Nygren visits Chee Dodge school access road safety upgrades on US 491

President Buu Nygren visited the Chee Dodge Elementary School access-road improvements near Rock Springs as the $2.4 million project wrapped up on US 491, the highway families use every day to reach campus in Yatahey. The work added a new southbound turn lane and other safety features meant to make the trip safer for students, bus drivers and parents heading to Chee Dodge at 641 N HWY 491.

The Navajo Nation Division of Transportation said the project was designed to improve safety and accessibility along the busy corridor in McKinley County. It was funded through grants K193082 and K233011 and awarded to FNF Construction, Inc.

The road project had been bid twice before, in March 2023 and May 2024, after contractor response was limited. Gallup-McKinley County Schools notified families that construction on US 491 would begin April 23, 2026, and warned that the work could affect commuter access to the school.

US 491 is a primary artery through this part of McKinley County, and the changes were aimed at reducing the strain on daily school traffic. For Chee Dodge, the new southbound turn lane gives vehicles a safer way to enter the campus from the highway, a change that matters most during morning drop-off, afternoon pickup and bus runs.

Gallup-McKinley County Schools said a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Chee Dodge Elementary marked completion of the safety enhancement project. The district thanked Nygren, the Navajo Division of Transportation, transportation professionals, construction crews, community leaders and supporters for helping move the project from repeated bids to finished work.