New US 191 Roundabout Completed Near Apache County Improves Safety
The Arizona Department of Transportation has finished a modern roundabout at the junction of US 191, State Route 75 and State Route 78, a project started in 2024 and completed in September 2025. Although the intersection sits south of Apache County, ADOT says the redesign will reduce injury crashes and traffic backups for regional travelers who use US 191 to reach Apache County communities.
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The Arizona Department of Transportation announced completion of a new roundabout at the intersection known locally as the "Three Way," where US 191, SR 75 and SR 78 meet in southeastern Arizona. Construction began in 2024 and wrapped in September 2025, marking the end of an 18-month project intended to improve traffic flow and safety on a key regional corridor.
ADOT framed the project as a safety and operations upgrade, saying the roundabout configuration reduces the likelihood of injury crashes and cuts the backups that previously formed at the signalized intersection. The junction carries a mix of regional and local traffic, including vehicles bound for Apache County communities that rely on US 191 as a primary north-south connection. For residents and businesses in eastern Arizona, changes at this node can influence travel times, freight movement and access to services.
Local impacts are primarily indirect but material. Drivers heading north on US 191 into Apache County should experience smoother merging and fewer long delays at the Three Way, particularly during peak travel periods and seasonal traffic spikes. Reduced backups at the junction can also improve the reliability of emergency response paths and school transportation routes that depend on predictable travel times along US 191. For local governments and tribal authorities in Apache County, the improved interchange may ease coordination on cross-jurisdictional traffic management and emergency planning.
The project highlights ADOT’s role in managing statewide corridors that serve multiple counties. Funding and design decisions for such projects reflect broader policy priorities about where to invest in safety improvements and mobility. For Apache County residents, the roundabout underscores how infrastructure work outside county lines can have direct consequences for local travel and economic connections. It also illustrates the need for ongoing communication between ADOT and county officials to monitor outcomes such as crash rates and congestion patterns after a new design is put into service.
Moving forward, community leaders and commuters will be watching to see whether the anticipated reductions in injury crashes and delays materialize. ADOT typically monitors traffic and safety performance following major projects; Apache County officials and residents concerned about traffic impacts or maintenance should follow agency updates and raise issues through county channels when necessary. The completed roundabout represents a targeted approach to improving a specific choke point on a regional route, but its ultimate value to Apache County will be measured in safer, more reliable travel for the people who depend on US 191 daily.
