The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), in partnership with the Navajo Nation, received a Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects Grant. The grant was used to improve safety on SR-162 and SR-262 in San Juan County, Utah. Additional federal and state funding was approved, and the project duration from March 2024 to August 2026.

Project Purpose and Improvements

The project objectives were intended to improve safety and pavement along 53 miles of road in San Juan County between SR-162 and SR-262. Additional improvements included rebuilding multiple structures and other roadway-specific enhancements. This project made travel safer, smoother, and more convenient for:

• Residents in the area
• Visitors traveling to Bears Ears, Four Corners, and Hovenweep National Monuments
• Workers serving the petroleum extraction industry in the region

The following is a shortlist of key upgrades that was completed:

• Improved pavement
• Improved and/or installation of safety features such as guardrail, cattle guards, extra signage, protected turn lanes, and pavement markings
• Widened lanes and/or add shoulders
• Rebuilt or improved several dozen culverts and flood mitigation infrastructure
• Built a roundabout at the SR-162 and SR-262 intersection
• Replaced the SR-162 bridge over McElmo Creek
• Installed fiber-optic conduit
• Installed over 50 cattle guards at various roadway access points
• Built a livestock crossing under SR-162

SR-262 Guardrail Installations | 01/14/26

McElmo Bridge Deck Forms | 06/24/25

Montezuma Creek Roundabout Sub-Grading | 06/24/25

Culvert Extension and Headwall Assembly | SR-262 | 02/10/25

Shoulder Extensions | SR-262 | 02/10/25

Completed Cattle guard Installation | SR-162 @ Montezuma Creek | 02/10/25

Trenching for Fiber Optic Conduit Installation | SR-262 | 02/10/25