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Trucking News · Arizona ·

Arizona Flash Flooding Shut I-17 for Hours Near Sedona and Flagstaff; Truckers Should Check Closures on State Routes

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Heavy rain swept across Arizona on Sunday, Nov. 1, causing flash flooding, rockfalls and highway closures, according to AZFamily. For truck drivers, the main news was Interstate 17, which was closed for hours Sunday in two places before it reopened that afternoon. Several state highways were still closed late in the day. The details below reflect reports from Sunday, and Big Rig Daily could not verify any route's status on Monday, Nov. 2, because the AZ511 traffic site did not load usable closure data when checked.

Interstate 17

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) reported hours-long closures of I-17 at State Route 179, the road to Sedona, and near the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport because of flooding. Just before 3 p.m., ADOT announced that all I-17 lanes affected by the flooding had reopened, ABC15 reported. AZFamily reports all lanes reopened in both directions.

State routes closed Sunday

As of 3:30 p.m. Sunday, ADOT said these highways remained closed with no estimated time for reopening, according to ABC15:

State Route 260 was closed by flooding at milepost 350 earlier but reopened around 4:30 p.m., according to AZFamily. A KTAR list of flood closures updated at 8:57 p.m. Sunday still included SR 89A, SR 73 and SR 238, and it also listed SR 77 in Snowflake, SR 288, SR 179 in Sedona and Business Route 40 in Flagstaff. It gave no reopening times. No later status was verified.

Plows for rocks

ADOT crews responded to rockfall across northern Arizona and used snow plow trucks to push debris off the travel lanes. ADOT said the work was making travel safer for motorists.

Evacuations and emergency steps

Flooding also forced evacuations and local street closures in Sedona and on White Mountain Apache tribal lands. In Sedona, city officials placed Evacuation Zones 8, 9 and 10 in "GO" status, meaning anyone there had to leave immediately, and warned that Oak Creek was rising quickly. Coconino County activated its Emergency Operations Center, and ABC15 reports Gov. Katie Hobbs had declared a state of emergency for Coconino and Navajo counties two days earlier.

What truck drivers can do

A closed highway with no reopening time is a hard thing to plan around, especially with a delivery window and hours of service ticking. ADOT directs motorists to az511.gov, the AZ511 app or 511 for real-time conditions, and Coconino County said it would post updates on evacuations and road closures at coconino.az.gov/ready. Big Rig Daily has covered similar high-water problems in a report on flooding that shut I-40 near Cubero, New Mexico, and left semis in high water, and the semi truck breakdown checklist lists steps for roadside trouble.

Quick facts

FAQ

Was I-17 closed by Arizona flooding on Nov. 1?

Yes, for hours on Sunday. ADOT reopened all affected I-17 lanes in both directions on Sunday afternoon, according to AZFamily and ABC15. Check AZ511 for current conditions.

Which Arizona state highways stayed closed after the Nov. 1 flooding?

State Routes 89A, 73 and 238 were closed Sunday with no estimated reopening time. Their Monday status was not verified.

Why did ADOT use plow trucks after the Arizona flooding?

ADOT used plow trucks to clear rock debris from travel lanes after rockfalls.

A question for readers

Truck drivers, when a highway shuts down and your hours are ticking, do you wait it out or start looking for a detour?

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