Today’s Throwback Thursday entry takes us to the Phoenix Zoo with a message that resonates even today.

Here we see a kangaroo, proudly presenting a sign encouraging the practice of carpooling.

“Share the Ride!” implores the sign, which feature a happy mother kangaroo toting four delightful joeys in her pouch. The sign is punctuated at the bottom, telling motorists to “Pool it!”

As a side note, a female kangaroo is only able to hold up to two joeys in her pouch at once, and only if one is significantly smaller than the other one. Though, we suppose presenting a zoologically accurate portrait would greatly diminish the message.

While we found this picture undated in our archives, our spidey-sense gives us an estimate of late ‘60s or early ‘70s. Even today, five decades later, there are plenty of benefits to carpooling. For one, it greatly reduces personal expenses when it comes to travel; things like fuel and maintenance costs.

Sick of traffic jams? Carpooling could very well be the answer. More people carpooling means fewer cars on the road. Plus, carpools have HOV lanes during key commute times in the mornings and afternoons. You can’t beat that!

So when it’s time for you to plan your next automobile journey, take a hint from a cartoon kangaroo and her babies: Share the ride! Pool it!

When we last checked in on the Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) project, crews were adding travel lanes, widening bridges and wrapping up the placement of rubberized asphalt…

Now, as many East Valley drivers can tell you, the project is pretty much finished!

“Since April, we’ve completed all of the widening of the roadway and the bridges and the new asphalt rubber is down,” said Transportation Engineering Specialist Craig Regulski. “Now, we’re just finishing up the final striping and getting the freeway management system up and running – basically, we’re finishing up the electrical work. All travel lanes are open, but there are still restrictions on some ramps.”

More about the project

Crews started working in October 2014 on the project that added one general purpose lane in each direction along Loop 202 between Loop 101 (Price Freeway) and Gilbert Road. The project also added a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane in both directions between Gilbert and Broadway roads. In all, this project has added lanes along nearly 20 miles of the Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway).

Besides the addition of new lanes and rubberized asphalt, this project also included the construction of both retaining and sound walls, drainage improvements, updating the existing overhead freeway signs, the installation of a new median freeway lighting system, and landscaping.

This project was built utilizing the design-build method of delivery, which involves pairing the design team with the construction team. This team then both designs and constructs the project.

Attention East Valley motorists: ADOT’s newest freeway widening project in the Phoenix area has started this week along Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway*) in Mesa.

Scheduled for completion by spring 2016, the $109-million project will add one regular traffic lane in each direction along Loop 202 between Loop 101 (Price Freeway) and Gilbert Road. Crews will also be extending the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes between Gilbert and Broadway roads.

In all, this project will add lanes along nearly 20 miles of the Red Mountain Freeway.

Besides the addition of new lanes, this project also includes bridge widening, construction of retaining walls and sound walls, drainage improvements and installation of updated signs, freeway lighting and landscaping. A new layer of rubberized asphalt is in the plans, too.

Here’s what drivers will need to know

The current existing number of travel lanes will be maintained during weekday rush hours, with most restrictions limited to nighttime hours and weekends.

Full closures of sections of Loop 202 are scheduled over the next two weekends to allow crews to set up work zones by shifting traffic lanes and placing temporary concrete barrier walls:

• Westbound Loop 202 will be closed between McDowell Road and Country Club Drive from 10 p.m. Friday (Oct. 24) to 5 a.m. Monday (Oct. 27) for work zone setup. Westbound freeway traffic will detour along McKellips Road. Drivers are encouraged to consider other alternate routes, including westbound US 60 (Superstition Freeway).
• The following weekend, eastbound Loop 202 is scheduled to be closed between Country Club Drive and Power Road from 10 p.m. Friday (Oct. 31) to 5 a.m. Monday (Nov. 3) for work zone setup. Eastbound freeway traffic will detour along McKellips Road. Drivers also should consider other alternate routes, including eastbound US 60.

Crews have also been performing preliminary work during overnight hours this week (Oct. 20-23) along Loop 202 between Broadway and Brown roads in east Mesa. The freeway remains open with lane restrictions during the overnight work.

* Having a hard time knowing your Red Mountain from your Santan or your Price from your Pima?? Check out this blog post and map for some help understanding all the Valley freeway names.

The new year officially is here, but before we dive into 2012 we’re going to take a quick look back.

ADOT’s Public Information/Media Relations team came up with a great list of the state’s major transportation accomplishments from 2011 and we thought we’d share it here on the blog!

From new freeway openings to the approval of ADOT’s Long Range Transportation Plan, here's a look at some of the highlights …

Phoenix Area Freeways:

Loop 303 Opens

ADOT widened major stretches of Phoenix area freeways in 2011 and opened the first new segment of freeway to be built under the Maricopa Association of Government’s 20-year Regional Transportation Plan. Fourteen miles of Loop 303 were opened in May between Interstate 17 and Happy Valley Parkway in Peoria, allowing drivers for the first time to use Loop 303 to make the 39-mile trip between I-17 and I-10.

HOV Lane Additions

Drivers benefited from two accelerated projects to add High Occupancy Vehicle lanes along Loops 101 and 202. The final 30 miles of HOV lanes along Loop 101 between State Route 51 in north Phoenix and I-10 in Tolleson were opened in stages during the year and completed in November. Meanwhile, in the Chandler area, 12 miles of carpool lanes were completed this fall along Loop 202 Santan Freeway between I-10 and Gilbert Road.

I-10 Widening in West Valley

Another significant milestone was marked in August with the completion of ADOT’s three-year initiative to reconstruct and widen I-10 between Loop 101 and Verrado Way. Those projects modernized I-10, transforming what had been a limited highway with two lanes in each direction into a modern freeway that now provides as many as five lanes in each direction – including carpool lanes.

State Highway System:

Mescal Road/J-Six Ranch Road Bridge

Just over six months after a fiery crash damaged the Mescal Road/J-Six Ranch Road bridge, ADOT swiftly rebuilt the bridge to reconnect the Cochise County communities of Mescal and J-Six Ranch, which were separated by I-10 and depend on the overpass for convenient access to goods, services and neighbors. While the bridge was out of service, residents and workers in the Benson-area communities were required to take lengthy detours around I-10 to reach the other side of the highway. Federal Highway Administration emergency relief funds, a shortened time frame for designing the replacement bridge and a quick construction bid process all helped put the project on the fast track. A typical bridge construction project can take up to two years.

State Route 260 Widening

Continuing a decade-long commitment to expand the capacity of SR 260, ADOT completed a project to widen the highway starting 15 miles east of Payson from Little Green Valley to Thompson Draw. The $20 million project is the fourth of six projects to construct a four-lane divided highway from Star Valley to the top of the Mogollon Rim.

State Route 87 Improvements

ADOT fulfilled its commitment to complete SR 87 improvements before the Memorial Day weekend and in time for the busy tourism season in the Rim Country. The $11.8 million reconstruction and widening project included the addition of a third southbound lane to enhance safety and traffic flow along the uphill stretch during drives between Payson and the Phoenix area. The improvements were the latest in a series of projects during the last two decades to enhance travel on SR 87, which is now a divided four-lane highway between Mesa and Payson.

US 93 Widening Project

Shortly after ADOT completed a $71.3 million widening project on the US 93 approach to the new Hoover Dam bypass bridge in 2010, the first Desert Bighorn Sheep were spotted in February using one of the three wildlife crossings that were constructed to protect motorists and provide a safe crossing for the native animals. The project earned ADOT several honors this year, including the Arizona Chapter American Public Works Association Award, 2011 Public Works Project of the Year and FHWA’s 2011 Exemplary Ecosystem Initiative Award for the agency’s creative and innovative solution to balance motorists’ safety, while protecting wildlife and connecting ecosystems.

Hassayampa River Bridge Project

Just in time for the Fourth of July weekend, ADOT completed a $3.9 million bridge project over the Hassayampa River on I-10, approximately 40 miles west of downtown Phoenix. This area is a major route for travelers heading to and from California along I-10.

Overnight Bridge Demolition

On a late April night in southern Arizona, ADOT tore down two bridges in 10 hours – no small task. ADOT had already planned to remove the old Marsh Station bridge, which required a 67-mile overnight detour for motorists on I-10 east of Tucson. About three weeks before the demolition was set to occur, two semi trucks collided under the overpass at the Mescal Road/J-Six Ranch Road bridge. The bridge was badly damaged from the resulting fire and would have to be replaced.

Planning and Programming:

Long Range Transportation Plan

For more than two years, ADOT worked toward developing the state’s Long-Range Transportation Plan, a blueprint that looks 25 years into the future to determine how to plan for and fund transportation projects that keep up with Arizona’s needs. The State Transportation Board formally approved the Long Range Transportation Plan, also known as What Moves You Arizona, in November, allowing ADOT planners to move ahead with their work to develop a transportation system that will carry Arizona into the future. The award-winning program was nationally recognized for planning and involving the public.

Intercity Rail Study

In October, ADOT kicked off the public outreach phase of its intercity rail study. The study’s goal is to identify if there is a need for intercity rail along I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson. Over the course of a month, ADOT gathered information, data and comments. The agency will provide its findings to the public and to policymakers, so they can make an informed decision about how to move forward. ADOT is looking at all options, which include rail, transit—and the option to build nothing at all. The study will be complete in 2013.

Bicycle Safety Action Plan

As part of our public safety plan, ADOT is developing a Bicycle Safety Action Plan to help keep cyclists safe on Arizona’s highways. The goal is to reduce the number of bicycle crashes with motor vehicles and improve safety for both cyclists and drivers.  The goal of the Bicycle Safety Action Plan is to reduce the total number of bicycle crashes on Arizona highways by 12 percent by 2018.

Safe Routes to School

This year, nearly $3.5 million in grant funding was distributed by ADOT for 21 Safe Routes to School projects for schools and communities statewide. Eight of these projects, totaling $2.8 million, were designated for infrastructure improvements, such as the construction of sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, signage and striping. An additional 13 projects, totaling $720,000, went toward non-infrastructure elements, such as providing bike helmets to students, safety education and law enforcement. All Safe Routes to School projects are designed to get kids walking or biking and adopt healthy habits.

Motor Vehicle Division and Enforcement and Compliance Division:

Motor Vehicle Division

MVD continued to improve the quality of customer service at MVD offices by shortening the wait times for the more common motor vehicle and driver license transactions, while serving over 3.5 million customers at MVD’s 54 offices or satellite/specialized offices in 2011 The average wait time per transaction was approximately 19 minutes, compared to over 45 minutes just five years ago. Throughout the year, MVD also provided transaction assistance to returning soldiers with the U.S. Army Intelligence Command at Fort Huachuca in southern Arizona. ADOT also launched several new specialty license plates, including the long-awaited Arizona Centennial plate.

Enforcement and Compliance Division

ADOT officers conducted Operation Bullhead, joint-agency commercial vehicle enforcement operation in Mohave County at the request of Bullhead City officials. ADOT officers recovered stolen vehicles identified during inspections. The enforcement division also created a Single Trip Overweight International Border Permit program for produce transporters out of Mexico and assisted local law enforcement with scrap metal yard investigations.

Other Accomplishments:

Grand Canyon National Park Airport

In June, the Grand Canyon National Park Airport, owned and operated by ADOT, began daily 737 airline service from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. Travelers can now book a flight on Vision Airlines out of Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. The new service is the first step in a larger vision to make it easier for all tourists to visit the canyon. The Transportation Security Administration was also stationed at the airport this year, making it easier for airline companies to fly into the airport, since they no longer have to provide their own passenger screening.

Several miles of new HOV lanes opened earlier this week in Chandler and the West Valley … just in time for the Monday morning commute!

ADOT opened the new stretches of High Occupancy Vehicle lanes along the Loop 202 Santan Freeway in Chandler and the Loop 101 Agua Fria Freeway in the Glendale and Peoria area.

The completion of the new eastbound Loop 202 carpool lane east of I-10 marks the end of an $84.7 million project to add 12 miles of HOV lanes in each direction between I-10 and Gilbert Road in Chandler . That project, which started in September 2010, included the addition of elevated HOV lane ramps that provide carpoolers with direct connections between Loop 202 and the Loop 101 Price Freeway as well as I-10.

Along the Loop 101, crews opened a 12-mile stretch of the new westbound and southbound HOV lane between 51st Avenue and Glendale Avenue. ADOT is adding 30 miles of new carpool lanes in each direction along Loop 101 between State Route 51 in north Phoenix and I-10 in the West Valley . Work on that $90 million project began in January of this year. Sections of the new lanes have been opened in stages as the project advances. The plan is to open another segment Monday morning. After this weekend, the entire stretch of HOV lane (heading west to south) from SR 51 to Thomas Road will be open. All the carpool lanes are scheduled to be open to traffic by next month (November).

If you live and drive the Loop 101 in the West and North Valley you probably noticed the first stretch of HOV lanes on the eastbound Loop 101 recently opened. These new lanes already have helped to ease congestion in the North Valley, especially during the morning commute.

You may have also noticed that the westbound HOV lanes appear to be done as well, but are not opened. ADOT has not decided to taunt you – these lanes aren’t open yet for a reason.

A little background on the project...

The Loop 101 HOV lane project will add 30 miles of HOV lanes along Loop 101 from I-10 to SR 51.

ADOT already has added HOV lanes to Loop 101 in the East Valley between SR 51 and Loop 202  during the past three years. The completion of final 30 miles in the West Valley will give drivers more than 60 miles of uninterrupted HOV access!

Why the westbound lanes aren't open yet...

When the first stretch of HOV lanes on the current project was opened it was because the new HOV lanes did not come to an end, but rather connected to the existing lanes east of SR 51. This enabled ADOT to open the first few miles of the new HOV lanes on the eastbound Loop 101.

So, although it appears as though the westbound Loop 101 HOV lanes between SR 51 and 7th Avenue (as well as other areas along the westbound Loop 101) will soon be ready to open, ADOT will not open these lanes until the rest of the project is completed.

We do not want to open a smaller stretch of HOV lanes that will simply come to an end and cause traffic to merge unnecessarily, just for the sake of opening lanes. We would rather hold off and open the lanes when they are completed so that traffic is not forced to merge where the smaller sections of HOV lanes end.

However, we have opened auxiliary lanes on both the east and westbound Loop 101 between Cave Creek Road and SR 51. These lanes help to improve the flow of traffic along this very busy section of the Loop 101 where traffic is merging either onto or from SR 51. Since opening, there is a noticeable difference along this section of the Loop 101.

The good news is this project is more than 80 percent complete. By November, all 30 miles of new HOV lanes will be open along the Loop 101 allowing motorists to enjoy a much easier ride in both the West and North Valley!

In less than a year, spectacular ramps and bridges have risen from bare ground in the southeast Valley. By this fall, they’ll link 12 miles of new high occupancy vehicle lanes on the Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) with Interstate 10 and the Loop 101 (Price Freeway) in Chandler -- see the project's progress in the slide show above.

On the other side of the Valley, crews are adding new HOV lanes - and improving three bridges - on the Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) from I-10 near Avondale to I-17 in north Phoenix. In just six months, they have built and paved 18 miles of the 30-mile project and are eyeing completion by this fall.

Both of these projects are utilizing the “design-build” (D/B) method of delivery – and proving that D/B can yield big results in a relatively small amount of time. That’s why D/B is one of the “alternative delivery methods” that ADOT uses for freeway projects when doing so makes sense.

The D/B concept involves pairing a design team with a construction team to create one, synergistic entity that delivers a freeway project from beginning to end.

This differs from the more traditional “design-bid-build concept” where one firm designs a project that is then put out to bid and awarded to a construction company to build.

Contractors that bid on ADOT’s D/B projects must not only meet quality standards, but also demonstrate their capability to complete the project on time and on budget at a much faster and dynamic pace.

Because D/B projects are schedule-driven, they can make driving through the work zone a bit more challenging. The faster pace means doing more – and more complicated – work in a shorter amount of time. For motorists, it can mean numerous restrictions or detours while the project is underway.

The flip side? The same restrictions or detours occur, but are spread out over a longer period of time for a project that takes longer to complete and probably costs more.

The D/B method can save time and money by overlapping the design and construction phases. Other benefits include improved design efficiency through on-going constructability reviews and better management of the project schedule. Because the design firm and construction company typically form a joint venture to deliver the freeway project, ADOT also benefits from having a single point for contractual responsibility if challenges arise.

With so many benefits, why doesn’t ADOT use D/B for all of its projects? Simply put, not all freeway projects are good candidates. The best project candidates do not require significant right-of-way acquisition or extensive, complicated relocation of existing utilities. In addition, ADOT believes that D/B is most advantageous when transportation improvements are immediately needed to improve safety and reduce high traffic volume or chronic congestion.

So the next time you’re maneuvering through a sea of orange cones on the Loop 101 in Peoria or find yourself on a detour route because the Loop 202 is closed in Chandler, remember that ADOT is working to make your everyday commute safer and more efficient – and saving time and taxpayer dollars at the same time!