The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), in partnership with the Navajo Nation, has received a Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects Grant. The grant will be used to improve safety on SR-162 and SR-262 in San Juan County, Utah. Additional federal and state funding has been approved, with work tentatively scheduled to continue through 2026.

Project Purpose and Improvements

The project objectives are intended to improve safety and pavement along 53 miles of road in San Juan County between SR-162 and SR-262. Additional improvements include rebuilding multiple structures and other roadway-specific enhancements. This project will make 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:

• Improve pavement
• Improve and/or install safety features such as guardrail, cattleguards, extra signage, protected turn lanes, and pavement markings
• Widen lanes and/or add shoulders
• Rebuild or improve several dozen culverts and flood mitigation infrastructure
• Build a roundabout at the SR-162 and SR-262 intersection
• Replace the SR-162 bridge over McElmo Creek
• Install fiber-optic conduit
• Install over 50 cattle guards at various roadway access points
• Build 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 Cattleguard Installation | SR-162 @ Montezuma Creek | 02/10/25

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