As the roundabout at Brewer Road nears completion, construction on the ‘Y’ roundabout is set to begin.
The Arizona Department of Transportation plans to start construction at the ‘Y’ intersection, at Highways 89A and 179, on Tuesday, July 8, and finish by Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1.
ADOT realizes that the ‘Y’ is the key intersection and the gateway to almost all destinations in the area, so it wants to finish as quickly as possible, said Kristin Darr-Bornstein, public outreach manager representing ADOT.
By Alison Ecklund
Larson Newspapers
As the roundabout at Brewer Road nears completion, construction on the ‘Y’ roundabout is set to begin.
The Arizona Department of Transportation plans to start construction at the ‘Y’ intersection, at Highways 89A and 179, on Tuesday, July 8, and finish by Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1.
ADOT realizes that the ‘Y’ is the key intersection and the gateway to almost all destinations in the area, so it wants to finish as quickly as possible, said Kristin Darr-Bornstein, public outreach manager representing ADOT.
To meet the two-month schedule, ADOT will work 20 hours a day, seven days a week. Working less intensely would have extended the project to more than four months, Darr-Bornstein said.
“We understand that the quicker we can get out of there, the better,” she said.
One business isn’t sticking around to see if that’s true.
Bob McLean Custom Bootmakers, at the ‘Y’ intersection, is closing its doors Fourth of July weekend.
To the store’s employee, Rob Bernhagen, road construction in front of the store was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“Everyone in the country is hurting because of the economy,” he said. Then construction came.
“It was a series of holding on,” Bernhagen said. “Then this was just the last straw. If it’s already bad, it’s going to get worse.”
According to Bernhagen, people are paying for necessities like rent, gas and insurance, but not buying anything else.
Across the street at Blackmarr’s Furniture, business is as bad as it’s been, owner Dan Potter said.
“It’s a double whammy,” Potter said of the economic troubles mixed with road construction.
Potter does realize that it’s going to be done fast and that it needs to be done, but wishes that ADOT or the city would pay for advertising to show new access routes to affected businesses.
“It’s hard for us to advertise so much, because we don’t have the money for it,” he said.
Phase one
Construction phase one, which is projected to last through July, prohibits all left turns at the ‘Y.’
Drivers leaving Uptown wanting to go south on Highway 179 will drive through the ‘Y’ area, around the Brewer Road roundabout, turn right on to Brewer Road, then left on to Ranger Road, and turn right on to 179.
Drivers wishing to go west from Highway 179 will turn left on to Ranger Road, right on to Brewer Road and drive around the Brewer Road roundabout at Highway 89A.
The Hyatt Piñon Pointe entrance from the ‘Y’ will be closed during phase one; access to that area will be from Forest Road in Uptown.
Signage will indicate detours and access points, specifically for businesses at the ‘Y,’ Darr-Bornstein said.
During construction, the Brewer Road roundabout will be open, but may not function to its full potential until the ‘Y’
roundabout is up and running, since they were designed to work together, Darr-Bornstein said.
Construction flaggers, Arizona Department of Public Safety and Sedona Police Department will keep traffic flowing throughout construction, but ADOT still expects traffic delays.
Phase two, which will see a different set of detours, is projected for August.
Alison Ecklund can be reached at 282-7795, Ext. 125, or e-mail
aecklund@larsonnewspapers.com
