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There's a lot of interest these days in the May 7 federal REAL ID deadline. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has set that as the date when you'll need to comply with federal REAL ID requirements to board domestic airline flights and access certain federal facilities. 

We're receiving plenty of questions from the public and news media about about what this deadline means and what people need to be ready to fly next month. While there are a number options available to be in compliance, as detailed in this U.S. Department of Homeland Security list of frequently asked questions, we have a sure thing for you: the Arizona Travel ID. 

Bill Lamoreaux, our lead communicator on Motor Vehicle Division matters including Travel ID, joins On the Road With ADOT this week with even more timely information as May 7 approaches. Spend a few minutes listening to Bill chat with host Doug Nintzel and you can be off to a flying start when the federal REAL ID deadline arrives. 

You can subscribe to episodes of On the Road with ADOT through Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You also can find episodes at azdot.gov/Podcast and featured in ADOT Blog posts.

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With ADOT on the home stretch of a project widening Interstate 10 on the Tucson area's northwest side, we're getting word out on an upcoming project to expand I-10 capacity and make other much-needed improvements between Kino Parkway and Country Club Road south of downtown. 

This episode of On the Road With ADOT features Joanna Bradley and Carissa Klaus, our lead communicators on this project. They explain to host Doug Nintzel how the project scheduled to get underway this summer will: 

• Re-construct I-10 to three general purpose lanes in each direction between Kino Parkway and Alvernon Way and four general purpose lanes in each direction west of Kino Parkway to milepost 262 (east of Park Avenue)
• Re-construct the traffic interchange at I-10 and Kino Parkway
• Construct a new traffic interchange at I-10 and Country Club Road
• Remove the traffic interchange at Palo Verde Road and I-10
• Construct a new I-10 westbound entrance ramp from Alvernon Way
• Construct an I-10 undercrossing to connect the North and South Kino Sports Complex

To learn more about this exciting project, please visit azdot.gov/i10kinotocountryclub. 

You can subscribe to episodes of On the Road with ADOT through Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You also can find episodes at azdot.gov/Podcast and featured in ADOT Blog posts.

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Did Arizona Highways magazine play a role in getting Old West movies filmed in Monument Valley? That’s one of the interesting stories shared by Arizona Highways magazine Editor Robert Stieve, who recently sat down for a second episode of On the Road with ADOT celebrating 100 years of the state’s iconic publication. And yes, Arizona Highways remains an ADOT enterprise.

The story of what might have helped bring John Wayne to Arizona also has ties to photographers who have contributed to Arizona Highways since the 1930s. That starts with a discussion of Muench family, starting with patriarch Josef Muench, and what they’ve meant to the magazine.

We also talk about Barry Goldwater, the Grand Canyon and the role Arizona Highways played in celebrating Native American lands and people across the state. Respect was key when visiting those locations.

“Most photographers had to build relationships over time and be welcomed in. And once that happened, it really gave us the opportunity to document Arizona history,” Stieve said. “Over the years we also ended up working with many Native American photographers, and even Native American writers today.”

So join us for On the Road with ADOT and look for Arizona Highways centennial issue on newsstands.

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As we celebrate the centennial of Arizona Highways magazine, which was launched in April 1925 by the State Highway Department, here’s an invitation to learn more about this iconic publication, known for photos that showcase Arizona’s natural beauty and stories about people and places across the state. And yes, Arizona Highways remains a publication of ADOT.

I recently had a chance to sit down with Arizona Highways Editor Robert Stieve for two episodes of our On the Road with ADOT podcast. Stieve doesn’t take his good fortune in serving as the 14th editor of the magazine lightly. By listening in, you’ll have a chance to hear some great stories about Arizona Highways dating back to the early years.

“First of all we belong to all Arizonans,” says Stieve, noting how Arizona Highways was launched just 13 years following statehood. “Our history is also Arizona’s history. Our evolution is sort of following the state and documenting the landscape along the way.”

In our podcast chat, Stieve talks about currently writing a book about the history of Arizona Highways and discusses his goals.

“One is to have a record of what the magazine has been and also giving readers a historic look back at the state,” says Stieve. “There are so many fascinating anecdotes. Our (longtime) editor (Raymond Carlson) being friends with Frank Lloyd Wright and Ansel Adams. So many wonderful stories along the way.”

And it is great to hear Stieve talk about how the staff at Arizona Highways continues its mission to highlight the Grand Canyon State.

“Our casual mission statement is to get people off the couch,” he says. “And to dispel the stereotype that Arizona is just sand dunes, snakes and scorpions. It’s an opportunity to showcase that Arizona is so much more.”

You can subscribe to episodes of On the Road with ADOT through Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You also can find episodes at azdot.gov/Podcast and featured in ADOT Blog posts.

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ADOT International is a case study in how we strive to safely connect people and empower the economy. Mark Sanders, featured in this week's episode of On the Road With ADOT, is involved in a wide variety of efforts to promote safe commercial travel across the U.S.-Mexico border and safe travel for Arizonans visiting in Sonora.  

Through our Border Liaison Unit, we educate drivers, mechanics and trucking companies about safety requirements enforced at ADOT's commercial ports of entry ADOT personnel also have traveled to Sonora to provide instruction on traffic incident management techniques, helping make travel safer for all by reducing the potential for secondary crashes when incidents happen. 

Mark also was in the news last year when ADOT announced a pilot program through which officials in Sonora are providing our 511 system information on the highway between Lukeville, Arizona, and Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, during times of holiday travel. 

Spend a few minutes listening to Mark visit with host Doug Nintzel and you'll also be up to speed on how we are promoting safe and efficient movement of commerce, including winter crops, between Mexico and Arizona. 

You can subscribe to episodes of On the Road with ADOT through Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You also can find episodes at azdot.gov/Podcast and featured in ADOT Blog posts.

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One of my favorite news releases to work on each summer celebrates the work of an ADOT team dedicated to safeguarding your investment in state highways. During the fiscal year that ended last June 30, the Insurance Recovery Team recouped $6.4 million for incidents that damaged highway infrastructure. 

Not surprisingly, these announcements generate a lot of news media and public interest in the Insurance Recovery Team, which is staffed by professionals who have insurance industry backgrounds. So we invited the head of the team, Barry Friedman, to be this week's guest for On the Road With ADOT.

Spend a few minutes with Barry and our host, Doug Nintzel, and you'll learn how the Insurance Recovery Team processes thousands of claims each year by reaching out to responsible parties and their insurance carriers when incidents damage state highways. 

You can subscribe to episodes of On the Road with ADOT through Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You also can find episodes at azdot.gov/Podcast and featured in ADOT Blog posts.

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For many years, one of the most common questions we've been asked is when ADOT will widen I-10 between the Valley and Casa Grande. Well, a project to do just that is underway now. 

This week's episode of On the Road With ADOT features Marcy McMacken, our communications lead on this massive project. She tells host Doug Nintzel how crews continue making progress on new I-10 bridges at the Gila River, including an upcoming milestone of shifting one direction of traffic onto one of the new bridges. She also explains how work on the second of four project phases, roughly between the Gila River and State Route 387 near Casa Grande, is scheduled to get underway later this year. 

In addition to listening to this informative episode, you can learn about this highly anticipated project by visiting i10wildhorsepasscorridor.com. 

You can subscribe to episodes of On the Road with ADOT through Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You also can find episodes at azdot.gov/Podcast and featured in ADOT Blog posts.

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It's National Engineers Week. And at ADOT, you can't go any higher when it comes to engineers than Director Jennifer Toth. 

The Director joins this week's episode of On the Road With ADOT to discuss Engineers Week and her career in engineering that began with ADOT's Engineer in Training program. She also shares a passion for safety, including advocating for seat belt use, that is informed by a recent experience of being in a vehicle that was rear-ended while on ADOT business. 

Spend a few minutes listening to Director Toth visit with host Doug Nintzel and you'll learn about engineering as a career. You'll also know more about how ADOT works every day to safely connect Arizonans.

You can subscribe to episodes of On the Road with ADOT through Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You also can find episodes at azdot.gov/Podcast and featured in ADOT Blog posts.

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As ADOT's maintenance supervisor in Payson, Brett Rupp's area of responsibility includes much of State Route 87 and State Route 260, highways that are popular with those traveling to and from Arizona's high country and are essential to those living there. In addition to maintaining state highways, Brett and his team also deal with the unexpected, such as setting up a closure at the request of first responders or making sure wildfire smoke isn't interfering with visibility on highways. 

We invited Brett into the On the Road With ADOT studio to discuss a recent incident in which ADOT personnel from Payson and Mesa teamed to put out a potentially nasty fire along SR 87 before it got out of hand. Their fast work was in the finest traditions of our agency, and we're excited for you to hear Brett's account of that day. 

Speaking from his years of experience, Brett also shares advice on things you can do to avoid accidentally starting a wildfire. 

You can subscribe to episodes of On the Road with ADOT through Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You also can find episodes at azdot.gov/Podcast and featured in ADOT Blog posts.

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Engineers Week is a pretty big deal around ADOT, as you might imagine. So On the Road With ADOT is leading up to the week beginning Feb. 16 by introducing you to ADOT team members who do different kinds of engineering, starting with Jordan Kurlin. 

A team lead in Roadway Design, which is part of our Roadway Engineering Group, Jordan is part of a section preparing technical design and construction documents for projects ranging from minor pavement preservation to new facilities. In Jordan's case, this includes the new, free-flowing interchange ADOT is building to connect Interstate 40 with US 93 in Kingman. 

This episode of On the Road With ADOT also features Jordan's work promoting engineering careers and STEM education to middle school students around Arizona. This involves inviting students to see the engineering behind football stadiums at ASU, UofA and NAU.

Please spend few minutes listening to Jordan visit with our host, Doug Nintzel, and you'll get to know someone who works to safely connects Arizonans while helping young people learn about career opportunities in engineering. 

You can subscribe to episodes of On the Road with ADOT through Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You also can find episodes at azdot.gov/Podcast and featured in ADOT Blog posts.