During a special session held Tuesday evening, the Winslow City Council heard a presentation and discussed north/south transportation with representatives of the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and HDR Engineering. The issue has become of major concern due to work on the Second Street and Williamson Avenue traffic signal affecting traffic at the railroad underpass.
Michael Gorton of HDR Engineering led the discussion with assistance from Charla Glendening, Rob Whitman and Kay Wilhelm of ADOT. They noted that the issue has been subject of a study and a meeting with stakeholders, such as the BNSF Railroad, and the Aztec Land and Cattle Company.
Among the findings of the study was that Winslow’s roads are operating at an acceptable level. The major problem to address is north-south transportation.
The study showed a 2010 population of 9,655 but a household resident population of only 8,120. The lower figure is because approximately 1,500 residents are inmates in the state prison. It projected a growth to 15,000 household residents by 2030 and increase of prison population to about 10,400. Industries expected to contribute to that growth are a wood products plant, such as the proposed oriented strand board (OSB) operation, and prison expansion or a new private prison.
One of the needs discussed was for railroad crossings other than the underpass. Councilman Thomas Chacon noted that there had been a crossing east of Ruby Wash on Cottonwood Lane which was closed by the railroad. Reopening that crossing would be one possible option.
Obstacles to new transportation routes were seen as the railroad, which must be gone over, under or across, and the Little Colorado River flood plain.
There will be more study and more public meetings regarding the transportation study and plans.
