U.S. Highway 191 reopens south of Willcox following erosion repairs

Photo Courtesy ADOT: U.S. Highway 191 south of Willcox is closed due to erosion under the roadway.

Photo Courtesy ADOT: U.S. Highway 191 south of Willcox was reopened Wednesday morning after being closed due to erosion under the roadway.

ADOT crews complete work to fill cracks underneath highway

PHOENIX – A section of U.S. Highway 191 south of Willcox reopened Wednesday morning following more than a week of work to repair soil erosion that damaged the highway.

ADOT crews completed repairs early today, allowing traffic to flow again on US 191 between Birch Road at milepost 53.1 and Dragoon Road at milepost 55.7. The highway closed Monday, July 5, when maintenance crews discovered cracks following heavy rainfall in the area. Traffic was detoured onto local roads during the closure.

After the damage was discovered, ADOT consulted with experts including the agency’s geotechnical unit, to examine the causes of the ground erosion while developing a repair strategy to safely reopen US 191.

The work involved removing pavement to expose cracks, which were then filled with a concrete slurry mix. Afterward, a 2-inch layer of asphalt was installed on a ⅕-mile-long segment of the highway.

ADOT asks drivers to use extra caution on this segment until lane stripes are applied to the new pavement. Road maintenance crews will monitor the highway for any additional cracking or damage.