Navajo DOT says it cannot grade flooded roads until the water recedes

Navajo DOT says it cannot send graders or heavy equipment into flooded areas, and road repairs will wait until water recedes and roads can be safely inspected.

Repairs cannot be made while water is actively flowing or pooled, or while road conditions remain excessively saturated and muddy, the department said in a response status notice. Working in those conditions could place personnel at risk, damage equipment, cause vehicles to become stuck and further deteriorate already damaged roadways.

Chapters are asked to keep submitting work orders and damage reports. A work order should carry GPS coordinates, which the notice calls the most valuable information, plus the route number, the chapter name and location, a description of the damage, current road conditions, clear photographs, and whether the road is passable, partially passable or impassable. The notice tells people not to place themselves in danger to obtain photographs, measurements or documentation.

Not all roads within the Navajo Nation are maintained by Navajo DOT, the notice said. Some fall under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), county governments, state transportation agencies and federal agencies, and the department said it will coordinate with the appropriate transportation entity when necessary.

In Crownpoint, the chapter said it will conduct road assessments, report damages with 213 forms and carry out minor repairs and maintenance. It has only one operator and a large area to cover, and certain roads need approval before equipment can go onto them; if gates are closed, the operator will not enter.

The chapter said its local CHR, NDOT, BIA and chapter CERT are on standby during heavy rainfall, and that the chapter will be open to families in need of shelter.

What

Chapter road assessments and minor repairs, with heavy equipment waiting on drier routes

Where

Chapter roads in the Crownpoint area, and at Nahodishgish, Becenti, Little WaterDirections

How

Call the chapter at 505-786-2130 or email crownpoint@navajochapters.org, subject 2026 Monsoon Roads R/M

Contact

Call Navajo DOT at (928) 551-7108 with questions about flooded roads