Detour! Road over Navajo Dam closing for more than a month
Feb. 26—Officials have announced New Mexico 539 over Navajo Dam will be closed Feb. 28 through May 15 as maintenance crews conduct drilling operations to gather geotechnical data as part of Reclamation's Safety of Dams Program, a news release said.
"This exploratory drilling will give Reclamation the necessary information to learn how best to address the seepage issues at Navajo Dam," said Western Colorado Area Manager Ed Warner in a statement.
The release said all dams have seepage, but over the years, the seepage at Navajo Dam has increased to the point where corrective action may be needed.
Drilling schedule and updates can be found on online at usbr.gov.
The dam is located roughly three hours northwest of Albuquerque near Farmington and Aztec.
Traffic detours will re-route traffic traveling between Navajo Dam and Navajo City on NM 511 for north and southbound traffic, and U.S. 64 for east and westbound traffic, the release said.
