Arizona transportation board OKs contract to restore limited SR88 access

The Arizona State Board of Transportation has approved a contract with Nesbitt Contracting for a project that will restore limited access to 5 miles of State Route 88 Apache Trail that was damaged by flooding in 2019.

Work is expected to begin later this month as part of the Arizona Department of Transportation’s $4 million plan to restore the unpaved highway between mileposts 222-227 to a condition that can accommodate high clearance four-wheel drive vehicles as well as utility terrain vehicles. The construction will focus on a segment of SR88 east of Phoenix near Fish Creek Hill, which is to the east of Tortilla Flat.

The construction will include:

• Removing boulders on Fish Creek Hill
• Mitigating rockfall as needed between Fish Creek Hill Overlook and Fish Creek (mileposts 222-223.5)
• Installing new signage
• Cleaning and potentially replacing damaged drainage culverts
• Completing other steps to safely reopen the highway for high clearance four-wheel drive vehicles and utility terrain vehicles

ADOT anticipates opening the segment of SR88 to limited public access when work is completed this September.

Meanwhile, ADOT continues seeking federal funding for more extensive upgrades, estimated to cost $33.7 million, that would make the highway accessible to other vehicles and more resilient to storms.

In preparation for the construction project scheduled to get underway later this month, ADOT maintenance crews began work in February to remove vegetation, fill in eroded roadway sections and clean out culverts. Work in the project area requires U.S. Forest Service reviewing and approving any activity, as SR88 follows an easement through federal land. The project also must meet all applicable state and federal environmental requirements.

These 5 miles of SR88 have been closed between Fish Creek Hill Overlook and the Reavis Trailhead since the 2019 flooding, which was made worse in areas by runoff from the Woodbury Fire scar. The original closure point on the east side was at Apache Lake Marina at milepost 229, but ADOT reopened 1.7 miles west to the popular Reavis Trailhead in 2022.

While the area between mileposts 222-227 previously had been open to hikers, bicyclists and equestrians, no public access is allowed during the ongoing project.

Traveling between the East Valley and Roosevelt Lake, Apache Trail was built during construction of Theodore Roosevelt Dam, which was completed in 1911. Prior to closing in 2019, the stretch between Tortilla Flat and Apache Lake was used by an average of 232 vehicles daily.

ADOT has performed work since 2019 to restore access to and improve other damaged sections of SR88 and made regular repairs when flooding has damaged areas that are open to traffic. In 2022, ADOT reopened 1.7 miles west from Apache Lake to restore access to the Reavis Trailhead at milepost 227. Motorists can safely access Canyon Lake, Tortilla Flat and other points on the west side of the closure.

For information on SR88, go to azdot.gov/SR88ApacheTrail .