Today, we’ve got an update for you on a project we first blogged about at the end of last year…

The project, located about three miles south of Flagstaff, involves the realignment of SR 89A and reconstruction of the southbound I-17/JW Powell Boulevard intersection.

Work has begun

Crews began construction of new alignments of SR 89A, and southbound on- and off-ramps at JW Powell Boulevard near Fort Tuthill County Park and Flagstaff-Pulliam Airport on June 2.

The project will also include the construction of roundabouts at the entrance to the park and the southbound I-17 ramps. The roundabouts will help facilitate the safer flow of traffic through the area, and will be designed to meet current and future traffic demand. Drivers can expect restrictions and lane closures throughout construction.

Project prep work happened last fall

Preparations for this project began last September when ADOT worked closely with Coconino County, the city of Flagstaff and the local utility company to remove trees to allow space for project construction while saving as many trees as possible (see video above). The area will be re-seeded with native vegetation once the project is complete.

The project is anticipated to be complete by summer 2015.

For more information, please visit the project webpage, or check out our previous post.

Have you driven the stretch of I-17 that’s just south of Camp Verde, lately? If so, you’ve probably noticed the construction.

Those of you who read this blog post from last year know that the work is being done to add an additional southbound “climbing lane” to help ease the flow of traffic (and if you read this blog post, you know more about what a climbing lane is).

But, if you haven’t been keeping up with the ADOT Blog, don’t worry because today we’ve got a project update that will tell you everything you need to know...

Blasting is over

Since early 2013, motorists traveling late at night on I-17 (primarily between 11:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m.) have had to plan ahead to avoid more than 70 planned one-hour closures required to safely remove the rock material from the mountainside of Copper Canyon. Those restrictions ended with the final overnight blasting closure on Feb. 18, but additional lane restrictions are anticipated in the future as crews move to pave the new lane.

With the blasting phase of the project completed on Copper Canyon and the project 80 percent finished, crews have already begun building the subgrade for the new pavement on the climbing lane, which will add a third travel lane for motorists to climb to the top of the steep Copper Canyon.

ADOT will start final paving operations for the project in early summer when temperatures are ideal for this type of work.

More about the project

Since the January 2013 start of this $11.8 million safety improvement project, ADOT has moved approximately 350,000 tons of dirt and boulders from Copper Canyon to clear a path for construction of the first-ever climbing lane (and third travel lane) on southbound I-17.

When complete, the additional southbound lane through the final two miles to the top of Copper Canyon will make it easier for motorists to pass large trucks and slow-moving vehicles whose speed drops because of the sustained grades along this stretch of highway (mileposts 280-282), which is the primary travel route linking Phoenix and Flagstaff.

In addition to the climbing lane, ADOT is also building a two-mile-long merging lane between the State Route 260 junction and General Crook Trail traffic interchange (mileposts 285-287), which is located just before the approach to Copper Canyon. The merging lane will allow larger vehicles to gain speed before merging onto I-17 while also providing more room for passenger vehicles traveling past slower traffic.

ADOT expects to complete the entire project in early summer.

For more information, visit the project Web page.

There’s a realignment and intersection improvement project in the works near Flagstaff that, when complete, will help eliminate some major backups in the area.

The improvement project is going to realign SR 89A in the vicinity of Fort Tuthill County Park and construct two roundabouts, one at the entrance of the park and the other at the I-17 southbound ramps, to provide a safer transition for traffic through the intersections.

Construction hasn’t started yet. It’s expected that the project will be advertised soon and a contractor will be on board by spring of next year.

You can see in the video why the improvements are needed. Flagstaff District Engineer Audra Merrick explains that the SR 89A/JW Powell Boulevard intersection (which, by the way is also the south entrance to the Fort Tuthill County Park) is very close to another intersection (JW Powell/I-17, which leads to the I-17 southbound ramps).

“Those intersections have a separation of 140 to 150 feet and during peak events at the park, because the park is so close, we can end up with queuing traffic on the I-17 ramps,” Merrick says.

The new roundabout intersections will include bike lanes and sidewalks. The roundabouts will be constructed about 400 feet apart and will be designed to accommodate current and future traffic demand.

What’s happening at the site right now

Before construction can begin, trees in the project area need to be thinned and ADOT is doing that now in anticipation of the project’s start next year.

ADOT is working closely with Coconino County, the city of Flagstaff and the local utility company to save as many trees as possible and will only eliminate trees that are absolutely necessary for the project. The project area will also be reseeded upon completion.

The wood from all those trees will not go to waste … it will definitely be put to good use.

“A lot of the wood from those trees is going to be re-purposed,” says Coconino County Community Services Director Janet Regner in the video above, adding that the wood will be utilized for flood control in other areas of the county. It will also go to families in need. They will get some of the wood to use in their fireplaces this winter (it is anticipated that about 150 cords of wood will be donated for families in the area).

More on the project

Traffic restrictions, such as lane closures, will be required during construction. To stay informed on any upcoming restrictions related to this project, please sign up to receive email alerts at azdot.gov.

You’ll also find more about this improvement project on the project web page.

Look what we found in our archives…

These photos are almost 41 years old and show us that on Sept. 20, 1972, the Arizona Highway Department (now known as ADOT) held a public meeting in Camp Verde to discuss Interstate 17 and some proposed design features.

While the pictures might not be able to tell us exactly what was said at the meeting, we can clearly see that a lot of people showed up (yay for public participation!). They also offer a glimpse of the fashions and hairstyles of the day.

But, more importantly, the photographs remind us that I-17 (the Black Canyon Freeway) wasn’t always the interstate we know and drive today.

Curious about this route and its history, we searched the Arizona Transportation History report to find out more. Turns out, there’s a lot to learn.

A public hearing, held in Camp Verde in 1972.

To start with, the original Black Canyon road (from before Arizona was even a state) followed an Native American trail along the Agua Fria River west of Phoenix through a gorge and then up onto the plateau that spreads from the Bradshaw Mountains to the edge of the Verde River valley, according to the report.

Fast forward to 1936, when work began to build a state highway (SR 69) between Prescott and Phoenix over the Black Canyon route. However, according to the report, World War II actually delayed completion of SR 69.

After the war, the highway, now realigned out of the canyon north of Black Canyon City and up onto the mesa, bypassed Bumble Bee and the other old mining camps, which by then were mostly abandoned. The new highway was dedicated in December 1952, though it would not be completely paved until 1955—the cause for another celebration.

After SR 69 was completed, work began on a northern extension of the road.

A large crowd gathered on Sept. 20, 1972.

Starting from Cordes Junction, “the new route to Flagstaff was surveyed, designed and engineered to the then-current standards of road construction in Arizona. It was built through a long series of contracts for 5- and 10-mile sections that progressed past Dugas, down into the Verde Valley, and through McGuireville up onto the broad forested plateau that surrounds Flagstaff,” states the report.

Designated as State Route 79, the new highway opened in September 1961, giving the state its first direct road from Phoenix to Flagstaff!

You’ll have to read the history report for yourself to learn the rest of the story (skip to page 99 for the Black Canyon Freeway section), but we will leave you with this passage from the report, which sums up the impact of I-17, a route that has eased travel from Phoenix to Prescott, the Verde Valley and Flagstaff:

The miles of subdivisions that make up the town of Prescott Valley and the humming commerce of Sedona are both products of the development of the Interstate system and the desire of millions of Phoenix residents for a convenient way to escape the city and the desert.

For more about the Arizona Transportation History report, check out our previous blog post on the subject.

It’s safe to say things have changed since 1912 when the Arizona Highway Department was first established. But you don’t just have to take our word … we’ve got plenty of pictures to prove it. We combed through our archives and decided to periodically post these photos from the past in a blog series we’re calling, “From the ADOT Archives.”

By Dustin Krugel
ADOT Office of Public Information

A regular destination for drivers headed to the Flagstaff or Prescott areas, the junction of Interstate 17 and State Route 69 has been described as the “gateway to northern Arizona,” but in recent years the outdated Cordes Junction traffic interchange had started to show its age.

Built in the early 1960s, the Cordes Junction traffic interchange carried far more traffic than it was designed to accommodate. With traffic volumes expected to double in the coming decades, the Arizona Department of Transportation began a task in the summer of 2011 to redesign and rebuild the busy interchange, which is located approximately 65 miles north of downtown Phoenix, with minimal disruption to traffic.

The solution was a $50.9 million project that would transform the outdated intersection design that forced slower local traffic to mix with high-speed highway traffic, causing congestion and safety concerns. Two years after construction started, ADOT has completed the project on budget and on time. The final piece of the project will include permanent lane striping, which will be completed in the weeks ahead.

“There was a huge need for this project and it was eagerly anticipated by members of the community,” said ADOT Prescott District Engineer Alvin Stump. “Thousands of visitors, truck drivers and business travelers use I-17 and SR 69 en route to other destinations in Arizona and neighboring states.

“Plus, the Cordes Junction interchange provides access for numerous tourist attractions and recreational areas locally, not to mention that many travelers use services at the Cordes Junction interchange because of its central location between Flagstaff and Phoenix,” Stump said.

The new diamond-shaped interchange was designed to improve traffic flow and safety, while separating local and highway traffic.

“The new Cordes Junction traffic interchange has greatly enhanced the ability of our school bus drivers to safely move children through the Cordes Lakes area. Safety is our No. 1 priority,” said Mayer Unified School District Superintendent Dean Slaga. “In addition to improving safety and allowing for easier access to Cordes Lakes, the project should be a boon for the local community and will allow for future business growth for decades to come.”

The largest project (in terms of cost) in northern Arizona the last two years, the Cordes Junction traffic interchange was completed in four phases and included:

• Construction of a new traffic interchange approximately one-half mile north of the existing interchange
• Removal of the outdated on- and off-ramps
• Construction of new ramps to separate Prescott-bound traffic from local traffic traveling at slower speeds
• Replacement of the existing bridges carrying I-17 over Big Bug Creek
• Construction of seven new bridges and three local roads (Copper Star Road, Arcosanti Road, Stagecoach Trail), installation of two roundabouts and improvements to local stormwater drainage.

Paolo Soleri's artistic vision is on display on the project.

With the communities of Cordes Lakes, Spring Valley and Mayer located only a few miles from the intersection, ADOT wanted to incorporate key elements of the area adjacent to the project. To do that, ADOT sought out famed Italian-American architect Paolo Soleri, who established Arcosanti, an artists' community and a popular tourist attraction that is located approximately two miles northeast of the traffic interchange.

Soleri’s artistic vision is on display on some of the retaining walls and abutments on the bridges at the interchange. Soleri, who worked as a project consultant for ADOT, died April 9 at age 93. Most of his artwork was completed prior to his death and his designs will be on display for drivers who pass through the area.

“Cordes Junction is often described as the gateway to northern Arizona,” said Arcosanti General Manager Mary Hoadley. “Working on the designs for the artwork displayed at the interchange was a rewarding experience for Paolo Soleri. In the three years of design development and construction it was eye opening for him to see all the problem solving and teamwork that took place to get his abstract artwork to come to life.”

Project Milestones
August 2011 – Construction begins.
November 2011 – Work begins on new Arcosanti Bridge abutments; Copper Star Road opens to traffic.
March 2012 – Girders placed on the new Cordes Lakes Road Bridge.
June 2012 – New northbound Big Bug Bridge on I-17 opens to traffic; work begins on new west roundabout.
July 2012 – Work on southbound Big Bug Bridge on I-17 begins.
September 2012 – Newly paved Stagecoach Drive opens to traffic (the local road was previously unpaved).
October 2012 – I-17 on- and off-ramps open at Arcosanti traffic interchange; new west roundabout opens to traffic; old northbound loop on-ramp and old southbound loop off-ramp close; new Cordes Lakes Bridge opens to traffic and old northbound SR 69 ramp closes; girders placed on southbound Big Bug Bridge on I-17; SR 69 bridges are painted.
November 2012 – Arcosanti Bridge opens to traffic. Work begins on new east roundabout; demolition of old Cordes Lakes Bridge.
December 2012 – New northbound I-17 to northbound SR 69 flyover bridge opens.
January 2013 – Southbound Big Bug Bridge on I-17 opens to traffic; northbound and southbound I-17 open to normal lane configuration; completion of east roundabout.
June 28, 2013 – Project completion.
August 2013 – Final lane striping.

If you’re familiar with the stretch of southbound I-17 just south of Camp Verde, you know there’s a bit of a steep climb involved for a few miles of the drive.

Getting over that hill can slow down larger vehicles and lead to delays, which is why ADOT, in an effort to improve safety and ease congestion in the area, has started construction of a new auxiliary lane and a new climbing lane…

This safety improvement project, which is funded through the Federal Highway Administration’s Highway Safety Improvement Program, will help facilitate the passing of trucks and slow moving vehicles whose speed drops because of the sustained grades along this stretch of highway – this location carries approximately 28,000 vehicles per day, including significant truck traffic.

Construction Details
Climbing lanes, as we learned yesterday, can help ease congestion up steep hills by providing more room for vehicles traveling past slower traffic. The two-mile climbing lane on this project will be built at the top of Copper Canyon (mileposts 280-282).

As part of the project, ADOT will also add an auxiliary lane between the SR 260 and General Crook Trail traffic interchanges (mileposts 285-287).

Construction on the project started last week and, for the next several days, drivers can expect shoulder closures in both directions between SR 260 and General Crook Trail. In addition to the shoulder closures, the truck pull-out at the top of Copper Canyon will be closed for the next six months.

Drivers also should expect intermittent lane closures with minimal delays. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage. ADOT advises drivers to allow additional time to reach their destinations and to proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

The project is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

The Munds Park traffic interchange on I-17 has come a long way since we first checked in on construction...

That was back in May 2011 when work on the project had just gotten started. Since then, crews have reconstructed bridges and made other improvements to the site located about 20 miles south of Flagstaff.

We’ve been interested to watch the project progress and we think the video above gives a good look at how it has taken shape. But, as we viewed the video, we also started to notice how well it showcases many of the transportation concepts we’ve covered before here on the blog.

That’s when we had the idea to take note of all the previous blog topics that were being mentioned or shown. We thought it’d be fun to see if you can spot all these subjects as you’re watching the video:

• Work zones
• Winter shutdown
• Bridge demo
• Box girders
• Bridges
• Safety
• Bicycle/pedestrian issues
• Friction course
• Rubberized asphalt
• Aggregate
• Seeding
• Wattles

So, did we get them all? Did you notice any others? Let us know in the comments!

Just in time for the Christmas and New Year holidays, ADOT has completed the new Cordes Junction ‘flyover’ bridge, which is now open to traffic!

This new overpass lifts northbound I-17 traffic headed to the Prescott area over the highway and connects directly to northbound SR 69.

The busy Cordes Junction traffic interchange sits right between Flagstaff and Phoenix. Because it was built nearly 50 years ago – when traffic volumes were not nearly as large what they are today – ADOT has been working to remake it into an updated, modern interchange. When completed, the new design will make it easier for drivers to connect to other northern communities, including Prescott, while improving traffic flow and safety.

A major accomplishment
A big component of the $50 million project was the completion of the new flyover bridge. Due to the outdated design of the previous interchange, slower local traffic destined for the businesses and residences in the Cordes Lakes area, were forced to mix with the high speed traffic at this busy interchange, which serves over 40,000 vehicles per day.

“Completing the new flyover bridge is a major milestone on this Cordes Junction traffic interchange reconstruction project,” said Prescott District Engineer Alvin Stump. “The interchange was built almost 50 years ago when traffic volumes were much lower and it mixes local and through traffic, resulting in congestion and delays. This updated interchange will not only be able to handle the future growth in this area, but also make it safer for all drivers.”

More on the project
After beginning construction in August 2011, ADOT is entering the final stages after having completed over 80 percent of the project. ADOT is on target to complete the project as scheduled by June 2013.

The remaining major work yet to be completed includes opening the new southbound Big Bug Bridge and east roundabout near the McDonalds restaurant, and repaving I-17 and SR 69.

Improvements to the interchange will increase accessibility to local businesses, provide more efficient traffic movements for those traveling through the area, and prepare for future traffic demands. The project includes seven new bridges, three local roads (Copper Star Road, Arcosanti Road, Stagecoach Trail), installation of two roundabouts, as well as improvements to local storm water drainage.

Winter is coming…

Maybe that’s hard to believe if you live in hotter regions of the state, but residents up north already are starting to experience chillier temperatures.

And – as ardent readers of this blog may know – when freezing, cold weather hits, many of ADOT’s northern Arizona projects go on hiatus.

Before that happens we wanted to check in on a project about 20 miles south of Flagstaff.

A little bit of background…
ADOT began construction in spring 2011 to reconstruct the bridges and ramps on I-17 at Munds Park. The first phase of the project, which included the reconstruction of the northbound I-17 bridge and ramps, was completed last year.

The second phase of the project started in March 2012 and now is winding down. This phase includes reconstructing the southbound I-17 bridge and ramps, as well as the realignment of Pinewood Boulevard (the street that runs underneath the I-17 bridges).

This project gives motorists two new bridges each measuring 100-feet long – they were just 25 feet to begin with. The increased length accommodates a wider Pinewood Blvd and a 10’ sidewalk for pedestrian traffic. The new bridges are wider, too. This will help to accommodate traffic and an eventual third lane (in each direction) planned for I-17.

The upgrade is necessary to handle increased traffic levels – the old bridges were built in 1958 and back then there wasn’t much development (and not a lot of traffic) in Munds Park.

Where we are now
Both new bridges are built and the old bridges are gone!

Northbound and southbound traffic had been sharing the northbound lanes for this phase of the project, but just last week southbound traffic was rerouted back to the southbound lanes (northbound traffic stays on the northbound lanes).

The new bridges are adorned with designs.

There is still some work to be done, so traffic is restricted to one lane in both directions during the weekdays. The restrictions are generally lifted during weekends allowing traffic to flow in two lanes each direction.

A few of the things crews currently are working on includes, guardrail, lighting, rock fall protection and finishing up the improvements to Pinewood Boulevard.

Work will continue (depending on the weather) through the middle of November … that’s when crews will shut down for the winter.

The project will be essentially finished at that time, but crews will return in summer 2013 to apply the top layer of asphalt pavement when weather conditions are ideal for that work.

Resident Engineer Adam Umholtz reminds drivers to be aware in the work zone as crews are finishing the project, especially as winter storms start rolling in.

“Be patient and observe the posted speed limits and traffic controls through the project," he said. "Winter is coming our way and we are out there trying to make it a safe road for the whole winter.”

Here we are, past the halfway point on the I-17/Cordes Junction interchange project and it’s clear that work is really moving along!

At least, it’s clear if you drive the area frequently, or if you watched this video back in February. Crews have been busy since then, as you can see above.

Project details

When construction is complete (by next summer), drivers will have a new, modern interchange designed to handle the area’s growing needs.

Some of the project’s new features include:

• New bridges on SR 69
• The removal of the outdated on- and off-ramps
• A new I-17 interchange constructed north of the existing interchange
• A new bridge built over I-17 to connect with SR 69 (note: the existing bridge is being rehabbed) 
• The construction of a new Arcosanti Road along with the realignment of Copper Star Road and Stagecoach Trail 
• Reconstruction of the I-17 bridges over Big Bug Creek 

“It will be nice. When this project is complete there will be more access in to and out of the communities and if you want to head west toward Prescott and the cities in that direction you’ll be able to do that with a little more ease,” says Resident Engineer Sam Patton in the video above.

Traffic Alerts

Because I-17 is such a major corridor, ADOT has taken a lot into consideration when determining the construction phasing.

There are a few restrictions in place this week (weather permitting) as crews work on new bridges …

Tonight (Aug. 28), drivers on southbound I-17 will be shifted onto the off and on ramps at Arcosanti bridge from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. to allow crews to work on the new bridge over I-17.

On Thursday (Aug. 30), drivers can expect:

• Intermittent full closures of I-17 are expected for up to 15 minutes at a time between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. for bridge work over I-17.
• The on-ramp from State Route 69 to northbound I-17 will be closed from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Traffic will be detoured three miles south on I-17 to Bloody Basin Road (Exit 259) and then directed to use I-17 northbound.
• Traffic will be narrowed to one lane in each direction and will be diverted to the southbound lanes through the work zone from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews work on the flyover bridge above I-17.

The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage. ADOT advises drivers to allow additional time to reach their destinations and to proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.