Drivers can once again cruise through scenic Oak Creek Canyon between Sedona and Flagstaff on Hwy. 89A.

?They drilled down into the mountain and placed eight I-beams and secured them with concrete.?

Rick Schilke, transportation engineering specialist for ADOT.

Drivers can once again cruise through scenic Oak Creek Canyon between Sedona and Flagstaff on Hwy. 89A.

After a nearly two-week closure, crews completed the majority of repairs two days early, allowing the road to open Friday, March 2, at 4:30 p.m.

Commuters no longer need to slog through the construction on Hwy. 179 in the Village of Oak Creek.

Arizona Department of Transportation contractor for the Hwy. 89A job was Vastco, based in Chino Valley. Crews replaced a retaining wall under the road near the top of the switchbacks after a 10-foot section was found to have fallen off February.

?They drilled down into the mountain and placed eight I-beams and secured them with concrete,? said Rick Schilke, transportation engineering specialist for ADOT.

?The closure was necessary because we had to stabilize the drill rig,? Schilke said.

?The wall still needs to be painted,? ADOT Public Information Officer Jodi Sorrell said. ?It has to be blended in with the surrounding area.?

?It was too cold to paint now, so we went ahead and opened it early,? Schilke said.

A meeting will be held by ADOT at Mingus Union High School, 1801 E. Fir St., Cottonwood, on Tuesday, March 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. regarding area highway needs and plans. Public comment is welcome and there will be a short presentation by state road officials.

A similar meeting was held in Sedona on Tuesday, March 6, and will be held in Prescott Wednesday, March 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Mackin Training Room, adjacent to the rodeo grounds.