Dallas Hammit, Arizona Department of Transportation Deputy Director and State Engineer, is retiring after a 22-year career with the agency. Hammit has the distinction of having the second-longest tenure in this crucial position having served in this job since 2014.  

The State Engineer supports and coordinates operations of all ADOT transportation divisions to provide a safe and reliable transportation system for the state. 

In his time as State Engineer, Hammit has overseen numerous significant, innovative and high-profile completed and ongoing improvements to Arizona’s system of freeways and roadways. They include:

• The South Mountain Freeway, ADOT’s largest-ever project
• Expansion of I-10 in Tucson
• SR 189 in Nogales, which will greatly speed up vital commercial traffic into the U.S.
• Expansion of the Loop 101 in metro Phoenix
• I-17 Flex Lanes between Anthem and Sunset Point
• Broadway Curve I-10 widening and expansion

Hammit managed the development of ADOT’s Major Projects Group that oversees large public-private partnerships. He also spearheaded significant internal improvements, such as streamlining ADOT district operations and applying tools of the Arizona Management System to help ADOT operate more efficiently and use taxpayer resources effectively. 

“One of the greatest rewards for being part of the team at ADOT is the people you are privileged to serve with who demonstrate our ADOT values of Accountability, Integrity and Respect," said ADOT Director John Halikowski. "All through his ADOT career and his seven-year tenure as ADOT’s State Engineer and Deputy Director, Dallas has lived by those values and led by instilling them in others. Although we will miss his leadership, his vision and his passion for service, I know that all of us at ADOT wish Dallas a very bright future.”

Prior to becoming State Engineer, Hammit served as Senior Deputy State Engineer for Development, Deputy State Engineer for Operations, and Prescott District Engineer. He began his ADOT career in Yuma as Senior Resident Engineer, eventually becoming District Engineer.

Cooler temperatures are around the corner and that means snow in Arizona’s high country. To help travelers this winter, the Arizona Department of Transportation has partnered with the National Weather Service to create graphics that use their color code for storm severity to better inform drivers of what to expect from winter storms.

Orange is a moderate-impact snowstorm. With this type of storm, drivers should slow down when roads are slick with snow and ice and prepare to spend longer on the road. Leave extra room behind the vehicle ahead. Red is a high-impact snowstorm. In this scenario, drivers should avoid travel if possible. If delay is not possible, strongly consider using 4x4 or snow chains and prepare to spend extended amounts of time in the vehicle. Purple is an extreme-impact storm with 2 to 3 inches of snowfall per hour. Drivers should avoid travel altogether during this type of storm due to dangerous travel conditions.

In each case, drivers should pack an emergency kit that includes blankets, warm clothing, a fully charged cell phone, food and water, medication and sand or kitty litter.

ADOT will use these graphics on its social media accounts to help drivers know what intensity of snowstorm to expect so drivers can make informed decisions about travel. ADOT’s Twitter account @ArizonaDOT and Facebook page facebook.com/AZDOT provide real-time information and interaction.

Drivers can also check road conditions by calling 511 or visiting az511.gov. And the free ADOT Alerts app available at azdot.gov/ADOTAlerts will send critical information, including alternate routes, should snow and ice close a major highway.

ADOT is also ready to help keep highways clear of snow and ice this winter with its fleet of 200 snowplows. Many of these plows include auxiliary cab heaters to keep drivers warm while not idling and wasting fuel; heated windshields to prevent wipers from freezing and getting stuck; backup cameras and a camera and laser guidance system to help guide operators; state-of-the-art lighting packages, and front flex plows that can bend in different configurations to remove snow.

If you come across a snowplow working to clear the road, always help out the plow driver by staying back until the driver pulls over to let traffic pass. Also, never assume a snowplow operator knows your vehicle is nearby. If you can’t see the plow driver, there’s a good chance the driver can’t see you.

Check out more safety tips before resuming your travels this winter season by visiting azdot.gov/KnowSnow. 

Following several years of study, technical analysis and input from communities and stakeholders, the Arizona Department of Transportation has selected a final 20.47 mile corridor through Pima County. The Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision (ROD), which was released Friday, Nov. 5, identifies the selected corridor, which stretches between Interstates 19 and 10, south of the Tucson International Airport in Pima County. 

A continuous, access-controlled transportation corridor between I-19 and I-10 would:

• Improve access to future activity centers
• Improve regional mobility
• Improve connectivity
• Integrate the region’s transportation network
• Address existing and future population and economic growth
• Provide an alternative to avoid congestion on I-10 and I-19 

The combined Tier 1 Final EIS/ROD, along with its supporting documentation, is available on the study’s website at azdot.gov/sonorancorridor. In addition, hard copies of the combined Tier 1 Final EIS/ROD document are also available for viewing at the following locations during normal business hours: 

Southcentral District Office - 1221 S. 2nd St. Tucson. Please call to make an appointment. Phone: 520.388.4200

Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave. Tucson, AZ 85701 520.594.5500

Joyner-Green Valley Library, 601 N. La Canada Dr. Green Valley. Phone:  520.594.5295

Sahuarita Town Clerk’s Office, 375 W. Sahuarita Center Way. Phone: 520.822-8801

Subsequent Tier 2 environmental and engineering studies would need to be conducted as part of the NEPA process to further refine the selected 1,500-foot Sonoran Corridor to identify a recommended 400-foot freeway alignment and identify planned interchange locations and other project elements. 

The Final Tier 1 EIS includes a phased implementation plan with preliminary recommendations for how the Sonoran Corridor could move forward into Tier 2 studies. The phased implementation plan includes smaller segments of the selected corridor alternative that may advance as separate, independent projects. These studies, which are not yet funded, would include additional analysis and more opportunities for public review and comment.

For more information about the Sonoran Corridor Study or to view the project fact sheet, please visit  azdot.gov/sonorancorridor

General comments or questions about the study can be submitted to ADOT through the following methods:

Online: azdot.gov/sonorancorridor

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1.855.712.8530

Mail: c/o ADOT Communications – Sonoran Corridor, 1221 S. 2nd Ave. Tucson, AZ 85713

The Arizona Department of Transportation has signed an agreement with the developer team that will design, build, operate and maintain the Interstate 17 Improvement Project from Anthem Way to Sunset Point. 

The total project cost is $445,940,000, which includes the construction cost by the developer team, along with ADOT’s cost to administer the project. 

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2022 and is expected to take approximately three years. Now that the contract is signed, work can begin on this highly anticipated project that will include 15 miles of widening from Anthem Way to Black Canyon City and eight miles of flex lanes from Black Canyon City to Sunset Point.

The developer team is Kiewit-Fann Joint Venture. Key members of the team include Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.; Fann Contracting Inc.; Kiewit Engineering Group Inc.; DBI Services LLC; CONSOR Engineers LLC dba Apex Design; T.Y. Lin International; Lee Engineering; Terracon Consultants Inc.; Wheat Design Group, Inc.; Y2K Engineering; and Pinyon Environmental Inc.

The KFJV developer team was selected over two other finalists after an extensive review by ADOT with oversight from representatives from the Federal Highway Administration and the Maricopa Association of Governments. All three developer team finalists were encouraged to use innovation and develop alternative concepts to reduce project time and impacts to the traveling public and community while construction is underway.

Interstate 17 between Anthem Way and Sunset Point is a major stretch of highway that sees more than one million travelers every year. Because much of that travel and congestion occur on weekends, ADOT and the KFJV developer team will limit most of the lane closures to weeknights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. All motorists still need to be cautious and alert in the construction zone, which will be active seven days a week. 

Once complete, the I-17 Improvement Project will help alleviate congestion and improve safety and traffic flow north of the metro-Phoenix region. This project will improve 23 miles of I-17, including 15 miles of roadway widening, two bridge replacements, one bridge deck replacement, 10 bridge widenings, and the installation of an eight-mile flex lane system—a new feature  for Arizona’s highway system. Flex lanes are proven technology to help reduce congestion on I-17 during peak travel times and allow for traffic movement during emergency situations. 

The I-17 flex lanes will operate as a separate, two-lane roadway carrying one direction of traffic at a time depending on the greatest need along the steep, winding eight miles between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point. For example, the flex lanes will be able to carry heavy northbound traffic on a Friday or heavy southbound traffic on a Sunday. Similarly, ADOT will be able to open the flex lanes to accommodate traffic any time if a crash or other incident causes long delays. The flex lanes will be next to, but physically separated from southbound I-17 using concrete barriers. Access to the flex-lane entrances will be controlled by gates.   

In February, Governor Ducey announced $40 million in funding for the I-17 Improvement Project from higher-than-anticipated revenue amid Arizona’s strong economic recovery and federal COVID-relief funds. Additional project funding sources include:

$130 million of state highway funds appropriated by the state legislature in 2019

$90 million from an Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant

$50 million programmed by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) for the Maricopa County portion of this project

$135.9 million from federal aid with matching state highway funds. That includes $83.6 million approved by the Arizona State Transportation Board on Oct. 15, clearing the way for construction to begin in 2022. 

For more information about the I-17 Improvement Project, visit azdot.gov/i17-anthem-way-to-sunset-point. 

Arizona Department of Transportation volunteers answered the call to participate on National CleanUp Day, Sept. 18, by removing more than 150 bags, or 2,053 pounds of trash from alongside Arizona’s highways. 

Forty groups from all corners of the state: Page, Yuma, Concho, Vernon, Show Low, Prescott, Chino Valley, Congress, Kingman, Lake Havasu City, Tucson, Bouse, Claypool, Sahuarita and Bullhead City, registered with ADOT for the event on the Adopt a Highway website. 

Adopt a Highway Program Manager Mary Currie said, “It’s a win for communities and the state of Arizona. One-day permits offer volunteers a way to explore one type of volunteer work among many, and to be a part of the litter solution. They get first hand experience on the process for adopting and how to conduct a litter cleanup safely. Our experience has been that some of these groups decide to complete the adoption for two-years and become regular caregivers of their segment”. 

More than half of the groups registering for the cleanup were new volunteers interested in participating for one day rather than a two-year adoption.

Every day Adopt a Highway program volunteers are giving back to Arizona somewhere in the state. ADOT strives to make it safe and as easy as possible for them to continue volunteering.  

These individual volunteers made a positive impact for drivers on the state highway system by removing all types of litter, including: cigarette butts, plastic bags and bottles, aluminum cans, and other unsightly trash. Car bumpers and refrigerator doors were also found along the way. A very dangerous type of trash for travelers.

Michele Michelson and her group of eight volunteers opted for a one-day permit to help clean up SR 89A in Prescott Valley. “We are all very proud to be here in this beautiful sunshine to keep the county, the town and our state clean. I saw ADOT’s post on facebook and registered. Here we are and we’ll do it again. Who doesn’t want to keep their community clean. Thank you ADOT for offering this opportunity.”

In return for a two-year permit and a sign recognizing their group’s segment, Adopt a Highway volunteers agree to:

Adopt a minimum of two miles of state highway

Always wear Federal Highway Administration required ANSI Class II Safety vests

Read a safety brief and watch a safety video before each cleanup

Contact ADOT before cleaning up their sections

File an activity report after each cleanup, telling ADOT how many bags of litter was collected

Clean their sections at least once and preferably three or more times per year

Motorists can support Adopt a Highway volunteers by slowing down where people are picking up litter and always driving with extra caution and care. 

To learn more about ADOT’s Adopt a Highway volunteer program, please visit azdot.gov/adoptahighway.

Drivers in northern Arizona should prepare for traffic shifts and lane restrictions on Interstate 40 at Exit 191 in west Flagstaff as crews continue project work to replace a bridge, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. 

This location is approximately three miles west of the I-40 interchange with Interstate 17. 

Eastbound I-40 will be reduced to one lane and traffic shifted to the north side of the roadway beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, July 23. A similar shift will occur on Friday, July 29 for the westbound lanes. In addition, there will be a 15-foot vehicle width limit in place and the speed limit will be reduced to 55 mph. These restrictions will be in place through mid-fall this year. 

Ongoing restrictions at this location include the closure of the on- and off-ramps as well as the crossroad under the bridge. 

The project is scheduled to be completed in fall 2022. 

The Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for the 280-mile Interstate 11 study corridor – stretching from Nogales to Wickenburg – is now available for public review. 

After five years of study, technical analysis and input from communities and stakeholders, this publication of the I-11 Final Tier 1 EIS marks a milestone for the proposed corridor.

The Final Tier 1 EIS, including a Preliminary Section 4(f) Evaluation, is available at i11study.com/Arizona/index.asp.

The website also lists locations throughout the study area where a hard copy of the Final Tier 1 EIS is available for review. The 30-day public review period runs through the close of business on Monday, Aug. 16. For information on how to submit a comment, visit the Contact Us page on the study website. That link is here: i11study.com/Arizona/ContactUs.asp.

Prepared by the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, the Final Tier 1 EIS was completed in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act. It outlines the Preferred Corridor Alternative, including a parallel analysis of the No-Build Alternative.

The Final Tier 1 EIS focuses on the 2,000-foot-wide Preferred Corridor Alternative and the changes that were made since the publication of the 2,000-foot-wide Recommended Corridor Alternative in the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement in April 2019.

The Final Tier 1 EIS document is presented in a condensed format that avoids repetition of material from the Draft Tier 1 EIS. The Final Tier 1 EIS is a much shorter document, references the Draft Tier 1 EIS, and includes a complete overview of the project and its impacts on the environment. ADOT and FHWA decided to use the condensed format, in part, to streamline complex information as requested by several cooperating and participating agencies.

In addition to the Final Tier 1 EIS document that will be posted online and available as a hard copy document at designated repository locations, an Interactive EIS will also be available on the I-11 study website: i11study.com/Arizona/index.asp. This is the first time that ADOT has published an Interactive EIS. It contains the same information as the traditional Final Tier 1 EIS document in an interactive and engaging format. 

ADOT and FHWA listened to and read every public comment submitted during the Tier 1 study. The study team gave consideration to comments from the public and stakeholders during the Draft Tier 1 EIS 90-day public comment period from April 5, 2019 through July 8, 2019. ADOT and FHWA made changes to the corridor after the Draft Tier 1 EIS public comment process was complete. Appendix H of the Final Tier 1 EIS documents the comments received on the Draft Tier 1 EIS and provides responses to those comments. Appendix H can be found here: i11study.com/Arizona/Documents.asp.

The process to develop a Preferred Corridor Alternative for the Final Tier 1 EIS included technical analysis; coordination with study partners such as cooperating agencies, participating agencies and tribal governments; and the review and consideration of public input received at study milestones.

Once the 30-day public review period is complete for the Final Tier 1 EIS, ADOT and FHWA will work toward a Record of Decision (ROD). That document, which is scheduled to be published in late 2021, will identify a Selected Corridor Alternative or the No-Build Option. The ROD marks the end of the Tier 1 EIS process.

If a build corridor is selected at the end of the Tier 1 study, further Tier 2 studies and evaluations must take place before construction could be considered. The corridor would be narrowed to a highway alignment, which is about 400 feet wide. An alignment determining where I-11 could be built would be decided during a future phase of design and environmental studies. Currently there are no plans or funding available to initiate these Tier 2 studies.

The proposed I-11 is envisioned as a multi-use corridor that would provide a connection from Mexico to the Hoover Dam, connecting with I-11 in Nevada. This proposed statewide highway would improve Arizona’s access to regional and international markets while opening up new opportunities for enhanced travel, mobility, trade, commerce, job growth and economic competitiveness. While the evaluation phase of this high-priority and high-capacity transportation corridor has begun, funding for further studies, design and construction has not been identified.

In 2015, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or FAST Act, formally designated I-11 in Arizona. The designation doesn’t include funding but identifies I-11 as a high-priority corridor eligible for federal funding. I-11 is envisioned to include a combination of new and existing roadways.

For more information about I-11 and the Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement, visit i11study.com/Arizona/index.asp.

The “Valley Oop” slam by Deandre Ayton. The gritty leadership of Chris Paul. The single-minded focus of Devin Booker. The exceptional coaching. All are setting up great moments for Arizona sports fans right now. But even though the NBA Finals are still in progress, there already is a winner: the charitable causes supported by the club through the sale of Phoenix Suns specialty license plates. 

According to figures released by the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division, Suns specialty license plates generated just over $12,000 in sales for the month of June alone. That’s an increase of about $3,500 from May, in which there were sales of just under $8,500. During the previous 10 months, sales of Suns plates averaged approximately $7,000 per month. 

Suns plates require a $25 initial application fee and can be renewed for $25 a year. As with most specialty plates, $17 goes to a charitable organization, in this case the Phoenix Suns Charities for youth education and development, college scholarship programs and community development.

For more information about specialty plates, visit azdot.gov

With fire restrictions in place, and to ensure the safety of staff and customers, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division office in Globe is temporarily closed. There is no timetable for reopening. 

Customers can complete MVD services by going online at www.azmvdnow.gov or www.servicearizona.com; or call MVD at 602-255-0072.

Two-thirds of all MVD services and transactions can be completed online at www.azmvdnow.gov. Here’s a sampling of what can be done online:

• Renew vehicle registration
• Renew driver license
• Order a replacement driver license or ID card
• Change your address
• Order specialty and personalized license plates
• Submit a sold notice

Why is it a big deal? Because highway maintenance dollars saved, to the tune of $235,000, means that taxpayer funds can be used for other Arizona Department of Transportation priorities. More important is the determination of volunteers to Keep It Grand by making Arizona’s highways more appealing for all.

That makes those who commit time and effort to ADOT’s Adopt a Highway program worthy of a big thank you from all Arizonans during National Volunteer Week, which runs through April 24.  

During 2020, 4,700 people from more than 1,200 volunteer groups packed up their vehicles, put on safety vests and headed out to pick up litter along their adopted sections of the highway system.

“Adopt a Highway works because of a small army of dedicated volunteers, permit technicians and ADOT maintenance employees statewide who support them,” said Mary Currie, Adopt a Highway program manager. “All Arizonans and welcomed travelers benefit from the many hours put in by volunteers who beautify the highways that for many form a first impression of the Grand Canyon State.”

Looking to make a difference during National Volunteer Week and beyond? Visiting azdot.gov/adoptahighway connects you with information on volunteering as well as an interactive map showing highway segments available for adoption. 

In return for a two-year permit and a sign recognizing their group’s segment, Adopt a Highway volunteers agree to:

Adopt a minimum of two miles

Always wear Federal Highway Administration required ANSI Class II Safety vests

Read a safety brief and watch a safety video before each cleanup

Contact ADOT before cleaning up their sections

Report to ADOT how many bags of litter were cleaned up

Clean their sections at least once and preferably three times per year

Adopt a Highway cleanups continue during the current public health situation, though ADOT asks volunteers to observe state and federal guidelines calling for social distancing and keeping groups fewer than 10 people.

Motorists can support Adopt a Highway volunteers by slowing down when driving by people picking up litter and always driving with extra caution and care.

To learn more about ADOT’s Adopt a Highway volunteer program opportunities, please visit azdot.gov/adoptahighway.