wrote in an email regarding the final phase of construction. “This includes a 30-day curing period for the pavement before final striping can be put down.”
Jon Hecht can be reached at 634-8551, or email jhecht@larsonnewspapers.com
