Death & Destruction on US 89

KNAU published Photo by Leland Jones, Coconino County provided by Supervisor Lena Fowler.

A 26-year-old French woman was killed on US 89 October 3-4 2018.  And then US 89 totally washed out and was completely closed.  Traffic was then detoured 190 miles through the Hopi and Navajo Reservations.

What happened & what's next?

The remnants of once Hurricane Rosa wrecked havoc in various Arizona areas.  A convective thunderstorm picked up some of those remnants and dumped unprecedented water into an no-name tributary of Fivemile Wash north of Cameron.

A simple box culvert was over-topped and the rushing runoff head cut the pavement into oblivion. "The woman was driving northbound on U.S. 89 and had just crossed a section that started to give way. Troopers say she then got out of the vehicle. That is when a 40-year-old Lakeside, Arizona, man crossed the collapsed area but lost control. His pickup truck struck the victim, who was standing outside of her car. The woman died at the scene."

KNAU published Photo by Leland Jones, Coconino County provided by Supervisor Lena Fowler.

It didn't take long for Coconino County officials to weigh in on the situation.  Two of them just happened to be attending a legislative convention in Phoenix. The massive wheels of ADOT's mighty machinery began churning to a resolution.  Meanwhile, the equally massive daily traffic flow on US 89 was diverted through Hopi Land and The Navajo Nation.

See also: https://azdailysun.com/news/local/one-dead-after-washout-us-closed-between-flagstaff-and-page/article_86fbfb23-be02-5639-bf90-44ec69fadaf6.html

Photo obtained from Coconino County Twitter. 

 Both @CoconinoCounty Sups. Jim Parks & @lenafowler spent time with Gov. @dougducey today at @csaofaz Legislative Summit discussing the washout on US 89 near Cameron and the need for quick rebuild to move people and goods through Northern Arizona.

Photo obtained from Coconino County Twitter. 

ADOT's Twitter feed today was filled with the relentless hue and cry of impatient travelers demanding fast and easy access to their destination(s).  Only one Twitter respondent all day paid respects to the deceased French woman.

We are grateful for the Staff of KNAU for instructing us in how to add proper photo credits to some of the pictures.  THANK YOU, Aaron & Ryan!

The stretch of US 89 between Flagstaff and either Kanab or Page has always been problematic, dating back to the horse-drawn wagon days.

Photo obtained from ADOT Twitter.

Photo obtained from ADOT Twitter.

Photo obtained from ADOT Twitter.

 It is no real surprise that Rosa's Remnants wrecked havoc on US 89.  What's surprising is the insignificance of the drainage that caused the road failure.  And what's sad & tragic is that someone died because of  yet another fluvial event in the 200+ million-year-old fluvial zone of the Triassic Chinle Formation, a rewashed legacy of ash from ancient volcanoes in California and Nevada.

With the Arizona Guv's attention presumed to be  turned to this sad incident, it's highly likely the road will open "sooner" rather than later.  Soon, the scars will heal, rabbit brush will grow and no one will ever know or remember the name of a 26-year-old French woman who died in The Painted Desert on US 89.

US 89 in this historic reach between Utah and Flagstaff became a vital artery not long after Navajo Bridge was dedicated in June 1929. 

For a couple of Old US 89 Stories see:

https://us89stories.blogspot.com/2018/03/us-89-flagstaff-to-marble-canyon-1928.html

and

https://us89history.blogspot.com/2018/02/cameron-to-navajo-bridge-1931.html