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State begins to look<br>at SR64 design issues

FLAGSTAFF — While the Coconino County Board of Supervisors looked over the final draft of a State Route 64 access plan last week, there was word that the Arizona Department of Transportation is now in the beginning stages of looking at possible design changes to the heavily-traveled highway itself.

Safety for pedestrians in Tusayan and Valle was one of the issues studied in the SR64 access management plan. On the way into Tusayan, there is currently this pedestrian sign to warn drivers.

David Mann, community development transportation planner for the county, said ADOT hired a consultant out of Phoenix to begin the next study.

"There’s a design concept study starting for the corridor — should the highway be widened and if so, where and for how long (of a distance), are passing lanes big enough?" Mann said. "The DCR (design concept report) will take the recommendations from this access management study and incorporate it into what they find. But they’re just getting started."

The SR64 Access Management Study addressed safety concerns along the highway between Interstate 40 near Williams and Grand Canyon Village. The study also included a six-mile stretch of U.S. 180 east of the intersection from Valle.

"We think it generally is a good approach to solving some of the future problems that might be created," District I supervisor Paul Babbitt said about the study. "I think of equal importance of this study is a study that will follow and that will address 64 and its design."

Grand Canyon-area residents who drive on SR64 have long been wondering when the state will take action on improvements to the highway. Although tourism numbers have been stagnate over the past few years, there are still projections for increased use of the highway in the future.

Babbitt expects more public input from the next study.

"The public input hasn’t been all the great, not a whole lot of interest," Babbitt said about the access study, which included public meetings in Williams and Valle. "I think there will be cause for almost celebration when they get to the next one."

Among the biggest problems on SR64 appears to be tourists who ignore posted speed limit signs and pass other vehicles in high-risk areas. The only passing lane currently on the road is situated on a hill just south of Williams.

"That’s really going to look at widening the highway," Mann said about the ensuing study. "That was definitely a concern of the people they talked to (in public meetings). And they did go out and talk to the property owners, businesses and some of the main concerns were speeding and passing lanes. Those did come out as issues."

In a work session on Jan. 8, supervisors listened to a presentation by the consultants who worked on the access management plan. The main focus of the study was to minimize conflicts between traffic entering and exiting the highway.

"Problems come out when you have the high speed through traffic and all these driveways with direct access to the roadways," Mann said. "That’s where the safety concerns come in. Before there’s a great deal of development in the corridor, we need to try to have some type of planning effort to determine where there are safe access points."

The plan breaks down various recommendations for the highway in areas such as Valle and Tusayan. For example, Mann said there’s a recommendation for raised medians in the areas approaching both of those communities. Those types of changes are designed to slow down traffic and bring awareness to drivers that pedestrians could be crossing.

Mann said one concern brought up by the board involved development and whether or not the property owner would be required to have a frontage road. Such a requirement could be a big burden to put on a property owner.

In Valle, there is a frontage road near the highway for access to certain businesses but changes may be necessary there as the small community continues to develop.

After the consulting firm working on the SR64 access study prepares a final document, the issue will go back to the board for a vote, likely within the next month or two.


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