Road closed in Petrified Forest National Park for pavement, bridge work

A lengthy section of road in the Petrified Forest National Park in eastern Arizona will be closed through late March, with possible travel delays through June after the road reopens.

According to the Navajo-Hopi Observer, the road closure begins south of the Blue Mesa Loop and north of the Crystal Forest trail area. Areas closed through March 29 during include Agate Bridge Overlook and Jasper Forest Overlook.

Once one lane of the road reopens, work there may continue through June with traffic delays no longer than 15 minutes, the article stated.

A memo from the National Park Service said three bridges need to be replaced amid the road work, at a total cost of $9.5 million.

The article states the work on the road and bridges, in collaboration with Federal Highways Administration, are “much needed” in that section of the park.

During the road closure, the park is split into two regions. The northern region is only accessed from I-40 and contains the majority of Painted Desert overlooks. The southern region is only accessed from Highway 180 and contains the petrified log field trails and Late Triassic exhibits.

Travelers cannot access Interstate 40 from Highway 180 during the closure.

The Route 66 portion of the park, Painted Desert Inn and main visitor center will remain accessible from I-40 during the road’s closing.

To access southern attractions such as the Crystal Forest, Long Logs, Agate House and the Rainbow Forest Museum through late March, one has to travel southeast of Holbrook via Highway 180. That’s nearly a 45-mile detour from the I-40 access point at the park’s northern entrance.

Fortunately, the roadwork is occurring during the tourism off-season. But those who travel Route 66 in the first quarter of 2020 should keep this closure in mind.

(Image of the Petrified Forest National Park by Jerry and Pat Donoho via Flickr)

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