I-17

ADOT to host two public meetings for I-17 Improvement Project

ADOT to host two public meetings for I-17 Improvement Project

ADOT to host two public meetings for I-17 Improvement Project

March 22, 2022

With construction set to begin later this year on Interstate 17 between Anthem Way and Sunset Point, the Arizona Department of Transportation is hosting two public meetings to share information and answer questions.

ADOT encourages everyone to participate to find out what to expect while work is underway through 2025, and how the improvements will help reduce congestion and enhance safety and traffic flow along this busy 23-mile stretch of highway north of Phoenix.

Anyone can attend one or both meetings to learn more, provide input and ask questions.

PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY: A virtual public meeting is scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 31. ADOT’s project team will provide an overview and answer questions from meeting participants. To join the meeting, visit http://www.improvingi17.com/ at 5:45 p.m. on March 31 and follow the link to the WebEx presentation.

PARTICIPATE IN PERSON: Join the project team for an open house at Canon Elementary School, 34630 School Loop Road in Black Canyon City, on Tuesday, April 26. The open house begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by a presentation at 6 p.m. The open house will continue from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

For those who can’t make it to either meeting, there is a third option to find out about the project and ask questions. Beginning March 31 and continuing through April 26, anyone can walk through a virtual open house at http://www.improvingi17.com/. This standing open house via the project website will provide the same information as the virtual and in-person public meetings, but can be viewed at your convenience. There will still be opportunities to ask questions or make comments through this virtual open house.

Construction on the highly anticipated I-17 Improvement Project: Anthem Way to Sunset Point will begin later this year and is expected to take approximately three years to complete. Pre-construction work is currently underway. Once the major work officially begins, drivers can expect the entire 23 miles to be under construction at once and should plan their trips accordingly.

Once complete, this project will help alleviate congestion and improve safety and traffic flow north of the metro Phoenix region. The 23 miles of improvements include 15 miles of roadway widening from Anthem Way to Black Canyon City, two bridge replacements, one bridge deck replacement, 10 bridge widenings, and the installation of an approximately eight-mile flex lane system from Black Canyon City to Sunset Point. Flex lanes are a new feature for Arizona’s highway system and are proven technology to help reduce congestion on I-17 during peak travel times and allow for traffic movement during emergency situations.

The I-17 flex lanes will operate as a separate, two-lane roadway carrying one direction of traffic at a time depending on the greatest need along the steep, winding 8 miles between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point. For example, the flex lanes will be able to carry heavy northbound traffic on a Friday or heavy southbound traffic on a Sunday. Similarly, ADOT will be able to open the flex lanes to accommodate traffic any time if a crash or other incident causes long delays. The flex lanes will be next to, but physically separated from southbound I-17 using concrete barriers. Access to the flex-lane entrances will be controlled by gates.

For more information about the I-17 public meetings or this project, visit http://www.improvingi17.com/, call 877.476.1717 or email [email protected].

1,000 cubic yards of concrete poured for new Broadway Road bridge

1,000 cubic yards of concrete poured for new Broadway Road bridge

1,000 cubic yards of concrete poured for new Broadway Road bridge

January 25, 2022

What takes 11 hours to empty, weighs just over 2,000 tons and can cover a football field half a foot deep? It's the 1,000 cubic yards of concrete that was poured over the weekend in conjunction with the Arizona Department of Transportation's Interstate 10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project.

On Saturday, I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project crews completed a critical step for the foundation that will support the new Broadway Road bridge that is being constructed over I-10. They poured 1,000 cubic yards of concrete to create what is called a “bridge footing.” This footing is a large concrete slab that will play an important role in the support and distribution of weight for the new bridge.

The new bridge over I-10 is one of several bridges being replaced or widened as part of the I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project. Crews will take down the existing Broadway Road bridge after the new one is completed later on in the project.

For more information on the I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project, visit https://i10broadwaycurve.com/

To see video of the concrete pour: https://vimeo.com/669560984

I-17 Improvement Project advances with developer agreement

I-17 Improvement Project advances with developer agreement

I-17 Improvement Project advances with developer agreement

October 28, 2021

The Arizona Department of Transportation has signed an agreement with the developer team that will design, build, operate and maintain the Interstate 17 Improvement Project from Anthem Way to Sunset Point.

The total project cost is $445,940,000, which includes the construction cost by the developer team, along with ADOT’s cost to administer the project.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2022 and is expected to take approximately three years. Now that the contract is signed, work can begin on this highly anticipated project that will include 15 miles of widening from Anthem Way to Black Canyon City and eight miles of flex lanes from Black Canyon City to Sunset Point.

The developer team is Kiewit-Fann Joint Venture. Key members of the team include Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.; Fann Contracting Inc.; Kiewit Engineering Group Inc.; DBI Services LLC; CONSOR Engineers LLC dba Apex Design; T.Y. Lin International; Lee Engineering; Terracon Consultants Inc.; Wheat Design Group, Inc.; Y2K Engineering; and Pinyon Environmental Inc.

The KFJV developer team was selected over two other finalists after an extensive review by ADOT with oversight from representatives from the Federal Highway Administration and the Maricopa Association of Governments. All three developer team finalists were encouraged to use innovation and develop alternative concepts to reduce project time and impacts to the traveling public and community while construction is underway.

Interstate 17 between Anthem Way and Sunset Point is a major stretch of highway that sees more than one million travelers every year. Because much of that travel and congestion occur on weekends, ADOT and the KFJV developer team will limit most of the lane closures to weeknights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. All motorists still need to be cautious and alert in the construction zone, which will be active seven days a week.

Once complete, the I-17 Improvement Project will help alleviate congestion and improve safety and traffic flow north of the metro-Phoenix region. This project will improve 23 miles of I-17, including 15 miles of roadway widening, two bridge replacements, one bridge deck replacement, 10 bridge widenings, and the installation of an eight-mile flex lane system—a new feature for Arizona’s highway system. Flex lanes are proven technology to help reduce congestion on I-17 during peak travel times and allow for traffic movement during emergency situations.

The I-17 flex lanes will operate as a separate, two-lane roadway carrying one direction of traffic at a time depending on the greatest need along the steep, winding eight miles between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point. For example, the flex lanes will be able to carry heavy northbound traffic on a Friday or heavy southbound traffic on a Sunday. Similarly, ADOT will be able to open the flex lanes to accommodate traffic any time if a crash or other incident causes long delays. The flex lanes will be next to, but physically separated from southbound I-17 using concrete barriers. Access to the flex-lane entrances will be controlled by gates.

In February, Governor Ducey announced $40 million in funding for the I-17 Improvement Project from higher-than-anticipated revenue amid Arizona’s strong economic recovery and federal COVID-relief funds. Additional project funding sources include:

$130 million of state highway funds appropriated by the state legislature in 2019

$90 million from an Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant

$50 million programmed by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) for the Maricopa County portion of this project

$135.9 million from federal aid with matching state highway funds. That includes $83.6 million approved by the Arizona State Transportation Board on Oct. 15, clearing the way for construction to begin in 2022.

For more information about the I-17 Improvement Project, visit azdot.gov/i17-anthem-way-to-sunset-point.

ADOT starting project to protect I-17 Verde River bridge footings

ADOT starting project to protect I-17 Verde River bridge footings

ADOT starting project to protect I-17 Verde River bridge footings

October 20, 2021

CAMP VERDE – An Arizona Department of Transportation project to improve the Verde River bridges on I-17 near Camp Verde is underway to add capping to the bridge footings in the river bed to prevent erosion, protecting vital infrastructure on the primary route between Phoenix and Flagstaff.

The work utilizes a method to channel river flow through the work zone by constructing a temporary “earthen bypass channel” to contain the river flow so crews can safely work outside of the area placing concrete caps over the footings of the Verde River bridges.

The channel is 60 feet wide and designed to handle the normal river flow of the Verde River. The channeling of the Verde River will occur in two phases as crews work on the 12 total bridge footings.

In order to protect wildlife, ADOT has teamed up with biologists from Northern Arizona University who are onsite anytime crews are working. One biologist recently found a northern Mexican gartersnake, an endangered species, and safely relocated the reptile. In addition all project personnel onsite had to take a training class on the endangered species in the area.

There will be no impacts to traffic on I-17 while work is occurring. River users, however, will be required to exit the river and go around the project site.

The project is anticipated to be completed by spring 2022.

For more information, visit azdot.gov/projects and click on the Northcentral District.

ADOT begins first project to bring broadband internet to rural Arizona communities

ADOT begins first project to bring broadband internet to rural Arizona communities

ADOT begins first project to bring broadband internet to rural Arizona communities

October 12, 2021

FLAGSTAFF – The Arizona Department of Transportation is starting a project to bring broadband internet access to more Arizonans by laying fiber-optic conduit along a 46-mile stretch of I-17 from Flagstaff to Sedona.

The project begins today as crews start laying fiber-optic conduit along southbound I-17 from milepost 340 in Flagstaff to milepost 296, just south of the junction with SR 179. During the project, drivers can expect right-lane restrictions along southbound I-17 where crews are working. Crews plan to install the fiber-optic conduit in 3-mile stretches at a time.

No restrictions will be in place on weekends and holidays. The project is anticipated to be completed by summer of 2022.

In the state’s broadband initiative, championed by Governor Doug Ducey with legislation sponsored by Rep. Regina Cobb, ADOT is partnering with the Arizona Commerce Authority to create more affordable opportunities to provide more rural communities in Arizona with high-speed internet service. ADOT’s role will be to provide access to its right-of-way along the four main interstates in Arizona to place fiber-optic conduit for rural internet providers.

In addition to the benefits to rural broadband connectivity, ADOT plans to use the fiber to provide “smart highway” technology, such as overhead message boards, traffic cameras, weather stations and wrong-way driving detection technology. The infrastructure also will help lay the groundwork for emerging technology like connected and automated vehicles.

ADOT already has fiber-optic conduit along freeways in the Phoenix and Tucson areas, as well as a stretch of Interstate 10 near Eloy for the dust detection and warning system.

For more information on the project, visit azdot.gov/I-17ITSInfrastructure.

You pour the coffee, we’ll pour the concrete (for a new bridge)

You pour the coffee, we’ll pour the concrete (for a new bridge)

You pour the coffee, we’ll pour the concrete (for a new bridge)

By Doug Nintzel / ADOT Communications

August 23, 2021

In another chapter of “while you were sleeping,” we tell the story of the overnight work that recently went into creating the concrete deck for the northbound side of the Interstate 17 bridge that’s under construction above Central Avenue in Phoenix.

For ADOT, the I-17 bridge over Central Avenue had reached the end of its service life. Makes sense, since it originally opened to traffic back in 1962. Over the past year the old bridge has been demolished in phases and a new bridge has taken shape south of the downtown area.

One of the last major moves was the concrete pour for the new northbound bridge deck. It takes a number of loads of concrete shipped via trucks. And as you can see in this ADOT I-17/Central Ave Bridge Video, an extended boom pump system delivered the concrete from street level on Central Avenue up to the bridge deck. It reminds me of a series of fire hoses that pump concrete instead of water.

Crew members then poured the concrete into the network of steel rebar that provides strength for the bridge deck. Specialized equipment, including a Bidwell pavement roller, is then used to spread and smooth the concrete pavement that drivers will be traveling on within a matter of months.

For this particular operation, 545 cubic yards of concrete were poured for this span in just a matter of hours.

So let’s review the project’s advances since work started in May 2020. Project phases included demolishing and reconstructing the southbound side of the steel-girder bridge. I-17 traffic, which had temporarily been sharing the old northbound side of the bridge, was then shifted to the new southbound span earlier this year. In turn, that allowed the same type of demolition and reconstruction work to take place for the new northbound side of the bridge.

Now it’s on to the last stages of work to finish the entire bridge so I-17 traffic can once again travel through the area with three lanes in each direction. The new structure will be wider to accommodate regional plans for additional lanes along I-17 when future funding is available. Increased clearance below along Central Avenue will provide more room for commercial trucks as well as Valley Metro’s future South Central Avenue light-rail line.

The $13.5 million project has been funded in part by Proposition 400, a dedicated sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004.

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Motorists planning travel in and around Flagstaff should plan for I-40 restrictions

Motorists planning travel in and around Flagstaff should plan for I-40 restrictions

Motorists planning travel in and around Flagstaff should plan for I-40 restrictions

July 21, 2021

Drivers in northern Arizona should prepare for traffic shifts and lane restrictions on Interstate 40 at Exit 191 in west Flagstaff as crews continue project work to replace a bridge, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

This location is approximately three miles west of the I-40 interchange with Interstate 17.

Eastbound I-40 will be reduced to one lane and traffic shifted to the north side of the roadway beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, July 23. A similar shift will occur on Friday, July 29 for the westbound lanes. In addition, there will be a 15-foot vehicle width limit in place and the speed limit will be reduced to 55 mph. These restrictions will be in place through mid-fall this year.

Ongoing restrictions at this location include the closure of the on- and off-ramps as well as the crossroad under the bridge.

The project is scheduled to be completed in fall 2022.

Second half kickoff for construction of new I-17 bridge at Central Avenue

Second half kickoff for construction of new I-17 bridge at Central Avenue

Second half kickoff for construction of new I-17 bridge at Central Avenue

By Doug Nintzel / ADOT Communications

March 2, 2021

When it’s halftime in a football game, the teams can use the break to go over strategy for the second half action. But on ADOT’s project to reconstruct the Interstate 17 bridge over Central Avenue, crews didn’t get much of a break before their own second half got underway.

Of course, the strategy was already known. The project team is using “construction in stages” to build the new steel-girder freeway bridge, which will be wider and provide additional clearance for Central Avenue traffic traveling under it.

The project’s “first half” included a temporary switch of all I-17 traffic onto the existing northbound side of the bridge so crews could tear down the southbound half and build a new span in its place. That work wrapped up in February, allowing crews to use the weekend of Feb. 20-21 to switch freeway traffic to that new southbound span (with two lanes in each direction).

Just one week later (this past weekend of Feb. 27-28), it was time to demolish the old northbound structure. That feat was accomplished with heavy equipment that pounded away and pulled at the girders, the concrete and other material in time to reopen Central Avenue for Monday morning travel.

Now the project team will start the march toward the goal line. They will build the new northbound half of the I-17 bridge south of the downtown Phoenix area. Completion is scheduled for this fall. At that time northbound traffic will be switched to its rightful place with more room to operate.

The I-17 bridge will be wider to accommodate regional plans to add more lanes in the future, including auxiliary lanes (also known as merge lanes) between interchanges along the freeway in that area, including Seventh Street and Seventh Avenue.

The improved bridge also will provide more clearance for Central Avenue, not just for larger commercial trucks but also for Valley Metro’s light rail line that also will be passing under I-17.

So I’ll raise my sports drink bottle to the crews on the I-17 bridge project and wish them good luck in the second half. Here’s hoping they give us a game winning drive. Pardon the pun.

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Don’t overlook the much-improved I-17/Pinnacle Peak Road interchange

Don’t overlook the much-improved I-17/Pinnacle Peak Road interchange

Don’t overlook the much-improved I-17/Pinnacle Peak Road interchange

By Doug Nintzel / ADOT Communications

December 9, 2020

As part of ADOT’s recent major project along Interstate 17 in north Phoenix, the reconstruction of the bridge and traffic interchange at Pinnacle Peak Road often took a backseat to the rebuilding also taking place at the busier, nearby interchange at Happy Valley Road.

After all, the I-17/Happy Valley Road interchange received more attention because it was reconstructed as a diverging diamond with new – and different for Arizona – lane configurations and traffic signal setups.

But enough about Happy Valley Road. We’re here to sing the praises of the new and improved Pinnacle Peak interchange. What a difference a couple of years and hard work can make.

As you can see in the video to the right, the Pinnacle Peak Road interchange now features a much wider bridge crossing over I-17. The old, more narrow bridge was demolished as part of the $50 million project that delivered the upgraded interchanges at Pinnacle Peak and....that other interchange a mile to the north.

Before this project, traffic on Pinnacle Peak Road often backed up approaching I-17, especially in the westbound direction during rush hour. Drivers had to wait in fewer lanes for traffic signals to change.

Now, there are left turn bays with two lanes for traffic entering I-17. That means more “storage capacity” for traffic making those left turns. The I-17 on- and off-ramps at the Pinnacle Peak interchange also were reconstructed with more lanes that provide drivers with improved options at the interchange. The traffic signals are all new and the interchange is much more aesthetically pleasing with individual red paver blocks used to fill the raised median islands.

The modernized, larger Pinnacle Peak Road interchange along I-17 is now in place to efficiently handle today’s traffic as well as traffic in the area for decades to come. We just want to let the new bridge and other improvements at Pinnacle Peak get a little time in the spotlight.

The reconstruction project was funded in part by Proposition 400, a dedicated sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004.

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Strength in numbers: Steel girders placed for I-17 bridge project

Strength in numbers: Steel girders placed for I-17 bridge project

Strength in numbers: Steel girders placed for I-17 bridge project

By Doug Nintzel / ADOT Communications

November 12, 2020

It is an operation that requires planning, steady hands and a focus on safety. Oh, and let’s throw in another word: measuring. We’re talking about the recent placement of more than 20 steel girders at Interstate 17 and Central Avenue in Phoenix, where the first half of ADOT’s reconstruction of the old freeway bridge continues to advance.

As you can see in our accompanying group of ADOT photos, these are large and heavy girders. Project crews worked earlier in November to lift them into place with cranes, followed by the important work to safely secure them with bracing.

To be a bit more descriptive, these are Continuous Welded Steel Plate Girders. Each of them is 80 to 88 feet long and each tops the scales at between 12 and 15 tons.

For this part of the I-17 bridge project at Central Avenue south of downtown, three girder sections were placed end-to-end in seven rows, also known as girder lines. They will provide the support for what will be the southbound lanes of the freeway when all is said and done in 2021.

These girders are now secured with steel plates that are installed every 16 feet between the side-by-side girder lines. And before you bolt from reading this, give some thought to how many bolts are used in this whole process. Don’t go “nuts” when you learn the answer is more than 6,500 bolts for the entire new structure. It’s all about strength, security and safety.

The focus of this $13.5 million project so far has been on rebuilding the southbound side of the bridge over Central Avenue. The original I-17 bridge was opened to traffic in 1962. Working in phases, crews earlier this year demolished the old southbound structure to make room for the area where these new girders are now located. Freeway traffic is currently shifted and thus temporarily sharing the existing northbound side of the bridge.

ADOT’s project team plans to complete the modernized southbound side of the bridge early next year. That’s when all I-17 traffic in the area will be shifted to the new structure so that reconstruction of the northbound side can move ahead.

That second major phase in 2021 will include placing an additional 27 of these big girders to provide a wider bridge that will be able to accommodate more lanes along I-17 when future funding is available. So there’s still lots of heavy lifting ahead at I-17 and Central Avenue.

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