ADOT starts summer pavement rehab on US 180 near Eagar

Drivers on US 180 south of Eagar should brace for slower trips, lane shifts and pilot-car traffic as ADOT begins a $2.15 million pavement rehabilitation project that will run through the fall. The work zone stretches from Apache Drive at milepost 403 to milepost 407, and ADOT says delays could last up to 15 minutes as crews move through the corridor in segments.

The project covers about 4 miles and is designed to leave the road smoother and in better condition when it is done. ADOT plans chip seal and microsurface treatment, along with spot pavement repairs, shoulder build-up and drainage improvements. The proposed work documents also spell out the sequence: milling the existing chip seal, placing a hot-applied chip seal coat, applying micro-surfacing, repairing problem spots with asphaltic concrete and replacing pavement markings.

Construction is scheduled for Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no weekend or holiday work planned. Even so, ADOT is telling motorists to expect extra travel time and to slow down near crews and equipment. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in segments, with alternating eastbound and westbound travel controlled by flaggers and a pilot car.

The stakes are bigger than a routine resurfacing job in a town like Eagar, where US 180 carries commuters, school traffic, deliveries and visitors through southern Apache County. Short delays can ripple through tightly timed work and family schedules, and any stretch of construction that runs long would keep those lane restrictions in place longer on one of the community’s main travel corridors. Apache County supervisors approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Town of Eagar for a chip seal roadway project in District III in June 2025, underscoring that pavement work in this area has been building for some time.

The project moved through a bid opening on April 24, 2026, at 11 a.m., and Mike Wechselberger is listed as the engineering specialist. ADOT says the broader northeastern Arizona project list also includes other work on US 180, including bridge replacement elsewhere on the route, a reminder that the corridor is part of a wider maintenance push across the region. For drivers headed through the project zone, ADOT says the safest move is to plan ahead and check current conditions through AZ511, the app or the 511 phone line.