Travelers on US 60 between Superior and Miami will face restrictions for six months beginning May 16.

Arizona Department of Transportation officials said drivers should prepare for closures during the week for rock blasting as work begins to replace the Queen Creek and Waterfall Canyon bridges. 

When scheduled, the blasting will lead to closures of US 60 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Closures are not expected to occur every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but will be limited to those days, according to ADOT.

During closures, motorists will use a detour on state routes 77 and 177 through Winkelman.

“That roughly 68-mile route includes a 10 percent grade and will significantly increase travel time. Drivers may want to plan trips before or after the full closures because of the potential for delays,” ADOT officials stated in a release.

Eastbound US 60 traffic will be redirected at State Route 177 in Superior, and westbound traffic will be redirected at the west end of Miami.

Motorists with destinations between Miami and Magma Mine Road will be allowed to pass. No vehicles will be allowed between Superior and Magma Mine Road, according to ADOT.

Drivers should expect lane restrictions and a reduced speed limit at all times in the work zone, along with a 12-foot vehicle width restriction.

The closures are required for the combined $44.7 million project to replace the Queen Creek and Waterfall Canyon bridges “with spans designed to handle passenger and commercial traffic for decades to come,” ADOT officials said.

The new Queen Creek Bridge will span 763 feet and feature one lane of travel in each direction with 4-foot-wide shoulders. The replacement structure for the Waterfall Canyon Bridge will span 107 feet.

For more: azdot.gov/US60QueenCreekBridgeProject.