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Local residents needing to travel north can now get to the most traveled areas of interest but are urged to proceed cautiously.

Arizona Department of Transportation Spokesman Bill Pederson reports following intense winter storms, all of Arizona’s interstates are again open to traffic.

"The Arizona Department of Transportation reopened northbound I-17 this morning from the Sedona turnoff (State Route 179) to Flagstaff after crews worked to drain runoff water from the highway," he said. "Southbound I-17 and both directions of I-40 from Kingman to Winslow were opened last night at 7 p.m.

"I-40 and I-17 are important corridors for state and national freight hauling, and are important routes for travelers. Because of this importance, ADOT applied all available resources to opening both highways as quickly as possible.

"While these critical routes are now reopened to all traffic, drivers are warned of continued threatening conditions. Blowing snow, flurries, drifts, high winds, low visibility and water running across roadways have been reported on both highways," he said. "Drivers are urged to use caution and to limit trips when possible. Roadways are passable, but conditions may change based on weather conditions. Drivers should also be alert to possible roadway damage and reduce travel speeds."

Anyone traveling to Sedona or Flagstaff needs to keep in mind that as the snow begins to melt, water runoff and flooding will follow, with potential mudslides, emergency response officials report.

And with the third largest snowfall recorded this week in Flagstaff's history, an extreme potential for danger will exist on northern Arizona roadways for weeks to come. http://www.naztoday.com/weather/2010/01/storm-ranks-3-in-the-record-books-for-flagstaff/

Both I-17 and I-40 were closed on Thursday afternoon when an intense winter storm pounded the state, dropping more than two feet of snow. ADOT responded by actively working to assist motorists, support Department of Public Safety officers and complete repairs and snow removal as quickly as possible.

"Heavy snow created unsafe conditions along both stretches of interstates traveling to or through Flagstaff. ADOT and DPS worked together with local agencies to protect motorists, including commercial truck drivers, who easily could have become stranded or involved in crashes in the snow packed and icy conditions," Pederson said.

Heavy snow piled high on a number of Flagstaff businesses this week, and after partial collapse of the public ice rink roof Thursday night, as well as sagging and collapsing roofs at several other Flagstaff businesses, city officials issued an emergency mandate yesterday for all property owners with flat or near-flat roofs to clear the roofs of snow or expect their business to be closed down by city officials, according the the Arizona Daily Sun. http://azdailysun.com/news/local/article_257d7d72-0771-11df-a7a0-001cc4c03286.html

Other ADOT highway notices travelers should be aware of include:

• State Route 87 closed (including off-road areas) between Bush Highway and State Route 188, south of Payson.
• State Route 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff remains closed and is expected to reopen this afternoon.
• State Route 260 closed between McNary and Eagar due to blowing and drifting snow.
• State Route 273 closed approaching Sunrise Ski Resort due to heavy snow.

For more information on travel conditions across the state, call 5-1-1 or visit www.az511.gov. For winter driving tips, visit www.azdot.gov/KnowSnow.

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