PHOENIX – We all know the signatures of an Arizona monsoon - intense dust storms and torrential rain - but how many of us truly know how to drive safely when Mother Nature unleashes her worst?

As part of Monsoon Awareness Week (June 13-19), the Arizona Department of Transportation is asking drivers to be prepared to “Pull Aside, Stay Alive” when blowing dust is on the move. At the same time, ADOT is reminding drivers about its dust detection and warning system on Interstate 10 near Picacho Peak as the system enters its second season of helping motorists travel more safely between Phoenix and Tucson.

The simplest monsoon safety reminder: Never drive into a dust storm. But because dust storms move so quickly - and can occur anywhere in Arizona - motorists need to know how to act quickly and safely if they find themselves in extreme conditions.

When drivers find themselves in blowing dust, ADOT’s message is “Pull Aside, Stay Alive.” The long-running public safety campaign urges drivers to leave the road if possible, with these safety tips in mind:

• When you come across a dust storm, immediately check for traffic around your vehicle and begin slowing down.
• Pull off the roadway as soon as possible, before waiting for visibility to become poor. Exit the highway completely if possible.
• Do not stop in travel lanes or the emergency lane. Pull off the pavement completely if it’s safe to do so.
• Turn off all vehicle lights. Vehicles approaching from behind could use your lights as a guide and possibly crash into your parked vehicle.
• Take your foot off the brake and set your emergency brake.
• Stay in your vehicle with your safety belt buckled and wait for the storm to pass.

For drivers traveling I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson, ADOT offers additional monsoon travel tips about the 10-mile long dust detection and warning zone. The system became operational in this area that’s prone to blowing dust just in time for the 2020 monsoon, providing automated warnings when dust reduces visibility.

This zone is clearly marked with signs informing drivers they’re entering a variable speed limit corridor. When the system detects reduced visibility, electronic speed limit signs will automatically reduce the enforceable speed limit from 75 mph to as low as 35 mph. The system also activates overhead message boards with a warning for drivers to slow down because of blowing dust.

ADOT reminds drivers this first-of-its-kind system is only at this location, and that it’s not a replacement for common sense. As in any other part of Arizona, drivers should be ready to pull over during dust storms even with the additional safety and warning features in this area.

More information on dust storm safety can be found at PullAsideStayAlive.org, and safety tips for driving in rainstorms can be found at azdot.gov/monsoon.

Maintenance of more than 55 pump stations along a number of Phoenix-area freeways is a year round job. Many pump stations have either three or four pumps, driven by powerful engines. Most pumps can lift more than 12,000 gallons of stormwater per minute. 

Localized storms that drop more than 2 inches of rain in an hour can tax any drainage system. ADOT focuses on having technicians ready to respond if any issues with an individual pump station occur. 

If freeway flooding does occur in a low-lying area, motorists should avoid driving into standing water and wait for emergency responders, including Department of Public Safety troopers, to arrive and provide assistance. 

Drivers also should be prepared to slow down on wet freeways and local streets. Allow extra room behind any vehicles ahead, to provide safe and necessary stopping distance.

The first-of-its-kind dust detection and warning system installed by the Arizona Department of Transportation has been named one of the “Infrastructure Gamechangers” by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

The detection system, which was completed by ADOT on a 10-mile stretch of Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson in 2020, is among only four highway-related projects recognized nationally this year by the ASCE. The organization recognizes groundbreaking projects that represent the latest advancements in the way engineers plan, build and adapt to infrastructure needs. 

In announcing the national “Gamechangers,” ASCE President Jean-Louis Briaud said, “With resources stretched thin, finding solutions that can make the most of the tools afforded us can driver safety, variable speed corridor, be a challenge, but is an essential component of improving the built environment. ADOT’s dust-monitoring system will keep drivers safe and I-10 drivers moving efficiently. This project highlights the innovative nature of civil engineers, adapting to unique challenges to ensure our systems better serve the public.”

ADOT State Engineer Dallas Hammit added, “This recognition by our engineering peers is gratifying because it acknowledges the tremendous innovation and creativity that has gone into developing a system that will greatly enhance safety for drivers travelling through what can sometimes be a very challenging environment.”

Driving on Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson during summer monsoon months can be hazardous when windblown dust reduces visibility, causing dangerous driving conditions. This technology has created an unprecedented innovation that helps increase driver safety. 

“Safety is our first priority and this first-of-its-kind technology answers a real need to make a very busy portion of highway much safer for motorists. It has already proven its effectiveness in recent dust storm events,” said Brent Cain, the director of ADOT’s Transportation Systems Management and Operations Division “Being chosen as an ASCE Gamechanger is a great honor.”

Drivers passing through the detection and warning zone encounter signs saying “Caution: Variable Speed Limit Corridor.” Soon after, a series of programmable speed limit signs every 1,000 feet can change the legal speed limit from 75 mph to as low as 35 mph. Additional variable speed limit signs are placed every 2 miles.

Overhead electronic message boards in and near the corridor alert drivers to blowing dust and warn them to slow down. Speed feedback signs inform drivers of their actual speeds.

Thirteen visibility sensors mounted on posts along the freeway use light beams to determine the density of dust particles in the air. Once visibility drops to certain levels, the system activates overhead message boards and the variable speed limit signs.

The sensors are complemented by a weather radar on a 20-foot tower at I-10 and State Route 87. It can detect storms more than 40 miles away, providing additional warning of incoming storms to ADOT and forecasters at the National Weather Service.

This technology is monitored by ADOT’s Traffic Operations Center in Phoenix, where staff can see real-time information on conditions such as the speed and flow of traffic. Closed-circuit cameras provide visual confirmation of conditions along the roadway and in the distance.

For additional information on dust storms and safety: www.pullasidestayalive.org

PHOENIX -  Arizona Department of Transportation innovations designed to improve driver safety and awareness during bad weather conditions have earned recognition from the National Weather Service, which has cited ADOT as a “Weather Ready Nation Ambassador of Excellence.”

Because Arizona’s climate ranges from low desert to Alpine extremes, ADOT works with National Weather Service offices in Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff and Las Vegas to constantly monitor a remarkable range of weather activity. This includes heat events, major winter storms, monsoon storms that can produce deadly lightning and flash flooding, the effects of wildfires, high winds and other occurrences throughout Arizona. 

With central Arizona being a prime location for dust storms, in 2019 ADOT installed a state-of-the-art X-band radar dust detection system on portions of Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson, as well as variable speed limit signs that adjust in response to poor weather such as dust storms or heavy rainfall. 

DOT also coordinates with the National Weather Service on an emergency action plan to respond quickly to flooding emergencies, especially in areas burned out by wildfires where flooding can be more severe. Streamlined communication and preventative measures as part of the federal Pathfinder Program allow maintenance crews to take quick action to close highways and keep drivers safe in the event of flooding.

Among the weather-related safety initiatives promoted by ADOT are the “Pull Aside, Stay Alive” dust storm awareness effort and the “Know Snow” campaign for winter driving safety.

“The National Weather Service and ADOT work closely to promote safety for all Arizona drivers. Weather conditions in Arizona can bring extreme heat, blinding dust storms, flash flooding, thunderstorms, snow, ice and many other conditions that challenge drivers”, said Acting Warning Coordination Meteorologist Jaret Rogers. “Our partnership is vital for making roadways as safe as possible during adverse weather conditions and ADOT has promoted innovative safety measures and awareness campaigns. This has earned ADOT the distinction of being known as a National Weather Service Weather Ready Nation Ambassador of Excellence.”

“Safety is the number one priority for the Arizona Department of Transportation and we rely very heavily on great partners like the National Weather Service,” said ADOT Transportation Systems and Management Operations Director Brent Cain. “Arizona weather can range from temperatures in the 80s in one part of the state to snow in another, sometimes on the same day. Without our relationship with the National Weather Service, it would be difficult to effectively meet the safety needs of the public. We’re grateful for this recognition.”

For more information: 

https://www.weather.gov/wrn/ambassador_recognition

Know Snow, Dust Detection: /about/transportation-safety/severe-weather