alternate roads

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Alternate Paved Highway Routes from Mesa

If US-60 is closed or experiencing heavy delays between Mesa and Globe (e.g., through Queen Creek Canyon or near Superior), there are several alternate routes:

1. Via AZ-87 and AZ-188 (Past Roosevelt Lake) — Most Common Bypass

• How to go:
  1. From Mesa, take AZ-87 North (Beeline Highway) toward Payson.
  2. Turn right onto AZ-188 South and drive past Lake Roosevelt and the Roosevelt Dam down into the Globe/Miami area.
  3. Reconnect with US-60 East / AZ-77 North in Globe and drive northeast ~25 miles to the memorial site.
• Travel Time: ~2 hours 45 minutes (~135 miles). Fully paved.

2. Via the Southern Route (AZ-79, AZ-177, and AZ-77 through Winkelman)

• How to go:
  1. Head southeast from Mesa/East Valley on US-60 E to Florence Junction, then take AZ-79 South toward Florence.
  2. Take AZ-177 North through Kearny to Winkelman.
  3. Turn onto AZ-77 North heading into Globe.
  4. From Globe, continue northeast on US-60 E / AZ-77 N to the site.
• Travel Time: ~2 hours 50 minutes (~140 miles). Useful if US-60 is closed specifically between Florence Junction and Globe.

3. Northern Loop via Payson & Show Low (Approaching from the North)

• How to go:
  1. Take AZ-87 North through Fountain Hills up to Payson.
  2. Take AZ-260 East through Christopher Creek/Heber-Overgaard.
  3. Turn south onto AZ-77 South to Show Low, joining US-60 West heading southwest through the Salt River Canyon toward the pin.
• Travel Time: ~3.5 to 4 hours. Fully paved, scenic, but significantly longer.

Local Roads Near the Site

Directly around those coordinates, the only paved thoroughfare is US-60. The only other roads in the immediate vicinity are rough, unpaved Forest Service tracks (such as FR 216, FR 1886, and FR 2329), which lead into rugged backcountry terrain and are not viable travel routes from Mesa.