I-40

PHOENIX – Sensors installed at three Interstate 40 locations west of Flagstaff are helping the Arizona Department of Transportation forecast the likelihood of ice forming and respond accordingly.

The combination of freezing temperatures and moisture means ice can form overnight in Arizona’s high country. It’s an especially big challenge on I-40 between Ash Fork and Flagstaff, which is above 6,000 feet in most places and sees heavy use by commercial and passenger vehicles.

HOLBROOK – An Arizona Department of Transportation project to prevent falling rocks will close one lane of westbound Interstate 40 near Joseph City, just west of Holbrook, on weekdays through March.

This week, workers began using heavy equipment to break up and haul away an estimated 45,000 tons of rocks, dirt and clay from an eroding slope just north of the roadway.

While a temporary concrete barrier is preventing rocks from falling into travel lanes, this safety project offers a permanent solution.

Currently, ADOT has 12 pavement improvement projects along Arizona’s portion of the I-40 corridor that will be completed this summer, are ongoing, or are included in the state’s five-year plan.

The official start of winter is approaching, but the cold weather is already here! Over the past few weeks, we’ve told you how ADOT prepares for the snowy conditions common this time of year in Arizona’s high country.