THATCHER — Work on the second phase of improvements to U.S. Highway 70 in Graham County could be happening sooner than originally expected.
Thatcher Mayor Jenny Howard, who represents Graham County on the state Transportation Board, said the board discussed at its March meeting moving up the pavement rehabilitation project on Highway 70 between Reay Lane in Thatcher to Cottonwood Wash in Pima to Fiscal Year 2026.
The board could take action on the change at its next meeting, April 17 in Kingman. Members of the public can offer input by attending the meeting, calling in or using Webex. Click here for the Request for Public Input form.
Arizona Department of Transportation representatives will also have a booth at the Safford Spring Festival, April 24-25, to hear from the public on any transportation issue, as part of ADOT’s statewide Listening Tour. The public can also comment on the Next Move Arizona webpage.
The second half of the Highway 70 Pavement Rehabilitation project was originally scheduled for Fiscal Year 2028 in the ADOT five-year plan, but was pushed to FY 2030 in order to fund the widening of State Route 347, from Interstate 10 to the City of Maricopa.
However, Howard said there may be sufficient de-obligated funds to begin the Highway 70 project sooner than originally planned.
The first half of the project — 4.6 miles of Highway 70 from 8th Street in Safford to Reay Lane in Thatcher — is going on now. The work includes removing old asphalt and repaving with new asphalt, making pedestrian facility improvements including putting in ADA ramps, box culvert repair, fog seal, new pavement markings, sign replacement, repair of drainage elements and other related work.
The asphalt work is being performed at night and the Safford-Thatcher portion of the project is expected to be completed within the next few months.
