Partnering

PHOENIX - The Arizona Department of Transportation has been honored by the Arizona Transportation Partnering Excellence Award Committee for excellence shown in a number of infrastructure and other projects statewide in 2020. 

These awards recognize transportation partnership teams that show a high degree of achievement by using partnering principles and processes related to the transportation industry.

Five years ago, ADOT helped launch the Health Forest Initiative to help prevent large wildfires and protect infrastructure. Now we're expanding that effort.

To address pavement damage from many harsh winters, the Arizona Department of Transportation engaged a contractor to rebuild a total of 10 miles of Interstate 40 west of Williams near Devil Dog Road. In addition to the complexity of removing and replacing 5 miles of freeway in each direction, challenges included minimizing impacts on travelers and communities while finishing as soon as possible around a winter hiatus when the weather made work impossible.

The collaboration paid big dividends this past winter when people flocked to snow along US 180 northwest of Flagstaff.

Award recognizes transportation teams for successfully working together to deliver on time and on budget construction projects.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation, White Mountain Apache Tribe and U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs are working together to remove trees considered hazards along the State Route 260 right of way through the eastern Arizona reservation.

For 25 years the Arizona Department of Transportation has used a formal partnering program with its contractors to get construction projects completed on time and on budget.

PHOENIX – Since 1991, the Arizona Department of Transportation has launched projects by engaging partners from contractors to municipalities to other agencies in a process of agreeing to what they want to accomplish, how they will communicate and how they will resolve disputes.

Known as partnering, this process helps deliver projects on time and with far fewer conflicts that can lead to mediation, arbitration or litigation costing both parties as well as taxpayers.

ADOT works very closely with all of its project partners, including emergency responders, local governments and contractors.

Partnering is a valuable concept for ADOT and, as you can see in today's video, it’s something that contributes to a successful project.

When ADOT builds a freeway, there is an essential step that surprisingly requires absolutely no construction or even heavy lifting. We’re talking about partnering – the ADOT and construction industry process that allows everyone on the project to get together, set goals and talk about the work ahead.

All the innovation and care that went into the US 60 Gonzales Pass project has really paid off. Not only did the 10-mile stretch west of Superior transform from two lanes into a safer, more modern four-lane highway, but the project has just been awarded the President’s Award in Valley Forward’s 31st annual Environmental Excellence Awards program.

Instead of holding their annual meeting in a conference room, key stakeholders in one of ADOT’s oldest partnerships took a bus tour through the Tonto National Forest to get a close look at the projects made possible by their collaboration. And, I was lucky enough to tag along!

If you’ve ever worked on any sort of team you know it takes a lot of trust, communication and cooperation from everyone to achieve what the group is working toward. You’re probably also aware of what happens when that cooperation isn't there ... it can be a bad experience for everyone!