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TucsonJim's avatar
TucsonJim
Explorer II
Jan 03, 2014

Highway 89 Detour - Page AZ to Flagstaff

I just returned from the north country for the holiday and took the newly paved 89T (Navajo Highway 20). The road was in great shape and very drivable for any size RV. I think it was actually a better drive than the regular 89 route. There are some 45mph sections, but most of the temp route is 55.

The road surface is in good shape, with nice shoulders. There were no steep grades except for the last mile (heading south) which was about 6%. I'd say the overall delay from the regular route was about 10-15 minutes.

I've never seen this part of Arizona, and the view was very nice. Keep your eye open for pronghorn antelope along this route.
  • Glad the repairs have finally been made. We wanted to go to Page this summer and were stopped by the road outage, so just proceeded onto Flagstaff
  • Thanks for the report. Plan on going north to Page this spring.
  • Seneca - you could have driven to Page - the drive would just have been 50 (or so) miles longer (via 160 and 98).

    They still intend to repair the original US89 route, but it will take a while. For the Flagstaff - Page drive, US89T is nearly as good. But for locals who were used to driving between Page and Lees Ferry (including school buses), full repairs will be welcomed.

    US89A via Navajo Bridge (Marble Canyon) continues to be a viable choice when driving between Flagstaff and Kanab.
  • Is that the old 'Copper Mine Rd.' that came out of southend of Page and connected with the 89 at The Gap......was just mainly a dirt road?
  • We drove the road in end of September this year when it first opened. the road was good, smooth and freshly paved. Fencing was nearly completed at that time and it was a great drive with very little traffic at all. Would definitely travel it again anytime soon.
  • Old-Biscuit wrote:
    Is that the old 'Copper Mine Rd.' that came out of southend of Page and connected with the 89 at The Gap......was just mainly a dirt road?


    Yep, it is!
  • Thanks for the detailed report. I've been to Page more times than I can count in years past, but haven't been on the newly paved 89T. Was wondering how it is for my upcoming summer trip.
  • US89 runs below an escarpment until US89A (the original 89) branches off to Marble Canyon and the bridge across the Colorado. US89 then climbs that escarpment, and continues on to Page. The landslide is on this climb.

    US89T climbs up that escarpment much further south where it is low and there is a gap. So most of its run is on that flat upland area. The main issues with paving it were getting quick permission from the parties involved (state, fed and reservation), and fencing it to keep livestock off the highway.
  • Hey, Buddy TucsonJim, thanks for getting this up there. It has been on our itinerary for late summer so am glad to get this report. I was kinda wondering what it was like.

    Happy New Year!