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AZ Hiways- the Next Fight for Queen Creek and Devils Canyon

Original Post
Mike Gray · · Smoke Hole Canyon · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 391

So, now that the Resolution land swap bill has passed away (for now), what is the story on the proposed new highway 60 plan that would swing the existing road line up out of Iron Canyon to instead cross Northern Devils Canyon at the power station, punch down through Apache Leap as an elevated roadway a la Linville Gorge and arrive at the valley floor far enough away to finally kill superior and eliminate all public/recreational access via existing roadways leading into the region?

I'm curious, since I've heard virtually nothing about this from any climbers, but have had several discussions with AZDOT and SRP engineers and managers about the plan. I thought, based on those discussions, that they had planned to close the access road to the power station (Serro Rd) through part of 2014 to do major improvements i.e. bringing in some heavier transmission equipment for upgrading the plant.

Is there still a problem with ticketing if you park in the big pullout between the old picnic area and Top of the World, just uphill and opposite the road to the far side of Lower Devil's? I remember that, back in '01, when I was finishing up some of the routes on the Stormwatch and Butterworths Wall, I often hiked out to find one of those orange stickers on my windshield. After a few dire warning from locals in the know, I finally stopped parking there and went back to hiking across the canyon, because I was afraid of coming back to find my ride had been towed to Globe or something just as heinous.

Is it still like that? Any word beyond the AZDOT website "we're doing a survey"?

Thanks for any info.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Arizona & New Mexico
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