Transportation Plan Would Bypass Holbrook, Winslow

By Tammy Gray-Searles
   When Interstate 40 bypassed Holbrook and Winslow, it changed the towns forever.
   While traffic decreased on Route 66, allowing residents to travel quickly through the cities, the decrease in traffic volume also meant fewer customers for businesses and fewer dollars to fuel local economies. Since the I-40 bypass, city officials have spent countless hours and large amounts of money coming up with ways to lure travelers off the freeway and into town.
   Now, another bypass is proposed with the very intention of reducing traffic flow through Holbrook and Winslow, as well as Heber.
   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.
   Traffic estimates from 2006 show that a total of 8,400 vehicles travel those highways each day. A total of 12,100 vehicles travel the southern portion of Navajo Blvd. in Holbrook each day, meaning that if only half of the estimated traffic from Highways 77 and 377 came into Holbrook, routing that traffic around the city would reduce traffic coming through town by about one-third. If all of the vehicles traveling on those highways actually come in to Holbrook, it would reduce traffic on the south end of Navajo Blvd. by about two-thirds.
   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.
   Proposals for Heber include connecting 260 directly with 277 without a need to travel through Heber, and also creating a new section of road connecting a western portion of Highway 260 with an eastern portion, which would also allow traffic to bypass Heber.
   The plans to bypass the towns are being offered up as a way to reduce congestion in the towns and to provide alternate railroad crossings in Holbrook and Winslow. According to the reports prepared by Wilson and Company, which is doing the preliminary study on the project for the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), all of the towns can expect to become congested by the year 2030 if the bypasses are not constructed. The traffic estimates being used by Wilson and Company, however, are based on housing developments that are being proposed by NZ Legacy, but which have not yet started construction.
   NZ Legacy is owned by Skymall founder Bob Worsley, who several years ago asked that Navajo County include a highway that would run through his proposed developments and bypass Holbrook in the county general plan.
   According to NZ Legacy’s Web site, the company “holds vast tracts of undeveloped land in the following areas: Taylor and Snowflake, Joseph City, Milky Ranch, Winslow, Mexican Hollow and Hay Hollow.” Housing developments are projected by the company in both Apache County and in areas between Holbrook and Snowflake along Highway 77. Although those plans were announced by NZ Legacy several years ago, no construction has begun.
   Wilson and Company Transportation Planning Manager Dan Marum explained that the traffic estimates used to justify the bypasses in Holbrook are based on anticipated future growth, including the NZ Legacy plans. According to those estimates, traffic on the south end of Navajo Blvd. will increase from the 2006 estimate of 12,100 cars per day to 27,500 per day by 2030.
   Two of the bypass alternatives presented by Wilson and Company propose to take on a significant portion of that traffic, with an alternate bypassing Holbrook on the east side expected to handle about 25,400 vehicles per day, and a route around the west side taking on 26,000 vehicles per day.
   According to the company’s estimates, traffic on Highway 377 will increase from 3,000 vehicles per day in 2006 to 11,200 per day in 2030, and traffic on Highway 77 from 5,400 in 2006 to 17,800 in 2030.
   In Winslow, it is estimated, based on growth, that traffic will increase from 1,800 cars per day on State Route 87 in 2006 to 7,300 in 2030. Proposed alternate routes around Winslow would take up between 4,500 and 4,800 of the estimated vehicles per day in 2030.
   For Heber, it is estimated that approximately 6,300 vehicles pass through the town on Highway 260 each day, but by 2030 that number will be 24,100. Proposed alternates would reroute up to 23,300 of those vehicles, based on the estimates.
   Like the rest of Arizona, Holbrook, Winslow and Heber rely heavily on tourism. Holbrook takes in approximately $200,000 per year in bed tax alone, and payments on the city’s wastewater treatment plant are funded by a one-percent sales tax that is paid by residents and visitors alike. No information was included in the Wilson and Company report on the effect the bypass might have on the economies of Holbrook, Winslow and Heber.
   During a presentation to the Holbrook City Council, Mayor Jeff Hill expressed support for the plan, noting that new development could be created along the bypass routes, and streets like Hopi Drive turned into pedestrian-only downtown areas. Few local residents or business owners weighed in on the proposal.
   A letter from ADOT and Navajo County officials dated July 15 outlined the input received from Holbrook residents during a public meeting on July 14, and requested formal input from the city.
   The letter noted, “The following was offered by various members of the Holbrook community:
   “* All alternatives bypass the downtown area and other alternatives should be offered that continue to route traffic through downtown.
   “* The west alternate route No. 4 is a preferred route because it helps manage downtown traffic while allowing controlled development of the area adjacent to State Routes 77 and 377.
   “* The east alternate route No. 1 is a preferred route because it allows development of the east side of town, given sufficient access.
   “The Central Navajo County Regional Transportation Committee would like to request the City of Holbrook to provide formal input so that we can finalize the transportation plan.
   “If needed, the committee working with Wilson and Company would be happy to participate in a work session.
   “The transportation plans are long-term planning tools and will serve to guide ADOT, the cities of Holbrook and Winslow, and Navajo County (Heber/Overgaard) in prioritizing our future efforts. Transportation plans also serve to acquire right of way, guide future development and are an important reference document in federal and state funding applications. Therefore we would like to move forward to finalize our transportation plan by the end of this year.
   “Please let us know how you would like to proceed.”
   According to Wilson and Company’s Marum, the proposed plans still require more work before being finalized and added to the area’s transportation plans. He noted that the final plans will be based on what a community desires.
   “We’ve done the initial analysis on the alternatives, and we’re looking for feedback on which alternatives to proceed with for more analysis,” Marum said. “If it’s determined that one or two are viable and the community desires, they’ll be placed in the transportation plan.”
   Marum noted that any alternatives will require further study before being eligible for funding. If all of the currently proposed alternatives are rejected by a community, other future transportation projects will be considered.
   “If they don’t like any of the alternatives, then we make recommendations for existing routes for improvements to accommodate the 2030 level of growth,” he said. “As ADOT indicated, the section of Navajo Blvd. between the freeway and the railroad tracks is a tight section. In order to widen it, there would be an impact on adjacent properties and that’s what we’re trying to avoid.”
   Marum also noted, “The decision is purely a decision of the community. Even though ADOT is sponsoring, it is a community decision on what the community would like to see happen with their future transportation system.”