When it comes to designing a road, just knowing where it’s going to be built isn’t enough – engineers have to really understand the area’s features and terrain before they can even begin to plan. This is where ADOT’s Engineering Survey section comes in…

This item probably looks pretty familiar to any of you photography buffs out there. It’s a roll of film – a really big roll of film. But, what does this have to do with transportation, you might ask?

The wait is over ... today's the day we announce the top Haboob Haikus as voted for by the public. Before you watch the video above to see if your favorite was selected, we just want to give a big thanks to everyone who participated in the 2012 Haboob Haiku challenge!

We just got some really exciting news about the US 93 project (you remember, it’s the one that improved about 15 miles of roadway south of the Hoover Dam – we wrote about it here and here…

We’ve followed the progress of the SR 143/Sky Harbor Boulevard traffic interchange project pretty closely here on the blog and we’re excited to let you know that the work is now complete!

According to one dictionary’s definition, engineering is “the art or science of making practical application of the knowledge of pure sciences, as physics or chemistry, as in the construction of engines, bridges, buildings, mines, ships and chemical plants.” Sure, it’s an accurate description, but do you get any real sense of what an engineer does from reading that?

It’s still summer vacation for most students, but several schools across Arizona already are planning on creating or enhancing their Safe Routes to School programs for next school year, thanks to reimbursement grants from ADOT.

QR codes are big nowadays … you see them everywhere. They’re the two-dimensional bar codes that provide a quick link to web pages for your smart phone. They are not only fun (there’s something kind of awesome about scanning a code and instantly being taken to a web destination), but they’re also convenient and that’s why ADOT’s Motor Vehicle Division is utilizing QR codes along with a new mobile site to provide customers the ability to renew vehicle and aircraft registration on the go!

Hard to believe, but after more than 200 blog posts we’re still surprised by some of the things we find out here at ADOT. For example, did you know there’s a small yard adjacent to an ADOT field office parking lot filled with dozens of sign samples?

The “mystery tree” on I-17 still has us baffled, so imagine our bewilderment upon seeing these photos of a shoe tree off of State Route 87, south of Payson.

Interstate 10 moves approximately 260,000 vehicles through the Phoenix metro area every day. It’s a vital link for commercial traffic traveling to and from California and New Mexico; for intrastate travelers going between Phoenix and Tucson; and for a respectable number of travelers going to and from many of Arizona’s southern towns and cities.

As ADOT prepares to open a new eastbound on-ramp and westbound off-ramp at Sarival Avenue and I-10, crews have been busy adding the finishing touches…

The bridge crossing the Gila River outside Florence has quite a few distinctions in its history.

Ever survey an Arizona freeway during a monsoon? If you have, you’re likely to have seen debris in the roadway, landscapes in disarray, damage and even flooding…

This might sound cliché, but ADOT really is getting rid of the old to make room for the new… It’s happening right now on the San Carlos Apache reservation as ADOT crews construct a new bridge to replace the US 70 Gila River Bridge at Bylas.

Judging from the video above, crews have been busy since we last checked in on the SR 260 widening project east of Payson… Go watch the video from a year ago to compare with today’s and see if you agree (we’ll wait right here!).

The new interchange and realignment will feature wider entrance and exit ramps with traffic signals, overpass bridges that will provide for future growth, and a design that will accommodate a future project to add a westbound I-10 climbing lane starting at the Ocotillo Road exit east of SR 90.

Sound walls are built to block sound waves and … actually, that’s about all they’re designed to do. Despite serving pretty much just one single purpose, sound walls are important features in freeway design – especially to those living near a freeway.

We probably don’t need to tell you this, but it is really, really hot out there … A lot of us are lucky to work indoors during the warmest parts of the day (thank goodness for air-conditioning!), but here at ADOT many employees are stationed outside to work.

We’ve got some great news to share … Arizona has been awarded $3.4 million in federal discretionary grants for projects that will improve roadways and add infrastructure in seven communities around the state! The local projects, all designed to enhance mobility and safety, are aimed at creating jobs and spurring economic growth, while enhancing Arizona’s transportation system.