Please join us for an open house from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 6, 2024
Eastern Arizona College - Payson Campus
Community Room 301
201 N. Mud Springs Road
More information will be posted on this web page in May.
Project Cost: $109 million
The Arizona Department of Transportation has initiated the final design phase of the State Route 260 Lion Springs Improvement project east of Payson.
Major elements of the project include:
This segment of SR 260, known as the Lion Springs section, was part of an ADOT study initiated in the early 1990’s to evaluate growing traffic volumes, safety considerations and overall improvements to approximately 40 miles of SR 260 between Payson and Heber-Overgaard. Final recommendations, including widening SR 260 from two to four lanes, were documented in a Location Design Concept Report (LDCR) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) with the Record of Decision signed on Jan. 31, 2000. An updated EIS was completed in September 2023.
The Lion Springs Section is the last of the six projects between Payson and the Mogollon Rim to be completed.
The planned improvements will tie into the already widened sections of SR 260 east and west of the project.
The Lion Springs segment of SR 260 is the only remaining two-lane highway section between Payson and the Mogollon Rim. Because of the capacity limitations, this 4-mile segment creates a traffic bottleneck during periods of heavy volumes, especially on summer weekends and holidays, resulting in traffic congestion. Completing the Lion Springs segment will help relieve delays for local and regional travelers by providing four travel lanes between Payson and the Mogollon Rim.
The project is currently in the final design phase. Final design is scheduled to be completed in summer 2024. Funding to construct the project is anticipated to be available in fiscal year (FY) 2026. (FY26 begins July 1, 2025). Completion is anticipated for the end of 2027.
