PHOENIX – State Route 87 will be closed north of Payson at 6 a.m. Friday, May 10, as the Coconino National Forest conducts a managed fire. The highway is expected to remain closed until conditions allow for it to be reopened later in the day. 

The closure will be in both directions of SR 87 between the State Route 260 junction at milepost 278.5 and Lake Mary Road/County Road 3 at milepost 290.5. This is due to the expectation that the managed fire, planned along the west side of the highway in connection with the Wolf Fire, will severely restrict visibility. 

There are multiple detour options available, including SR 260 and Interstate 17.

After this section of SR 87 reopens, fire managers have advised they may need to close the roadway for brief periods if smoke reduces visibility. 

Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, the AZ511 app and by calling 511. ADOT also provides highway condition updates via its Twitter/X feed, @ArizonaDOT. 

Information on the Wolf Fire as well as its impacts on other roadways and access for area residents is available at inciweb.wildfire.gov (search for Wolf Fire) or by following this link.