ADOT photo Crews will use heavy equipment to break up and haul away an estimated 45,000 tons (40,823 t) of rocks, dirt and clay from this rocky slope on westbound Interstate 40, about 6 mi. (9.65 km) west of Holbrook.

To protect driver safety, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is moving a mountain on the north side of Interstate 40, about 6 mi. (9.65 km) west of Holbrook.

The I-40 Rock-Fall Mitigation Safety Project began in January on westbound I-40 near Joseph City. There, decades of erosion has undermined one of the rocky slopes that dates back to construction of the interstate in northeastern Arizona. Now it's slowly crumbling onto the shoulder of the busy highway. While a temporary concrete barrier is preventing chunks of rocks and clay from falling into travel lanes, this safety project offers a permanent solution. The following lane restriction will be in place through March:

• Westbound I-40 is narrowed to one lane at milepost 279 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. The lane closure will allow crews to work safely on the north shoulder.

Drivers should be prepared to merge into the left-hand travel lane and observe reduced speed limits in the work zone.

During the project, crews will use heavy equipment to break up and haul away an estimated 45,000 tons (40,823 t) of rocks, dirt and clay — enough to fill a space 4 ft. (1.2 m) deep, 900 ft. (274 m) long and 200 ft. (61 m) wide. Because work is occurring off the main highway, ADOT anticipates only minimal impacts to drivers; however, ADOT cautions motorists to drive carefully through the work zone and focus on the roadway instead of the construction activity.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions and closures, but it's possible that unscheduled impacts might occur because of weather or other factors.

For more information, visit www.az511.gov.

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