PHOENIX – As the Arizona Department of Transportation begins making plans for improvements to the state highway system over the next five years, the major focus will be on preserving existing infrastructure to ensure that it remains in good condition, while providing a reliable transportation network for drivers. It can be a tough balance, as constrained funding simply cannot meet all the transportation needs around the state.

The 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program will be available for public comment beginning next week through ADOT’s website and during the first of three public hearings. The Five-Year Program is a lineup of projects that is updated annually. It serves as a blueprint for future projects and designates how much local, state and federal funding is allocated for those projects over the next five years to improve the state’s transportation infrastructure. This includes highways, bridges, transit and aviation.

Limited funding amid growing statewide transportation needs continues to be the biggest challenge over the next five years. Fewer dollars dedicated to transportation is a result of less revenue from traditional sources of transportation funding, like the state gas tax and vehicle license tax, which support the Five-Year Program. The state gas tax is currently 18 cents per gallon and has not been increased for more than 20 years.

These transportation funding challenges have signaled a shift to a strong focus on the preservation of the state highway system, to protect a system valued at $19.7 billion. If ADOT did not invest in preservation, it would cost approximately $200 billion to replace our existing highway infrastructure, should it fall into disrepair. ADOT is committed to moving major expansion projects forward as well, but with less transportation dollars to stretch, fewer expansion projects make it into the Five-Year Program.

For the 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Program, preservation makes up 29 percent of the projects in the combined regions of the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas and Greater Arizona. Expansion accounts for 59 percent and modernization makes up 12 percent. However, when focused just on Greater Arizona (areas of the state excluding Maricopa and Pima counties), preservation makes up 68 percent of the total projects, expansion makes up eight percent, and modernization makes up 24 percent. Both the Maricopa and Pima county regions in the two metropolitan areas have independent revenue streams established through voter-approved sales tax increases that allow for more expansion projects to take place and for more transportation funding overall.

The process for each annual Tentative Five-Year Program always begins with a call to the public, an opportunity to voice comments to the State Transportation Board and let the board know which projects are important to communities around Arizona. The public comment period for the 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program will get underway next week with the first of three public hearings. The first public hearing will be held on March 20 in Tucson.

The Tentative Program will be available for public review and comment on March 20 at azdot.gov/fiveyearplan. ADOT has developed a “how to read it” guide and welcomes feedback at [email protected]. A phone number is also available for public comments at 1.855.712.8530.

The State Transportation Board will consider all public comments received by May 26. Public hearings will be conducted on March 20 in Tucson, April 17 in Phoenix and May 15 in Chino Valley. The board is expected to adopt the final 2016-2020 Five-Year Program at its June 19 meeting in Pinetop-Lakeside.

Below are the details for each of the public hearings and the June board meeting:

March 20 at 9 a.m.: Public hearing and board meeting in the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room in the Pima County Administration Building, 130 W. Congress Street, Tucson, AZ 85701

April 17 at 9 a.m.: Public hearing and board meeting in the ADOT Administration Building Auditorium, 206 S. 17th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007

May 15 at 9 a.m.: Public hearing and board meeting in the Town of Chino Valley Council Chambers, 202 N. State Route 89, Chino Valley, AZ 86323

June 19 at 9 a.m.: Board meeting at the Pinetop-Lakeside Town Hall, 1360 N. Niels Hansen Lane, Lakeside, AZ 85929

PHOENIX – Projects to preserve, modernize and expand Arizona’s highway system have now been formally approved to move forward over the next five years.

Today the State Transportation Board voted to adopt the 2015-2019 Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program. The board’s action determines which projects are now programmed in Greater Arizona while allocating dedicated funding to the preservation of Arizona’s existing highway system over the next five years. In addition, six major projects will move forward in the Pima County region and four major projects will advance in the Maricopa County region using, in part, funding generated by those regions.

“ADOT continues to focus on preservation and protecting our investment of more than $19 billion in the state highway system,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “We have also worked closely with the board over the last few months and followed their guidance to move improvement projects forward that are important to the communities we serve and that fit into ADOT’s long-range transportation plan.”

Much like the current Five-Year Program, the 2015-2019 Five-Year Program reflects a major focus on preserving the existing state highway system while moving some programmed projects forward. ADOT must prioritize projects due to stagnant revenue from the gas and vehicle license taxes and from decreased federal funding — all of which support the Five-Year Program. The 2015-2019 Five-Year Program includes a three-percent increase in preservation spending over the current program, with a steady increase in preservation funding over the next 10 years.

The following is the list of projects for Greater Arizona during the 2015-2019 Five-Year Program. The list includes three projects that were added to the program during this spring’s public comment period, as the board provided input to ADOT planners.

• State Route 347 Railroad Overpass: Total project cost is $55 million.
  FY 2015: $5.5 million allocated for design and $500,000 allocated for right of way.
  FY 2016: $5.5 million allocated for right of way.
  FY 2017: $7.3 million allocated for right of way.
  FY 2020: $36.2 million for construction (note that this portion of the project is in the 2020-2024 Development Program).

• State Route 189, Nogales to Interstate 19: Total project cost is $69 million.
  FY 2016: $2 million allocated for environmental work.
  FY 2018: $4 million allocated for design.
  FY 2022: $63 million for construction (note that this portion of the project is in the 2020-2024 Development Program).

• US 60, Show Low to Little Mormon Lake: $6 million allocated in FY 2018 for this project, which will add turn lanes, widen the roadway and construct intersection improvements.

• US 60, Silver King Section and Superior Streets: $45 million allocated in FY 2015 for this widening project (reconstruct to a four-lane roadway with a center turn lane).

• US 95, Fortuna Wash Bridge Construction: $13.5 million allocated in FY 2015 for construction of a new bridge.

• State Route 260, Interstate 17 to Thousand Trails: $62 million allocated in FY 2016 for construction of this widening project.

• State Route 89, State Route 89A to Deep Well Ranch Road: $15 million allocated in FY 2017 for a corridor widening project that will improve capacity, operations and safety.

• State Route 260, Lion Springs Section: $5 million allocated in FY 2019 for design work on this widening project.

• Interstate 15, Bridge No. 1: $2.5 million allocated in FY 2017 for design and $33 million allocated in FY 2019 for bridge replacement.

The public comment period for the 2015-2019 Five-Year Program began on March 7 and ended on May 20. During this time, public hearings were held in Phoenix, Marana and Flagstaff. Comments were also submitted online.

The Five-Year Program serves as a blueprint for future projects and designates how much local, state and federal funding is allocated for those projects. It is divided into three sections: the Maricopa County region, the Pima County region and the 13 counties that make up Greater Arizona.

The Five-Year Program is updated annually. Each program begins with a long-range visioning process, moves into a more realistic 20-year plan and finally yields each Five-Year Program. The program is developed by working closely with local planning organizations and community leaders to identify ready-to-construct or design projects.

Funding for the Five-Year Program is generated by the users of transportation services, primarily through the gasoline tax and the vehicle license tax.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation will hold its third and final public hearing for the 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program next week in Flagstaff in order to gather comments from the public and communities on the direction of the program over the next five years.

The meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. on May 9 in the City of Flagstaff Council Chambers, 211 W. Aspen Ave. in Flagstaff. The monthly State Transportation Board meeting will follow the public hearing.

The 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program is available for public review at azdot.gov/fiveyearprogram. Comments can be submitted until May 20 online or by email at [email protected].

The Five-Year Program is updated every year and serves as a blueprint that details where, when and how regional, state and federal funding will be spent for projects over the next five years to improve the state’s transportation infrastructure. This includes highways, bridges, transit and aviation.

Much like the current Five-Year Program, the 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program reflects a major focus on preserving the existing state highway system to keep it in good repair, while moving some programmed projects forward. ADOT must prioritize projects due to stagnant revenue from the gas and vehicle license taxes and from decreased federal funding — all of which support the Five-Year Program. Last year, ADOT cut $350 million from the 2014-2018 Five-Year Program because of substantially decreased revenue dedicated to transportation. No additional funding cuts are forecast for the 2015-2019 Five-Year Program; however, overall state and federal transportation funding continues to be flat.

The 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program includes a three percent increase in preservation spending over the 2014-2018 Program, with a steady increase in preservation funding over the next 10 years. Preserving the system means protecting our investment of $18.4 billion, the estimated value of the state highway system. The funding for the 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program looks like this:

• Greater Arizona: $1.8 billion over five years (60 percent for preservation, 11 percent for expansion and 29 percent for modernization)
• Maricopa County region: $1.7 billion over five years
• Pima County region: $349 million over five years
• Aviation: $1.1 billion over five years

Both the Maricopa and Pima county regions have independent revenue streams established through voter-approved sales tax increases.

The State Transportation Board will consider all public comments received by May 20. The board is expected to adopt the final 2015-2019 Five-Year Program at the June 13 meeting in Willcox. The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. in the City of Willcox Council Chambers, 300 W. Rex Allen Drive in Willcox.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation continues to gather comments on the 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program while reaching out to the public and communities statewide for their input on the direction of the program over the next five years.

The second public hearing for the Tentative Five-Year Program is scheduled for 9 a.m. on April 11 in Marana. The meeting will be held in the Town of Marana Council Chambers, 11555 W. Civic Center Drive in Marana. The monthly State Transportation Board meeting will follow the public hearing.

The Five-Year Program is updated every year and serves as a blueprint that details where, when and how regional, state and federal funding will be spent for projects over the next five years to improve the state’s transportation infrastructure. This includes highways, bridges, transit and aviation.

Much like the current Five-Year Program, the 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program reflects a major focus on preserving the existing state highway system to keep it in good repair, while moving some programmed projects forward. ADOT must prioritize projects due to stagnant revenue from the gas and vehicle license taxes and from decreased federal funding — all of which support the Five-Year Program. Last year, ADOT cut $350 million from the 2014-2018 Five-Year Program because of substantially decreased revenue dedicated to transportation. No additional funding cuts are forecast for the 2015-2019 Five-Year Program; however, overall state and federal transportation funding continues to be flat.

The 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program includes a three percent increase in preservation spending over the 2014-2018 Program, with a steady increase in preservation funding over the next 10 years. Preserving the system means protecting our investment of $18.4 billion; this is the estimated value of the state highway system. The funding for the 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program looks like this:

• Greater Arizona: $1.8 billion over five years (60 percent for preservation, 11 percent for expansion and 29 percent for modernization)
• Maricopa County region: $1.7 billion over five years
• Pima County region: $349 million over five years
• Aviation: $1.1 billion over five years

Both the Maricopa and Pima county regions have independent revenue streams established through voter-approved sales tax increases.

The 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program is available for public review and comment at azdot.gov/fiveyearprogram. ADOT has developed a “how to read it” guide and welcomes feedback at [email protected].

The State Transportation Board will consider all public comments received by May 20. The first public hearing was held in March in Phoenix. The third and final public hearing will be held on May 9 in Flagstaff. The board is expected to adopt the final 2015-2019 Five-Year Program at the June 13 meeting in Willcox.

Below are the details for the April and May public hearings and the June board meeting:

April 11 at 9 a.m.: Public hearing and board meeting in the Town of Marana Council Chambers, 11555 W. Civic Center Drive, Marana, AZ 85653

May 9 at 9 a.m.: Public hearing and board meeting in the City of Flagstaff Council Chambers, 211 W. Aspen Ave., Flagstaff, AZ 86001

June 13 at 9 a.m.: Board meeting in the City of Willcox Council Chambers, 300 W. Rex Allen Drive, Willcox, AZ 85643

PHOENIX – As the Arizona Department of Transportation begins planning and programming for improvements to the state highway system over the next five years, the major focus will be on preserving existing infrastructure to keep it in good repair.

Today begins the public comment period for the 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program. The Five-Year Program is updated every year and serves as a blueprint that details where, when and how regional, state and federal funding will be spent for projects over the next five years to improve the state’s transportation infrastructure. This includes highways, bridges, transit and aviation.

Much like the current Five-Year Program, the 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program reflects a major focus on preserving the existing state highway system while moving some programmed projects forward. ADOT must prioritize projects due to stagnant revenue from the gas and vehicle license taxes and from decreased federal funding—all of which support the Five-Year Program. Last year, ADOT cut $350 million from the 2014-2018 Five-Year Program because of substantially decreased revenue dedicated to transportation. No additional funding cuts are forecast for the 2015-2019 Five-Year Program, however, overall state and federal transportation funding continues to be flat.

The 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program includes a three percent increase in preservation spending over the 2014-2018 Program, with a steady increase in preservation funding over the next 10 years. Preserving the system means protecting our investment of $18.4 billion; this is the estimated value of the state highway system. The funding for the 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program looks like this:

• Greater Arizona: $1.8 billion over five years (60 percent for preservation, 11 percent for expansion and 29 percent for modernization)
• Maricopa County region: $1.7 billion over five years
• Pima County region: $349 million over five years
• Aviation: $1.1 billion over five years

Both the Maricopa and Pima county regions have independent revenue streams established through voter-approved sales tax increases.

The 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program is now available for public review and comment at www.azdot.gov/fiveyearprogram. ADOT has developed a “how to read it” guide and welcomes feedback at [email protected].

The State Transportation Board will consider all public comments received by May 20. Public hearings will be conducted on March 14 in Phoenix, April 11 in Marana and May 9 in Flagstaff to allow for additional community input. The board is expected to adopt the final 2015-2019 Five-Year Program at the June 13 meeting in Willcox.

Below are the details for each of the public hearings and the June board meeting:

March 14 at 9 a.m.: Public hearing and board meeting in the ADOT Auditorium, 206 S. 17th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007

April 11 at 9 a.m.: Public hearing and board meeting in the Town of Marana Council Chambers, 11555 W. Civic Center Drive, Marana, AZ 85653

May 9 at 9 a.m.: Public hearing and board meeting in the City of Flagstaff Council Chambers, 211 W. Aspen Avenue, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

June 13 at 9 a.m.: Board meeting in the City of Willcox Council Chambers, 300 W. Rex Allen Drive, Willcox, AZ 85643