By Jon Johnson/Gila Herald
jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com
PIMA — Work has officially kicked off on the Arizona Department of Transportation’s (ADOT) $20.7 million Highway 70 repaving project, starting this week with concrete and sidewalk repairs through Pima.
According to Pima Town Manager Vernon Batty, the ADOT project manager informed the town that state contractors expect to reach Pima with roadwork equipment around Nov. 3. The timeline aligns well with local infrastructure plans, leaving the town on track to finish trenching its new sewer line across U.S. Highway 70 before state paving operations reach the area.
By completing the sewer crossover ahead of the Nov. 3 arrival, Pima can open-trench directly across the highway rather than paying for an expensive underground bore.
The sewer crossing is a crucial component of the town’s ongoing municipal sewer expansion. Once installed across Highway 70, the new gravity line will allow the town to eliminate the existing lift station located behind the Speedway gas station and tie directly into the main line near the new Pima High School.
The sewer crossover is being handled as a change-order extension to the recently completed high school sewer project, allowing the town to work with contractor Judco LLC to execute the trenching swiftly. Local utility providers—including Graham County Electric Cooperative and local telecommunications companies—are also coordinating to place joint utility conduits in the open trench to prevent future road disruptions.
ADOT’s overall repaving effort spans 5.4 miles of U.S. Highway 70 from Reay Lane in Thatcher (milepost 335) to Cottonwood Wash in Pima (milepost 330), revitalizing both eastbound and westbound lanes following a similar project completed earlier this year between Safford and Thatcher.
Drivers through Pima should expect minor delays, lane restrictions, and shoulder work as crews continue preliminary sidewalk construction ahead of November’s paving operations.
