CAMP VERDE – Visitors and residents can better navigate a busy commercial area in Camp Verde just east of Interstate 17 thanks to a new roundabout installed by the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The revamped intersection of State Route 260 and Industrial Drive, an area where many travelers pull over for gasoline, a bite to eat or a cup of coffee, will keep traffic flowing smoothly in all directions, as well as in and out of businesses.

Prior to this project, the area was congested with limited traffic movements making it longer and more difficult for drivers to access businesses.

The $1.3 million project also included new sidewalks on the north side of SR 260 between Cliffs Parkway and Main Street, and on the south side of SR 260 between Seventh Street and Main Street for improved pedestrian mobility.

While the roundabout is open to traffic, crews will be finishing landscaping, electrical work and other minor work over the next few weeks. Crews will also return for final permanent striping later this summer.

For more information on roundabouts and how to use them, visit azdot.gov/roundabouts.

PHOENIX – Working overnight along stretches of Phoenix-area freeways, Arizona Department of Transportation crews are moving closer to completing installation of new in-pavement sensors that monitor traffic flow.

You can expect overnight closures along Interstate 17 over the next several weeks as crews work to complete the project by this summer.

In addition to helping ADOT track freeway conditions, these sensors provide the data used to estimate the travel times that drivers see on message boards above freeways. The data also helps ADOT and the Maricopa Association of Governments, the regional transportation-planning agency, make decisions about future freeway improvements.

Using electronic wires embedded in the pavement, the sensors have been used along many Valley freeways for years. The current project is installing additional in-pavement sensors as a more reliable replacement for acoustic devices that are mounted on poles.

This project is one way ADOT is working toward the agency’s continuous improvement goal of reducing congestion on freeways in metro Phoenix.

After installing in-pavement sensors on Interstate 10, US 60 (Superstition Freeway) and State Route 51 (Piestewa Freeway) in recent months, ADOT will address Interstate 17 over the next several weeks, starting with the southbound lanes between Peoria Avenue in north Phoenix and 19th Avenue south of the downtown area.

This week, overnight closures of southbound I-17 stretches are scheduled through Thursday night, May 18, between Peoria Avenue and Bethany Home Road for sensor-installation work. Southbound I-17 also is scheduled to be closed this weekend between Indian School Road and Van Buren Street for rubberized asphalt paving.

When the sensor-installation project is completed, more than 85 locations on Phoenix-area freeways will have new traffic-flow sensors.

PHOENIX – Drivers are already noticing a smoother ride on Interstate 17, and there’s more on the way as crews work to resurface more than 10 miles of the freeway between the downtown area and north Phoenix with a fresh layer of rubberized asphalt.

As the Arizona Department of Transportation’s $9.8 million I-17 Improvement Project between Dunlap and 19th avenues approaches the halfway mark, crews have already paved six miles southbound and five miles northbound.

The paving, which started in March, requires sections of the freeway in one direction to be closed on most weekends until mid-June, including northbound I-17 between McDowell and Camelback roads from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday (May 1). The Interstate 10 ramps connecting to northbound I-17 at the “Stack” interchange also will be closed.

The entire I-17 project, including final lane striping, will be completed this summer.

ADOT’s project team is working to limit the traffic impacts, including scheduling paving northbound this weekend with fans heading to Arizona Diamondbacks games and other events in and around downtown. In addition, there will no closure over Memorial Day weekend in late May.

ADOT’s overhead message boards will alert drivers to the closures and available alternate routes, including State Route 51.

Rubberized asphalt, which includes melted rubber from recycled tires blended into its mixture, is best applied to the freeway within a pavement temperature range that’s higher than 75 degrees. Such temperatures generally occur during spring and fall, when most rubberized asphalt resurfacing is done.

ADOT uses rubberized asphalt on many freeways and highways because it has proven to be a durable pavement that provides a smooth ride. It has also gained favor over time for reducing traffic noise in neighborhoods adjacent to freeways.

The I-17 Improvement Project actually started last fall with sidewalk and wheelchair ramp improvements at a number of cross street interchanges. Crews also are upgrading safety fences on overpasses above I-17.

Other work has included I-17 drainage improvements near Durango Street, new signs and concrete-barrier upgrades.

ADOT will provide updates on the I-17 resurfacing and scheduled closures on the agency’s website, azdot.gov, and Twitter feed (@ArizonaDOT).

PHOENIX – A late winter storm this week and more precipitation expected next week have Arizona Department of Transportation maintenance crews in patrol-and-patch mode as they address pavement-repair needs on Interstate 40 and Interstate 17 in the high country.

Potholes can pop up quickly when moisture seeps into and below asphalt, which in northern Arizona can be stressed by the combination of freezing overnight temperatures and daytime thawing. The Flagstaff area usually experiences more than 200 daily freeze-thaw cycles each year. Add heavy traffic, and this stressed pavement can break away.

After weeks of making permanent repairs, including laying asphalt over rough stretches of pavement, crews over the next week will be out patching any potholes that have formed as a result of the latest storms. Forecasted rain showers and snow in the high country will delay other work.

ADOT responds aggressively to the annual challenge of potholes from winter weather. Crews make temporary and then permanent repairs to potholes as soon as possible.

ADOT has two projects coming later this year along I-40 between Flagstaff and Williams that will add a new layer of pavement in both directions.

PHOENIX – With warmer weather in the high country, Arizona Department of Transportation maintenance crews are catching up with pavement repair along Interstates 17 and 40 and State Route 89A after an active winter season.

Next week, crews will lay asphalt over existing pavement to smooth rough sections of road along I-40 between mileposts 169 and 172 eastbound, about 10 miles east of Williams. Work will also occur on I-40 eastbound at mileposts 92, 96 and 102-104, in between the US 93 junction and Seligman.

Patch work and overlays will also continue on State Route 89A in Oak Creek Canyon.

Potholes can pop up quickly when moisture seeps into and below asphalt, which in northern Arizona can be stressed by the combination of freezing overnight temperatures and daytime thawing. The Flagstaff area usually experiences more than 200 daily freeze-thaw cycles each year. Add heavy traffic, and this stressed pavement can break away.

ADOT has two projects coming later this year along I-40 between Flagstaff and Williams that will add a new layer of pavement in both directions.

PHOENIX – An 11-mile stretch of Interstate 17 (Black Canyon Freeway) in Phoenix will be resurfaced with a new layer of smooth rubberized asphalt starting in mid-March.

The work is part of the Arizona Department of Transportation’s $9.8 million I-17 improvement project between Peoria Avenue in north Phoenix and 19th Avenue south of the downtown area, which started last fall with sidewalk and wheelchair ramp improvements at cross-street interchanges.

While drivers can look forward to a smoother ride on this stretch of I-17, the pavement-replacement work will require a series of weekend closures between March and early June.

The paving is scheduled to start the weekend of March 17-20, when southbound I-17 will be closed between Peoria Avenue and Glendale Avenue. Plans call for weekend closures to continue along southbound I-17 before crews begin resurfacing the northbound side of the freeway. The schedule is subject to change due to inclement weather.

I-17 will be closed one direction at a time for approximately three-mile stretches each weekend while the rubberized asphalt paving takes place. Drivers should consider alternate routes, including State Route 51 or Loop 101, while I-17 is closed.

Travelers can expect heavy backups and delays when I-17 traffic is detoured to the freeway’s frontage roads or, in areas without frontage roads, to 19th Avenue.

Closures will not be scheduled on the weekend of March 31-April 3 when the NCAA’s Final Four college basketball events are taking place. I-17 also will remain open over the Memorial Day weekend in late May.

Other work includes I-17 drainage improvements near Durango Street, new signs and concrete-barrier upgrades.

ADOT will provide updates on the I-17 resurfacing and scheduled closures on the agency’s website and Twitter feed (@ArizonaDOT). 

PHOENIX – To reduce traffic backups from crashes, congestion and other incidents along Interstate 17 north of Phoenix, the Arizona Department of Transportation is evaluating options that include the possibility of reversible lanes on the grade between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point.

The reversible-lane concept (the video above shows an animation of what a system could look like) is among alternatives being considered to move more traffic while enhancing safety along that winding eight-mile stretch of I-17.

Regardless of whether reversible lanes become a reality, ADOT’s goals include expanding I-17 capacity along more than just those eight miles. As part of the state’s Key Commerce Corridors plan, which proposed investments in interstates and other highways to support economic growth, ADOT recommended widening I-17 to three lanes north of Anthem Way.

“I-17 is vital for passenger and commercial traffic between Phoenix and northern Arizona communities,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “We’re determined to identify options to increase the lane capacity along the highway while also working with the Department of Public Safety and other partners to reduce driver behaviors that lead to crashes and cause unnecessary delays. Drivers can be a big help in this effort by exercising patience and good judgment to improve safety in that area.”

With the State Transportation Board’s approval of ADOT’s five-year construction program last June, $3 million is being used this fiscal year for preliminary design work on alternatives for the corridor between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point. Another $5 million has been set aside in fiscal 2020 for final design.

A possible design for reversible lanes would feature a barrier at each end of the system that would be adjusted to open additional lanes in one direction of travel at any one time. For example, the lanes would be available for northbound traffic to use at the beginning of a weekend or available for southbound traffic on a Sunday afternoon or evening.

A preliminary design has estimated the construction costs for such a system at $125 million. While no funding is currently available for a reversible-lane system or widening projects, ADOT is aggressively seeking solutions including the possibility of a public-private partnership that could move a large project along sooner and at a lower cost.

More immediately, ADOT later this year will launch a safety-based project to add six electronic “speed feedback” signs along I-17 north of the Phoenix area. Those signs will display vehicle speeds while reminding drivers of the posted speed limit. ADOT’s project also will add four new electronic message signs to provide information about highway conditions along with safety messages.

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.