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Expect Delays On Arizona State Route 87 For Several Months

One of the busiest routes heading to Payson and the White Mountains from the Phoenix area is about to slow down. Drivers who use State Route 87 will be facing delays for the next several months.

Starting Tuesday, State Route 87 will be narrowed to one lane in each direction in the Slate Creek area for about a 3-mile stretch. That’s about 25 miles south of Payson.

Earlier this year, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation, crews began making repairs to the highway’s drainage system near Slate Creek. Devices used to measure ground movement registered  slight movement in slopes next to the highway.

Over the next several months, crews will move nearly 27,000 cubic yards of dirt from along the northbound side of the highway to a location further down a slope to help stabilize the area.

The lane restrictions are scheduled to be in place through fall, including weekends. ADOT plans to temporarily lift the lane closures over the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Al Macias, former KJZZ news director, retired as KJZZ's news director in 2022. He rejoined the station as a features reporter in 2023 and also as a part-time editor in 2024.