The Reopening of Sunset Point Rest Area

Interstate 17 highway sign, Public Domain image edited using CanvaPhoto byManual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign number M1-1

In September 2022, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) began a project to renovate the Sunset Point Rest Area. Work was undertaken to revamp the restrooms, ramadas, sidewalks, lighting, water, and septic systems. The renovations have now been completed and the site has reopened.

The $7.5 million project included renovating and reopening the original restroom building. The original building had been closed since 2010. Travelers who stop to rest along their way will notice upgrades to the signage, sidewalks, and landscaping, along with the renovated ramadas and restrooms. In addition to these changes, the improvements made the rest area more accessible for persons with disabilities.

Beauty Along the Highway

When the Sunset Point Rest Area closed in September of 2022, travelers between the valley and Flagstaff missed one of the most beautiful rest areas in Arizona, if not the United States. Sunset Point sits along Interstate 17 at milepost 252, 53 miles north of Phoenix and 89 miles south of Flagstaff. Located on the southbound side of the freeway, the rest area serves drivers travelling in both directions.

The travel stop provides not only restrooms, vending machines, and ramadas for picnicking, but also a breathtaking view of a valley far below and the Bradshaw Mountains in the western distance. Sunset Point Rest Area is the most popular rest area in Arizona The nearest large communities are Black Canyon City to the south and Cordes Lakes to the north.

Since Sunset Point was first opened to travelers in 1970, it has been visited by millions. Just a year after it opened, the site was named the nation’s “Outstanding Safety Rest Area with Sanitary and Other Facilities” in a competition sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration. The competition received 70 entries representing 28 states.

Sundial Memorial

The sundial memorial, which honors ADOT employees who have died while serving the state of Arizona, was renovated as well. The sundial was installed during the summer of 1997. The idea of the memorial came from the employees of ADOT themselves. When considering locations for the memorial, Sunset Point was chosen because of its scenic beauty and because of so many people stop at the site.

When considering what type of memorial to build, ADOT employees participated in a contest, submitting ideas for the design. According to a 2018 issue of the ADOT newsletter, the sundial was chosen as an enduring symbol with a timeless message that recognizes the influence of the honored employees. On the blade that stands vertically to create the shadow on the base below, called the Gnomon, visitors to Sunset Point can read the following inscription: “As the sun sets over our fallen companions, may they always be remembered.”

On the base of the sundial is inscribed, “A sundial is a living object. It needs no winding and is driven by no weight. It has something to say and it says it. It speaks about time never ceasing to recall the flight of time, its tragedy and irreversibility for men. The thoughts arise of earth, and the end of everything, of eternity, of the world beyond.”

Historical Marker

In January of 1980, a historical marker was dedicated at Sunset Point in honor of William Clayton LeFebvre (1890 – 1964). The plaque was dedicated to the Engineering Achievement of the “colorful administrator, he is credited with establishing the basic location of Arizona's billion-dollar Interstate Highway System. He served as State Engineer twice, from 1924 to 1928 and from 1945 to 1951. He devoted much of his final term to curbing diversion of state highway user revenues to purposes other than road-building. His varied career included that of road-builder, railroad civil engineer, city engineer, county engineer, chief of police, engineer with the Public Works Administration, naval commander in World War II, Phoenix city manager, and Phoenix postmaster.”

According to the Historical Marker Project, the plaque was placed by the Arizona State Transportation Board and Arizona Section and the. American Society of Civil Engineers. There does not seem to be any reference to this marker in current postings about the Sunset Point Rest Area.

Temporary Rest Area Closure

During the renovations of the Sunset Point Rest Area, the existing parking lot was open to commercial trucks, oversize loads, large RVs and vehicles with trailers on a limited basis. In addition, a temporary rest area was opened four miles north of Sunset Point at the Badger Springs Road exit 256 for passenger vehicles and non-commercial trucks only. This temporary rest stop will now be closed.

Travelers and day-trippers alike who would like to know more about ADOT’s rest areas can find information at azdot.gov/RestAreas.