Montezuma Creek / Aneth

A San Juan School District mud was stuck in a wash during flooding on September 16. No one was injured. Officials closed schools in Monument Valley, Bluff and Montezuma Creek on September 17. Enter your photos in our Photo of the Week contest. We pay $10 for each photo that runs in the San Juan Record. Email your entries to news@sjrnews.com. In addition, you can see more entries into our contest at the San Juan Record website at www.sjrnews.com or on Facebook. Megan Chee-Freeland photo

Storms close schools, flood roads, cause havoc

by David Boyle News Director Flooding in the southern part of the county caused closures at local schools and caused other delays and concerns last week. Starting on September 16, excessive rain caused major travel hazards on unpaved roads in the county. With some school district busses facing...

Schools to re-open in Southern San Juan tomorrow, families who can't travel safely should notify schools

The San Juan School District released an updated statement about school status for all schools across the district: San Juan School District schools will operate on their normal schedule tomorrow, Friday September 18. We recognize that flooding, mud, and impassable roads continue to affect some...

A new roundabout in Montezuma Creek sits at the center of the recently completed “Energy Corridor” road project. The $152 million project included repaving major portions of Highways 162 and 262, in addition to a new bridge at McElmo Creek and the roundabout. See more photos at the San Juan Record website at sjrnews.com. UDOT photo

Crews complete $152 million 53-mile Energy Corridor project in southeast San Juan County

Utah Department of Transportation has completed work on a $152 million project along State Route 162 and State Route 262 in San Juan County. Known locally as the Energy Corridor, the project represents a major infrastructure investment in southeastern Utah and reflects the importance of these...

Navajo Nation Primaries results show new faces for Presidency as well as two of three Utah seats

The 2026 Navajo Nation primary election was held on July 21. Among the races include Navajo Nation Council and Navajo Nation President. Unofficial results are in including for council delegate seats representing Utah Navajo include the seat to represent Teecnospos, Aneth, Red Mesa, Tó Łikan,...

Crews pave the road as part of the UDOT project along highway 162 and 262. Courtesy photo

$152 million project on highways 162 and 262 sees progress

Crews continue to make progress on the massive $152 million road project in southeastern San Juan County. A major portion of the project is in the finishing stages, with work set to be complete this summer. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) project is along 53 miles of road along SR-162...

While the new McElmo Bridge is structurally complete on Highway 162, crews are still busy working on the ap- proaches. Photo courtesy Utah Department of Transportation.

Crews making progress on Highway 162/262 project

ROUNDABOUT OPENING SOON BUT WITH SAFETY FIRST The crews working on the roundabout in Montezuma Creek are in their final throes of preparation before opening to the public. In recent months, crews have worked long hours to complete paving and permanent lane striping. Active work continues with the...

The Montezuma Creek Elementary Princess and her friends and family contributed to an effort to patch damages roads between Montezuma Creek and the Arizona state line. See more photos at the San Juan Record website at sjrnews.com. Courtesy photo

Princess leads effort to patch roads

Residents of Montezuma Creek came together in an inspiring act of service to address a long-standing community concern — the deteriorating highway connecting Arizona and Utah. Led by Miss Montezuma Creek Elementary School Princess 2024–2025 and her family, volunteers from across the area took...

A tornado touched down and destroyed three homes on McCracken and Cahone mesas on Saturday, September 13. No injuries were reported but there is significant damage. The National Weather Service has yet to classify the tornado, coming on the heels of an EF2 “fire-nado” near Old La Sal on July 11. Otis Oldman photo

Weather Service gives EF2 ratings to two San Juan tornados in 2025

The National Weather Service has issued additional information about recent tornados in San Juan County on Saturday, September 13. The National Weather Service reported two tornadoes touched down on September 13, with one recorded by the agency to be lasting about 15 minutes and causing no damage,...

Tornado destroys homes, property on Sept. 13 near Montezuma Creek

by David Boyle News Director A tornado in San Juan County destroyed homes and caused significant damage in the McCracken Mesa and Cahone Mesa areas on Saturday September 13. Multiple tornado funnels and touchdowns were spotted across southern San Juan County and into Colorado as part of the storm...

Work is advancing on the new roundabout at the intersection of Highways 162 and 262 in Montezuma Creek. This is the view looking east toward the roundabout. The new intersection is one of many projects being completed on a $152 million road project along the two highways. Photo courtesy Utah Department of Transportation.

New McElmo Creek Bridge open to traffic

Work continues on the massive $152 million road project on Highways 162 and 262. On Highway 162, paving is completed between Aneth and the Colorado Border, while the Bluff to Montezuma Creek leg is still undergoing shoulder widening before travel lane paving resumes. In Montezuma Creek, paving is...