Drivers heading toward Williams and Flagstaff should slow down and plan for extra travel time due to road work.
Starting this week, drivers on eastbound Interstate 40, west of Williams, will notice a traffic switch in which they will use one of the westbound lanes for five miles. This switch will allow crews from the Arizona Department of Transportation to begin rebuilding the winter-weather damaged eastbound section of the highway.
This project is seen as a long-term fix, as it will rebuild the roadway from the ground up by layering a new foundation. Occurring between mileposts 156 and 161, crews have constructed a temporary road across the media at each end of the project, creating one lane in each direction on the westbound side of I-40. This traffic switch will remain in place now throughout the fall.
This $34 million dollar project is crucial for both truckers and travelers. More work is being done on I-40 closer to Flagstaff between mileposts 179 and 191. A $13.9 million dollar project to repave 12 miles is nearly halfway complete.
For more information on this and other paving projects along I-40, visit azdot.gov.