Work is now underway to help eliminate illegal parking along Soldier Pass Road while at the same time making things safer for those seeking trailheads in the area.
Crews recently began mobilizing equipment into the area for removal of select vegetation within the city’s right-of-way on the east side of Soldier Pass Road, where a new shared-use path will go. This will be followed by the installation of the stabilized decomposed granite pathway surface.
The project also consists of a new parking lot and restroom at Posse Grounds Park that is set to begin shortly. Work is anticipated to be complete in the spring of 2022.
On June 22, the Sedona City Council approved a construction contract with Paul R. Peterson Construction Company not to exceed $1,352,872 for the Posse Ground Park Parking and Soldier Pass Road Shared-Use Path Improvements Project.
Like the new parking lot, the 3,850-foot-long pathway will be made of stabilized decomposed granite, beginning at the new parking area and ending on Shadow Rock Drive. This material was also used to construct the Sunset Park shared-use path.
The contract for the project includes:
■ A 10-foot-wide shared-use path along the east side of the road from the current Sunset Trail crossing at Soldier Pass Road and heading north to Rim Shadows Drive — nearly a half-mile. The majority of this trail will be attached to the roadway. A short section will be detached from the roadway and separated by a curb.
■ Signage along the shared use path for safety.
■ Pet waste stations and trash receptacles.
■ Residential road crossings will be striped to delineate the crossings.
■ Miscellaneous drainage improvements and culvert extensions to provide the area needed for the shared-use path.
■ Boulders will be installed along the roadway which will restrict parking along the trail.
■ A raised trail crossing will be installed at the Sunset Trail and Soldier Pass Road crossing to the Vultee Arch Road, aka Forest Service Road 152. This safety feature is expected to add to other improvements in this area that have had a traffic calming effect.
Work may occur Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Please be aware of heavy equipment, lane restrictions, reduced speeds, loud noise and flagging operations along Soldier Pass Road.
“The project will provide a safe route between the Soldier Pass Trailhead and Posse Grounds Park, which residents and visitors will benefit from,” City Engineer Andy Dickey said in June. “Visitors, and residents from other areas of the city, will have parking at Posse Grounds Park and a safe route to take to the trailhead.
“Residents in the Rim Shadows area will have a safe route to take to Posse Grounds Park without needing to drive a vehicle. This improves safety, removes parking congestion from Rim Shadows and reduces cars on the road in this area.”
Future communication for this project will be provided via email updates. To receive these updates, email a request to news@soldierspasssup.com. For detailed project information, visit soldierspasssup.com or call the Project Hotline at 852-4164.
