PHOENIX – With Valley drivers benefiting from several freeway improvement projects completed during 2016, including the widening of Loop 101 between Shea Boulevard and Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) in the Scottsdale area, the Arizona Department of Transportation is poised to start or complete several Phoenix-area projects in the coming year.

ADOT’s highlights for the regional freeway system in 2017 include:

• Beginning construction of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway. Work scheduled for the first half of 2017 includes setting foundations for some of the 40 bridges planned, widening eastbound lanes of Pecos Road to accommodate two-way traffic during construction, creating access roads near the freeway’s future interchange with Interstate 10 in west Phoenix and creating drainage structures. This 22-mile direct link between the East Valley and West Valley will open by late 2019.
• Opening the south half of the Interstate 10/Loop 303 interchange in Goodyear by fall. The $63 million project, launched last February, will complete freeway-to-freeway ramps and extend Loop 303 south to Van Buren Street. Loop 303 traffic will then have direct connections to and from Cotton Lane south of I-10. The north half of the I-10/Loop 303 interchange opened to traffic in August 2014.
• Resurfacing an 11-mile stretch of Interstate 17 between 19th and Peoria avenues in Phoenix in spring 2017. Crews will add a new layer of smooth, durable rubberized asphalt along the Black Canyon Freeway when warmer spring weather provides the best conditions for the resurfacing work. Rubberized asphalt, which has been used on Valley freeways for several years, includes rubber from shredded recycled tires as part of the pavement’s mixture.
• Completion of the new Bell Road/Grand Avenue interchange in Surprise by spring 2017. The $42 million project started last February. Crews opened the new bridge carrying Bell Road over Grand Avenue and the parallel BNSF Railway tracks on Nov. 22. New ramps connecting Grand Avenue to and from the Bell Road bridge are scheduled for completion in time for the Cactus League baseball season in late February.
• Installing Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) traffic-management technology between Ray and Broadway roads in Mesa. The project, scheduled to start by summer 2017, will add several overhead message signs, closed-circuit traffic cameras and traffic-flow sensors along the Santan Freeway. The technology allows ADOT to provide travelers with updated freeway conditions. A current ADOT Freeway Management System project along Loop 202 between Dobson and Ray roads is scheduled for completion in spring 2017.

ADOT’s 2016 Valley freeway construction accomplishments include:

• Completing $109 million in Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) improvements between Loop 101 and Broadway Road, adding new travel lanes between Loop 101 and Gilbert Road, extending HOV lanes by 11 miles between Gilbert and Broadway Roads and resurfacing the roadway with rubberized asphalt.
• Completing $74 million in Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) improvements between Shea Boulevard and Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) in the Scottsdale area, a project that added new right lanes and paved 11 miles of roadway with rubberized asphalt.
• Widening Loop 303 to three lanes in each direction between Grand Avenue (US 60) and Happy Valley Parkway in the northwest Valley, a $30 million project that wrapped up in 2016 with rubberized asphalt paving.
• Performing preliminary construction for the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway.  Work began in September with improvements to the I-10/Loop 202 Santan Freeway interchange in the Ahwatukee area.
• Opening State Route 51 ramps to and from Black Mountain Boulevard at the Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) interchange. ADOT teamed with the city of Phoenix on this $17.8 million project to improve access in the Desert Ridge area of northeast Phoenix.

ADOT works with the Maricopa Association of Governments, the Phoenix area’s metropolitan planning organization, to schedule and deliver projects as part of the 20-year Regional Transportation Plan approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004. Funding sources include a countywide half-cent sales tax dedicated to transportation improvements as well as the Phoenix region’s share of state and federal transportation funds.

PHOENIX ‒ Both lanes of southbound Interstate 17 are open again between State Route 169 and State Route 69 after crews completed critically needed repairs at the Orme Road bridge, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The work required narrowing I-17 to one lane between mileposts 270 and 269 approaching Cordes Junction.

The work was initially expected to last until Saturday, but crews were able to complete it Thursday evening.

For the most current information about highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Travel Information Site at az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511.

PHOENIX ‒ Southbound Interstate 17 will be reduced to one lane until Saturday, Dec. 24, at Orme Road, between State Route 169 and State Route 69, as crews make critically needed repairs at the bridge, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

ADOT normally doesn’t perform work requiring lane restrictions over holiday weekends, but engineers have determined that these repairs, involving concrete on the bridge approach, must be performed immediately.

I-17 is narrowed to one lane between mileposts 270 and 269 approaching Cordes Junction.  Northbound travel isn’t affected.

Southbound I-17 motorists should plan for delays, proceed through the work zone carefully and watch for construction personnel and equipment. While the work is scheduled to be completed on Saturday, bad weather can delay completion of projects.

For the most current information about highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Travel Information Site at az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511.

PHOENIX ‒ It may not be surprising to hear that coordinating the timing of city traffic signals and those at two busy Interstate 17 interchanges will save drivers time.

But the Arizona Department of Transportation and its partners, the city of Phoenix and Maricopa Association of Governments, have taken it a step further by adding up the time saved and its dollar value for a project involving Camelback and Indian School roads.

The answer: Motorists are expected to save 350,000 hours of travel time, worth $6.2 million, per year.

“Continuous improvement is ADOT’s culture and is reflected in both large and small things that the ADOT team does every day. Sometimes a seemingly small change that makes better use of resources can mean big improvements,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Drivers are already seeing a time savings from this coordination. Saving time means saving money and more time with family, friends and things you enjoy doing.”

“The ADOT team’s challenge is to keep improving time savings and promote efficiency for Arizona’s taxpayers,” Halikowski added.

“When ADOT, MAG and the city of Phoenix work together strategically, the public is the beneficiary,” Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said. “Properly timing the traffic signals at these busy intersections will ease congestion, which gets commuters home sooner, saves fuel and keeps our air cleaner.”

A project funded by Maricopa Association of Governments’ Traffic Signal Optimization Program studied traffic signal timing at the Camelback and Indian School interchanges and nearby city streets and recommended a number of improvements. The project developed a common cycle length for all traffic signals near those interchanges and the best timing for the morning and evening commutes.

ADOT and Phoenix made these recommended changes, leading to significant improvements in travel times at these locations. An independent study by ADOT staff identified the benefits in time saved.  

Besides saving motorists time, these adjustments are expected to improve safety by reducing the number of stops drivers must make and time spent waiting at traffic lights. Shorter travel times and fewer stops also reduce fuel consumption and air pollution. 

ADOT and Phoenix continue to evaluate other I-17 corridor interchanges to see if changes in signal coordination can improve traffic flow elsewhere. 

PHOENIX – As the Arizona Department of Transportation seeks to identify and fund projects that will increase capacity on Interstate 17 north of Phoenix, drivers need to do their part by avoiding the poor decisions and inattention behind so many of the crashes that result in closures and backups – and worse, injuries and fatalities.

The steep, winding stretch of I-17 between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point is one of ADOT’s priorities for improvements.

But ADOT Director John Halikowski says no widening project or highway safety measure can be as effective as drivers obeying speed limits, avoiding distractions and driving with patience. A recent analysis found that the driver violation cited in more than 40 percent of I-17 crashes in the Black Canyon City area was “speed too fast for conditions.”  

“We drive these highways too and care deeply not only about the time motorists lose in delays but the toll in injuries and lives lost due to speeding and driver inattention,” Halikowski said. “We’re committed to improving traffic flow and enhancing safety on I-17 and won’t stop until we get this done. But we can’t ignore driver behavior. We can all get home sooner and safely if we work together to avoid crashes.”

A recent safety message on ADOT’s overhead highway sign network sums up this approach: Control yourself, control your vehicle, save lives.

“Always drive defensively,” said Alberto Gutier, director of the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “Being constantly aware of your surroundings and the actions of other motorists is especially important in this stretch of I-17, which can see heavy traffic and demands a driver’s complete attention."

Col. Frank Milstead, director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, said everyone in a vehicle should promote safe driving.

“Passengers, be a good co-pilot, don’t allow your driver to disregard our traffic laws and drive distracted,” Milstead said. “Encourage them to focus on safe, unselfish driving. Otherwise, they may unexpectedly meet one of our troopers during a traffic stop or collision investigation.”

ADOT will launch an I-17 safety project in 2017 focused on the area between New River Road and Sunset Point Rest Area. The project will add several electronic “speed feedback” signs with digital displays that show drivers how fast they are traveling compared to the speed limit. New signs alerting drivers to highway curves will be installed, along with four overhead message signs to inform drivers of traffic conditions.

"I-17 is vital for passenger and commercial traffic between Phoenix and northern Arizona communities," Halikowski said. "We’re determined to identify options to increase capacity in that stretch of I-17 while also working with DPS, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and other agencies to emphasize what drivers can do to improve safety."

PHOENIX ‒ Drivers on northbound Interstate 17 north of Camp Verde should expect to see delays through Monday (May 23) as crews complete work on the Verde River bridge.

Only one lane will be open to traffic at the Verde River Bridge between mileposts 287 and 288, just north of the State Route 260 interchange. Construction on the bridge and paving are expected to be completed by 6 p.m. Monday.

The on-ramp from SR 260 to northbound I-17 will be closed from 8 a.m. to noon on Monday.

A 12-foot width restriction will remain in place until Monday evening. Vehicles more than 12 feet wide should use SR 260 west to SR 89A, then north to Sedona, and south on SR 179 to return to I-17.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule. To stay up-to-date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at az511.gov, call 511 or follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT).

PHOENIX ‒ A project to reduce the potential for rockfall in a quarter-mile section of northbound Interstate 17 between Camp Verde and Flagstaff will require closures of up to 30 minutes overnight starting Sunday, April 17, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Drivers using this route between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. should plan ahead and budget extra time on the following dates, when intermittent closures will occur northbound near milepost 292 approaching McGuireville:

• Starting at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 17, and ending at 6 a.m. Friday, April 22.
• Starting at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 24, and ending at 6 a.m. Friday, April 29.

The project area is between Middle Verde Road (Exit 289) and the Rimrock/Lake Montezuma/Cornville exit at milepost 293.

Southbound I-17 traffic will be unaffected.

The project will remove rockfall debris and scale slopes to reduce the potential for rock to fall, among other work.

From April 17 through April 29, northbound oversize loads wider than 12 feet will be required to detour around the project area between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. The detour for oversize loads is State Route 260 to Cottonwood, State Route 89A to Sedona and State Route 179 to I-17.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule. To stay up to date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information System at az511.gov or call 511.

PHOENIX – Overnight closures of Interstate 17 in north Phoenix are scheduled this week, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. Drivers are urged to allow extra travel time while the following late night closures are in place:

• Northbound I-17 closed at Carefree Highway (State Route 74) from 11 p.m. Tuesday to 1 a.m. Wednesday (March 23) for traffic-flow sensor replacement. Northbound I-17 on-ramp at Carefree Highway also closed. DETOUR: Traffic exiting northbound I-17 at Carefree Highway will detour to northbound Gavilan Peak Parkway and reconnect with I-17 via Pioneer Road.

• Southbound I-17 closed at Pioneer Road from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. Wednesday (March 23) for traffic-flow sensor replacement. DETOUR: Traffic will detour along the southbound I-17 off- and on-ramps at Pioneer Road. Please allow extra travel time.

• Northbound I-17 closed at Daisy Mountain Drive from 11 p.m. Wednesday to 1 a.m. Thursday (March 24) for traffic-flow sensor replacement. DETOUR: Traffic will detour along the northbound I-17 off- and on-ramps at Daisy Mountain Drive. Please allow extra travel time.

For statewide highway conditions visit ADOT’s Travel Information site at www.az511.gov. Highway information also is available via ADOT’s Twitter feed (@ArizonaDOT).