ADOT proposes alternative to damaged U.S.89

March 22, 2013

The state Transportation Department says it has come up with a temporary solution for drivers heading to Page and Lake Powell. The move was necessitated by a landslide last month on part of Route 89, which caused the roadway to buckle.

The State Transportation Board has approved $1 million, to will pay for improvements on Navajo Route 20. The tribal roadway runs parallel to U.S. 89, to the east. About 27 miles are currently unpaved, and ADOT says paving them is contingent on agreements between several groups, including the Navajo Nation, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Navajo Division of Transportation. ADOT says the move isn’t a permanent solution, but should help the thousands of drivers affected daily by the indefinite closure on Route 89. The agency says it doesn’t have a timetable for re-opening the road, but is working to do so as soon as is safely possible.