High winds are eroding the slopes on northbound Interstate 17, causing rocks to fall onto the highway between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
ADOT has stationed equipment and personnel in the area to monitor the situation and keep the roadway clear of hazards.
ADOT advises drivers to slow down and exercise caution on the steep climb northbound from Black Canyon City.
Drivers planning trips are urged to monitor travel conditions by calling 5-1-1 within Arizona, (888) 411-ROAD outside the state or visiting www.az511.gov.
Because weather conditions can quickly evolve, drivers are encouraged to regularly check in with ADOT’s Traveler Information Service. Motorists should delay or detour travel plans if necessary.
Christopher Fox Graham is the managing editor of the Sedona Rock Rocks News, The Camp Verde Journal and the Cottonwood Journal Extra. Hired by Larson Newspapers as a copy editor in 2004, he became assistant manager editor in October 2009 and managing editor in August 2013. Graham has won awards for editorials, investigative news reporting, headline writing, page design and community service from the Arizona Newspapers Association. Graham has also been featured in Editor & Publisher magazine. He lectures on journalism and First Amendment law and is a nationally recognized performance aka slam poet. Retired U.S. Army Col. John Mills, former director of Cybersecurity Policy, Strategy, and International Affairs referred to him as "Mr. Slam Poet." In January 2025, the International Astronomical Union formally named asteroid 29722 Chrisgraham (1999 AQ23) in his honor at the behest of Lowell Observatory, citing him as "an American journalist and longtime managing editor of Sedona Red Rock News. He is a nationally-recognized slam poet who has written and performed multiple poems about Pluto and other space themes."
