Portion of US 60 closed between Superior, Miami due to flooding, debris; reopening unknown – AZCentral.com

A span of U.S. 60 between Superior and Miami was closed in both directions on Wednesday morning because a storm caused flooding and debris, according to state transportation officials. 
The closure was between milepost 226, at State Route 177 in Superior, and milepost 243 at the west side of Miami, the Arizona Department of Transportation announced.
Motorists have been detoured onto State Route 77 and State Route 177 through Winkelman. The detour was roughly 70 miles long and included a 10% grade, and motorists should expect a significant increase in travel time, the department said.
The closure was because of standing water and debris on the roadway. There was no estimated time of reopening and “drivers should plan for an extended closure,”ADOT said.
Maintenance crews were performing 24-hour operations at the Bloody Tanks Wash, an area west of the closure in Miami, to repair the roadway. Approximately 300 truckloads of boulders will be used to repair the highway, the department said.
The area experienced over an inch of rain on Wednesday morning, according to Marvin Percha, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Phoenix. Some places around Superior saw close to 2 inches of rain.
The heavy amount of rain, paired with the steep terrain and Telegraph Fire burn scar, likely caused the flooding and ensuing mudslide, according to Gila County Emergency Management.
The weather service issued a flood warning for Gila County, which includes part of U.S. 60 just west of Miami, until 5:45 p.m. Wednesday. Officials expect most of the flooding to occur in the Tonto Basin and Punkin Center.
Communities northeast of Mesa also experienced heavy rain on Wednesday morning that caused flooding, Percha said.
Over an inch of rain fell in Fountain Hills, causing a flash flood warning that remained in effect until 12:15 p.m., according to the Weather Service.
Communities southeast of Mesa, such as Queen Creek, also saw up to an inch of rain, Percha said.
Storm chances increase for the Phoenix area again Friday, Percha said.
Real-time highway conditions are available at az511.gov, by calling 511, downloading the AZ 511 app and on Twitter at @ArizonaDOT.
Reach breaking news editor Mike Cruz at michael.cruz@azcentral.com or on Twitter @mikecnews. 
Reach breaking news reporter Michael Donohue at Michael.Donohue@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @MRDonohue4.

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