GLOBE – Motorists who travel on US 60 between Superior and Miami need to begin planning for a full closure of the highway from Sept. 12-17 while crews with the Arizona Department of Transportation realign the roadway to meet with the new Pinto Creek bridge.

During the 5-day closure, motorists should expect an extra hour of travel and a 10 percent grade as traffic is detoured onto state routes 77 and 177 through Winkleman. Eastbound traffic in Superior will be directed onto SR 177, and westbound traffic will be redirected at the west end of Miami.

Motorists with a destination in the closed segment of US 60 will be allowed to pass the closure points, but no vehicles will be allowed between Top-of-the-World and Pinto Valley Mine Road. 

The closure is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12, and end at noon Friday, Sept. 17. The closure is subject to change based on weather.

While ADOT has worked to minimize the impact of the bridge replacement project, the extended closure is required because of the work involved with shifting the highway roughly 30 feet while also raising it 8 feet to align with the new structure. Crews will work 24 hours a day during the closure.

The work that will take place during the closure represents a major milestone in the two-year, $22.7 million project to replace the 72-year-old bridge. Once traffic is shifted onto the nearly 700-foot long bridge, construction crews will begin the process of removing the old structure and restoring the project site.

Also, drivers should expect a 4-hour closure in October when crews take down the old bridge. Through the rest of the year, occasional lane restrictions will be required as crews haul away remnants of the old bridge and complete other roadway improvements.

More information about the project is available at azdot.gov/PintoCreekBridge.