The towns of Holbrook and Winslow, Ariz., like a lot of towns on Route 66, saw a big decrease in traffic when they were bypassed by Interstate 40.
Now, according to AzJournal.com, there is a transportation plan afoot that would bypass even more traffic from those towns onto I-40.
In Holbrook, a proposal has been put before the city council to route all traffic from Highways 77 and 377 completely around the town and directly onto I-40. […]
The number of visitors that travel through Holbrook to reach Highway 180 in order to travel to the Petrified Forest and areas beyond would also likely be reduced if the bypass provides direct or easy access to 180 without traveling through town. […]
In Winslow, rerouting traffic from Highway 87 directly to Interstate 40 could result in the loss of up to 1,800 vehicles per day on East Business I-40 through town. In 2006, it was estimated that East Business I-40 is traveled by about 4,700 vehicles per day. The proposed bypasses of Winslow would also connect Highway 99 directly with Interstate 40, eliminating traffic through town from that highway as well.
The proposal is being floated as a way to reduce the growth of future traffic congestion in the town — despite the fact both Holbrook and Winslow have spent untold amounts of money for decades trying to draw people off I-40.
Astonishingly, Holbrook’s mayor expressed support for the idea, despite there being no data in the report on the possible economic impact of those bypasses.
If none of the bypass proposals are accepted, existing roads simply would be improved instead.
In the end, it’s going to be up to those communities to decide what to do. One would hope they learned something from the last time something like this happened.
It’s my understanding that much of the discussion of a new alignment for SR 77 in Holbrook is being driven by the railroad crossing. The at-grade crossing of SR 77 & the BNSF mainline just south of the Route 66 corner is one of the busiest in the state in terms of combined vehicle and train volumes, and it’s my understanding that the gate arms are frequently damaged by traffic. In most cases, this type of crossing would be grade-separated; however, any grade separation under or over the BNSF on the existing SR 77 alignment would wipe out much of downtown Holbrook (including much of 66). Also, the BNSF tracks can’t be relocated, as they’re between the Little Colorado River and the main part of town.
P.S. State Route 99 was originally planned to run from Heber to Winslow to Gray Mountain; however, I don’t believe there are any current plans to extend this route beyond its existing termini.
Thanks for chiming in, Richard. It’s always good to have a perspective from someone in the highways trade.
The thing that bothers me most about the study is 1) it doesn’t take economic impact of local businesses into account; and 2) it projects traffic and growth patterns that may not be accurate, especially in light of the real-estate bust that has beset Arizona and likely will impact the state for decades.