Sedona AZ (February 8, 2015) – Sedona Arizona City Manager Tim Ernster is notifying news outlets that the City was officially notified by the Arizona Department of Transportation that Arizona State Route 89A is closed at milepost 286.6, just north of the Pine Flats Campground, due to a development of a sinkhole. The actual sinkhole is located at approximately Milepost 287, below the Oak Creek Canyon switchbacks.
“This is all of the information we have right now,” concluded Ernster.
Arizona Department of Transportation inspectors will be on State Route 89A at the Oak Creek Canyon switchbacks Monday morning to assess the road after a sinkhole closed the roadway this weekend. The highway is closed in both directions between mileposts 387-390, about 15 miles south of Flagstaff. Motorists can use Arizona Interstate 17 as an alternate route.
There is no estimate for when the roadway will reopen.
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Sinkholes are very scary to me. Depending their size and if they are getting bigger.Hope this one is small and causes no danger. Be safe.
Another stab in the heart of Sedona businesses, sorry folks. You don’t deserve this.
It’s in a spot of crazy switchbacks on a cliff. No one allowed for now. I dare say I may never again and it takes twice as long to go the other way to Flagstaff. I rarely go there anyway., but it’s one of the top scenic routes in the country. Great motorcycle ride too. Climbs from 4500′ here in Sedona to 7,000′ to Flagstaff in a mere 20 miles along and above Oak Creek.
SEDONA FRIENDS TAKE NOTE: sink hole up the canyon being repaired!! Until then……
@ Dick Nothing to be sorry over. Sedona Businesses are doing great. Blocking the canyon only keeps them in Sedona.
Look at it this way. The Chamber will now have another excuse for blaming it on the sinkhole if sales are down and return on $1.3 city investment is lacking.
However if indeed the hiway closure proves to increase business uptown, it will be the Chamber to take credit for their expertise in creative advertising.
No matter. It will be a win win for the Chamber. You can bet on it.
Sedona, the raw land and earth, not the city, has a way of teaching lessons………
You trash the 179 entrance to Sedona, now it’s all you have for traffic from the north. Phoenix airport will send traffic through 260 into 89a through your “West” gateway.
You trash surrounding towns and businesses.
Uptowns going to take a little time out, as it should be.
KARMIC retribution continues. Enjoy, evil ones.
@Pat
Gee, ya think that during the slide fire the fact that sales tax WAS UP just may be because the Chamber did their job and were successful in bringing people?
I’m guessing that you’ll be blaming the Chamber for causing the sink hole.
@Take your Medicine;
Are You flipping kidding me? What planet are your living on?
This supposed sink hole has absolutely nothing to do with 179 or the City and guess you forget we have I 17 from the north? Opps!
Reality is that Phx airports sends traffic up I 17 to 179 – NOT 89A! What meds are you on (or have forgotten to take) suggesting someone is trashing surrounding towns and businesses? Karma? “Evil ones”? Get it together and then let us know how you really feel.
Hey man – get a grip and stick to facts…..
Oh wow, Thanks for the heads up Drew you know me too well
I hope the contractor that rebuilt the road last year has to pay for the repairs.
Repairs of the roadway damage caused from a sinkhole started today along State Route 89A in the Oak Creek Canyon switchbacks, but the roadway remains closed (mileposts 387-390) and is expected to remain closed until later this week, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Crews used heavy equipment to excavate a six-foot deep, eight-foot wide section of the roadway today to remove loose material underneath the pavement near milepost 388, where the sinkhole was originally spotted on Saturday afternoon on the northbound lane.
After the earthwork was completed, crews filled the void with a liquid concrete-cement mix that needs to harden for at least 24 hours before the roadway can be repaved. In an effort to expedite the repairs as soon as possible, ADOT is currently contacting potential contractors to get the asphalt that will be needed to complete the paving.
Prior to construction, a team of geotechnical engineers conducted a field inspection of the sinkhole this morning and determined that it could be repaired immediately.
With SR 89A closed from the Pine Flats Campground to the Vista Point scenic overlook, the recommended detour from Sedona to Flagstaff is to take State Route 179 to Interstate 17. The detour could add up to an extra half hour of travel time for motorists commuting between Sedona and Flagstaff.
Chambers are “trade organizations” under IRS as non-profit 501 c6 They are NOT a charity. They are membership based. They are NOT the goverment. They do NOT collect sales tax nor do their members. They may have some members that collect sales tax if those members are in an industry that collects sales tax or bed tax.It would depend on where they are physically located. Chambers can have members anywhere.
Don’t be fooled by the local chamber who take credit for everything good like our own city. They took credit for Rachel Murdock (& P&R department) work on the Christmas display, when P&R department managed it on thier own,
The local regional chamber does not collect the sales tax or bed tax. Those businesses in your district do. We hear over and over the local group is responsible for everything good and then they whine, beg for money. Shameful.
Those doing the work deserve the Thank you’s. Support your local businesses!
Learn more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamber_of_commerce
A chamber of commerce is not a governmental body or institution, and has no direct role in the writing and passage of laws and regulations that affect businesses. It may however, act as a lobby in an attempt to get laws passed that are favorable to businesses.
State Route 89A Partially Reopened in Oak Creek Canyon Switchbacks – State Route 89A in the Oak Creek Canyon switchbacks (mileposts 387-390) was partially reopened after crews reopened the southbound lane, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Both lanes of SR 89A were closed after a sinkhole was spotted on the northbound lane of the two-lane roadway.
Both directions of traffic will be guided through the area with assistance from a flagger until the northbound lane is reopened.
ADOT started the repairs after geotechnical engineers completed an inspection Monday that determined the repairs could start immediately. Crews used heavy equipment to excavate a six-foot deep, eight-foot-wide section of the roadway to remove loose material underneath the pavement near milepost 388.
Today, ADOT is scheduled to repave the northbound lane after filling the void with a liquid concrete-cement mix that needed to harden overnight before work can begin.
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