The Federal Highway Administration is seeking public comments on repairs to an eleven-mile section of state route 88 Apache Trail. The 11-mile section spans from Roosevelt Dam to Apache Lake Marina. These new improvements would pave this section of roadway, clear visual obstructions, and repair culverts damaged by flood.

No repair of Fish Creek Hill

Unfortunately, this plan does not include repairing the collapsed road into Fish Creek. The state has deemed State Route 88 indefinitely closed, and there is no plan to reopen the road. According to ADOT officials, the collapsed section of the road will cost millions of dollars to repair, and the surrounding area must regenerate vegetation to avoid further erosion.

The Arizona Department of Agriculture collects seed from native Arizona plants just for this purpose. Along state highways, the seed is planted to encourage growth and reduce erosion, but there are no efforts to do so along Apache Trail. In fact, ADOT tells us that Apache Trail isn’t even on the 5-year plan.

Visit the Project Page for complete details about this proposal.

We have provided all documents associated with the project below.

 at_ea-4f_public_notice_05212021.pdf

 at_public_ea-4f_051321.pdf

 at-public_ea_appendices.pdf

Submit your comments

You can email your comments to the Federal Highway Administration. Email your comments directly to dustin.robbins@dot.gov or mail them to Dustin Robbins, Project Manager, FHWA, 12300 W. Dakota Ave. Lakewood, Colorado 80228.

Your comments are requested before June 19, 2021

Kevin Allard

Kevin is an American outdoorsman born and raised in rural Arizona who grew up exploring the Arizona backcountry with his father. Today, he and his son travel to the most remote regions of Arizona, scavenging for the remains of early western pioneers. As a lifelong outdoorsman, Kevin has learned to stick close to his roots while engaging in important advocacy work regarding motorized access to public lands. You can find his work in many local and nationwide publications, including The Western Journal, 4Low Magazine, and his website AZBackroads.com.