Good-bye AZ 48, Hello AZ 89S

[404inthe404]

AZ 48 is a local connector around Prescott, making a partial belt-line from AZ 69 to AZ 89/89A along Fain Rd. To my knowledge, this WAS an official designation although Fain Rd. was never signed as such. Correct me if I'm wrong about that.

A while back, ADOT decommissioned AZ 48 and opting to label it as AZ 89S (spur) instead. This road, which was 2 lane undivided the vast majority of the way, is now 4 lane divided if my understanding correct. Does anyone know if AZ 89S has been signed?

I will be out there at the end of September and will get a chance to scope out the new road as long as all the new loop 303 stuff that's been going on.

[corco]

I don't think it was ever actually on the books as 48. It's currently signed as TO 69/TO 89A- at least it was about eight months ago (which is since the 89 Spur designation was adopted- the road is designated as 89 Spur at least as long ago as the 2010 Road Log) last time I was through there.

Here was the signage on 89A South as of July 2012

[404inthe404]

I don't think it was ever actually on the books as 48. It's currently signed as TO 69/TO 89- at least it was about eight months ago (which is since the 89 Spur designation was adopted- the road is designated as 89 Spur at least as long ago as the 2010 Road Log) last time I was through there.

I do remember there being mile posts on the road, which in AZ is a tell-tale sign that it is something. But the reason I thought it was an officially commissioned route was that it appeared on the now-neglected ArizonaRoads.com site, and Alan's usually pretty good about being accurate about stuff. But I did check the last 10 years of transportation programming and you are right, there are no projects for AZ 48 which casts its status as an official route in doubt.

[corco]

Yeah I lived in Tucson from 2011-12 and drove the entire highway system and did a decent amount of research on that sort of thing and never came across an official indication that 48 was anything more than planned. I think the route was commissioned  as 89A Spur definitely as recently as 2010 but I think as far back as 2008 (though I can't remember where I saw 08), which explains the mileposts.

I could be wrong though.

[NE2]

http://web.archive.org/web/20130813003618/http://azdot.gov/MPD/priority_Programming/pdf/study/rtranstudy.pdf (2003) makes reference to SR 48 on page 18.

[corco]

That seems to still be mentioned as a route for planning purposes though, not an officially adopted route.

[NE2]

That seems to still be mentioned as a route for planning purposes though, not an officially adopted route.

Exactly. But it does show that the number was used for planning.

[Rover_0]

But, I wouldn't be surprised if the route ends up being AZ-89S, as there has been AZ-89L (Loop) in Page and will be US-89T (Temporary).

[The High Plains Traveler]

So, AZ-89S will go from AZ-89A to AZ-69? I have some contact with the Prescott area because my now-deceased parents lived in Prescott from 1974 until their deaths about 10 years ago. The 89A freeway that connected to Pioneer Parkway opened about the time I stopped going there regularly. As I understood it from brief discussions with family members, the ultimate goal was to totally bypass AZ-69 and divert all but local traffic onto the Fain Road/AZ-89A routing, which would receive some kind of consistent designation. Kind of ironic, since when I first went to that area regularly, AZ-69 was just beginning the upgrade from a 2-lane road between I-17 and Prescott to a four-lane road.

[corco]

According to NE2's planning document, it's a (low) priority to transfer 89A between Fain Rd and SR 69 back to the county, so maybe 89A Spur will become straight 89A and the decommissioned segment will become nothing.

[Rover_0]

While I don't see any major connection between this and AZ-24 and AZ-30, I wonder if this means if those two numbers are going to be changed soon (again), as well.

[The High Plains Traveler]

According to NE2's planning document, it's a (low) priority to transfer 89A between Fain Rd and SR 69 back to the county, so maybe 89A Spur will become straight 89A and the decommissioned segment will become nothing.

Actually that planning document referenced turning back 89A between Fain Road and Cottonwood, i.e., over the mountain and through Jerome. After that it wouldn't be much of an alternate to 89.

[Sonic99]

Why would they remove the section over Mingus Mountain and Jerome from AZ 89A? That entire section is seen as a "scenic route" as you can leave Prescott and take 89A through Jerome, Cottonwood, Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, and Flagstaff. Having 89A run down from Flagstaff and dead end at Cottonwood seems kind of silly.

[agentsteel53]

I have a photo of a shield from eBay which is the standard Arizona design, number 48, except it says YAVAPAI instead of ARIZONA.

any relation to this 48?

[The High Plains Traveler]

Why would they remove the section over Mingus Mountain and Jerome from AZ 89A? That entire section is seen as a "scenic route" as you can leave Prescott and take 89A through Jerome, Cottonwood, Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, and Flagstaff. Having 89A run down from Flagstaff and dead end at Cottonwood seems kind of silly.

How about renaming it 89S?

Seriously, I'm not sure how the state convinces Yavapai County to take over that part of 89A, what with the difficult terrain and resulting maintenance issues. That's a lot more road to plow when it snows.

[Sonic99]

Really the only "spur" is the former Fain Rd from AZ 69 up to the split at Robert Rd.

One of two things should happen (and it depends on the way the Robert Rd interchange will ultimately be set up). Either the freeway from 69 all the way to 89 by the airport should be its own route (what I thought the plan for AZ 48 was to begin with) with 89A officially ending at the Robert Rd intersection, or 89A should stay the way it is and the Fain Rd section should be "Spur 89A".