DESIGNING A NEW ROADWAY FOR SAFE TRAVEL THROUGH NAVAJO LAND

The N35 Sweetwater roadway reconstruction project will reconstruct an existing dirt road into an all-weather paved road on Navajo land near Rock Point, AZ. The project will construct approximately 8.5 miles of new roadway and two new barrel box culvert bridges over Kit Sili Wash. The project will mainly reconstruct a portion of N35, along with small portions of the adjacent N351, N5045, and N5047.

When the Navajo Division of Transportation (NDOT) took over design and construction of Tribal Transportation Program projects, Dibble reviewed the 85% plans that were prepared by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and provided final design. Our team revised the project limits to stay within budget and updated the plans to FP-14 and other current standards. Additionally, we reviewed the drainage analysis, structural design, and roadway design and corrected numerous errors related to the profiles, culverts, downstream channel, passing lanes, right-of-way, utilities, and other items.

Dibble provided survey; grading, drainage, and pavement design; structural design for two culvert bridges; utility coordination and relocation design; right-of-way and construction easement acquisition; design of fencing, signing, and striping; an updated stormwater pollution prevention plan; and a limited environmental scope. Additionally, Dibble prepared the project for bidding. Dibble CM is currently providing construction management during construction.

Previously, the drainage culverts experienced regular overtopping and the roadway became slick and muddy when wet and impassable in heavy rains. The roadway improvements will bring safety and efficiency for tribal members and the public, including the school buses that use this route daily.

Project Lifecycle