Help is on the way for drivers — and vendors — displaced by the closure of a section of Highway 89 in northern Arizona. Monday, work crews will begin improving an unpaved road that will serve temporarily as the new 89. At the same time, vendors are also being offered an alternative.
The nearby city of Page may allow vendors, which sell mostly jewelry and other handiwork, within city limits. City councilman Lyle Dimbat explained that coming into town means following a few more rules than selling along Highway 89 in the Navajo Nation. Still, he said, the process would be simple.
In his words, “Come in, register their business, get a permit and set themselves up to pay the city sales tax, and we’re good to go.”
Lyle said several members of the Antelope Trails Vendors Association have already inquired about coming into Page. It is unknown when Highway 89 will reopen.
It closed in February after a geologic slump badly mangled the roadway. Currently, a 40 minute detour is in place. The temporary version of 89 should be open this summer.