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.

Westbound I-40 will be narrowed to one lane at milepost 279, across from the Cholla Power Plant, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Drivers should observe reduced speed limits in the work zone and be prepared to merge into the left lane.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions and closures, but weather and other factors can affect when work is done. For the most current information about highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Traveler Information site at az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511.

PHOENIX — The new year is shaping up to be a big year for the Arizona Department of Transportation, as the agency will be working on several new and existing projects that will aid economic development and support the efficient movement of goods and services across the state.

All of the projects will be funded with federal and state highway funds, which are collected through gas and vehicle license taxes. In the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas, voters have approved supplemental tax revenue that enables more transportation projects to move forward in their respective regions. 

Phoenix-Area Projects for 2015

Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway
ADOT expects to release the Record of Decision for the long-proposed South Mountain Freeway this spring and work toward selecting a contractor for the proposed $1.9 billion project. The 22-mile-long freeway would run east and west along Pecos Road and then turn north between 55th and 63rd avenues, connecting with I-10 on each end. The South Mountain Freeway is also part of the Regional Transportation Plan funding passed by Maricopa County voters in 2004 through Proposition 400. 

Loop 101 and Loop 202 Widening Projects in East Valley
Much of the focus on freeway improvements in the metro Phoenix area will remain on projects that broke ground in 2014 and are due for completion in 2016. The $73 million Loop 101 widening project between Shea Boulevard and Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) in the Scottsdale area is adding an additional lane in each direction along 11 miles of the Pima Freeway, as well as merge lanes between most major interchanges. The $109 million project to widen the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway between Loop 101 in Tempe and Broadway Road in east Mesa also will advance, with new general purpose lanes being added between Loop 101 and Gilbert Road, along with HOV lanes between Gilbert Road and Broadway Road.

Interstate 10/Loop 303 Interchange
Among the new freeway projects scheduled to start this year is the “south half” of the Interstate 10/Loop 303 Interchange, which will complete all ramp connections between the two freeways in Goodyear. Work is expected to start this fall. The north half of the interchange opened last August and, combined with a widened Loop 303 north of I-10, has been embraced by West Valley communities as much-needed infrastructure to help drive economic development in the region. 

Additional Loop 303 Improvements in Northwest Valley
Farther north along Loop 303, ADOT will launch a project to add an interchange at El Mirage Road by this spring. The new interchange will be built at the same time that crews are improving Loop 303 into a six-lane freeway between Grand Avenue (US 60) and Happy Valley Parkway in Peoria. A third project already underway is creating improved connections at the Loop 303/Grand Avenue interchange. All three projects are scheduled for completion in 2016.

US 60 Improvements in Surprise
Also in Surprise, a project to build a Bell Road bridge over Grand Avenue (US 60) and new ramps connecting the two roadways is scheduled to start late in the year, after a design-build contracting team is selected by ADOT. 

Tucson-Area Projects for 2015 

Interstate 19 Traffic Interchange Reconstruction (Ajo Way)
In 2015, ADOT will begin work to replace the existing Interstate 19 traffic interchange at State Route 86, also known as Ajo Way, with a single-point urban interchange. The modern interchange will feature a single set of traffic signals, rather than signals at multiple locations. The $86 million project is expected to improve traffic flow and enhance safety for motorists traveling through Tucson’s southwest side. Construction is expected to continue through 2017 and will also include widening I-19 from Ajo Way to Irvington Road and widening SR 86 to three lanes in each direction between 16th Avenue and Holiday Isle.

State Route 77 Widening (Tangerine Road to Pinal County Line)
After starting work in summer 2014, ADOT will continue efforts to upgrade a six-mile section of SR 77 (Oracle Road) between Tangerine Road and the Pinal county line from two lanes to three lanes in each direction. Along with widening the roadway, planned improvements include raised medians, traffic signal and drainage improvements, wildlife crossings, sound walls and multiuse paths. The $33.9 million project is slated to take two years to complete. 

State Route 86 Widening (Valencia to Kinney Roads)
In 2015, ADOT is expected to begin construction on expanding SR 86 (Ajo Highway) in each direction from Valencia to Kinney roads in Pima County, 10 miles west of downtown Tucson. This seven-mile-long, $55 million project in Pima County will enhance safety and improve traffic flow on the highway, which serves as a regional transportation route between Tucson and south-central Arizona. SR 86 provides access to the Tohono O'odham Nation and is widely used to reach the popular tourist destination in Mexico called Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point.

Statewide Projects for 2015

Northern Arizona

US 93 Widening (State Route 71 to State Route 89 and Antelope Wash sections)
ADOT will continue long-standing efforts to transform the heavily traveled corridor between Phoenix and Las Vegas into a modern four-lane divided highway throughout the entire 200-mile stretch with two US 93 widening projects this year. After beginning last year, ADOT will complete upgrading a three-mile segment of US 93 (Antelope Wash), located approximately 20 miles north of Wikieup (mileposts 101-104) this summer. A second US 93 widening project (State Route 71 to State Route 89), just north of Wickenburg (mileposts 185-190), is expected to break ground this spring. 

State Route 89A Spot Widening (Vista Overlook to JW Powell)
This $22.5 million project is slated to improve safety and traffic flow by widening the roadway and constructing passing lanes entering and exiting Oak Creek Canyon through an eight-mile stretch from the popular tourist destination Vista Overlook to the JW Powell interchange, three miles south of Flagstaff. Design of the project is nearly complete and ADOT hopes to start construction this year.

Interstate 40 Pavement Improvements (various projects)
ADOT has several major resurfacing projects in the works along the nearly 360-mile-long I-40, which is one of Arizona’s Key Commerce Corridors, as it stretches from California to the New Mexico state line, Three major pavement preservation projects are set to take place in 2015. This spring will complete final paving on the Rattlesnake Wash to US 93 (mileposts 57-72) section east of Kingman after the project began last summer. Later this year, ADOT will start two new resurfacing projects east of Flagstaff, including the Navajo county line to Minnetonka (milepost 250-259) and Walnut Canyon to Twin Arrows (milepost 214-218) segments.

US 89 Landslide Repairs (near Bitter Springs)
ADOT is scheduled to reopen US 89 south of Page after the highway was closed on Feb. 20, 2013 after a landslide caused serious damage to the highway near the Echo Cliffs. Major work on the repairs began on Aug. 11, 2014 as crews began excavating nearly one million cubic yards of rock near the highway to build a buttress, which will stabilize and reinforce the mountain slope that carries the roadway. The $25 million repair project remains on target to reopen to traffic this spring, in advance of this summer’s tourism season in Page and Lake Powell. 

Southern Arizona

US 60 Widening (Silver King/Superior Streets)
This spring, ADOT is expected to start a project to convert the last remaining two-lane roadway segment on US 60 between Phoenix and Superior into a modern, four-lane divided highway. The $45 million project (mileposts 222-227), which will also include improving the urban section of highway in Superior, is expected to take two years to complete.

US 95 Fortuna Wash Bridge
This $13.5 million project is part of a larger corridor improvement project for US 95, the north and south corridor between Yuma and Quartzsite. US 95 is also the main route to the Yuma Proving Ground, which is one of the largest employers in Yuma County and one of the Army’s busiest training sites in the U.S. This project includes a bridge over Fortuna Wash, which often floods during heavy rains. This project is scheduled to begin in the spring.

US 95 San Luis Street Improvements
This $11 million project includes reconfiguring San Luis Port of Entry traffic off US 95 in San Luis to facilitate business along Main Street. The project, which began in October 2014, will help the circulation of traffic, enhance pedestrian safety and improve access to downtown businesses near the U.S.-Mexico international border. Work will be completed this year.

Major Studies

Interstate 11
ADOT’s Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study continues to move forward. This year, work will begin on an Environmental Impact Statement which will allow ADOT to begin an environmental study in the area between Nogales and Wickenburg, part of the proposed Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor. The $15 million Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement is expected to take three years to complete, once work gets underway later this year. Interstate 11, which will connect Arizona to the entire Intermountain West, is one of our state’s Key Commerce Corridors. I-11 is being planned as a multimodal freight corridor and a manufacturing belt that will drive trade, commerce, job growth and economic development while facilitating strong connections to other major markets.

Passenger Rail
The next major step for ADOT’s Passenger Rail Corridor Study: Tucson to Phoenix is to publish the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for public review. Three public hearings will be held later this year in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties to allow community members to comment on the recommendations of the study. Following the public review process, the final recommendations and environmental considerations will be issued on the Final Environmental Impact Statement for federal approval. ADOT is currently evaluating three final rail alternatives. The Passenger Rail Corridor Study is expected to be completed later this year. ADOT’s mission is to evaluate and implement modes of transportation to provide a well-balanced, flexible transportation system that moves people and commerce throughout Arizona.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has pioneered the use of rubberized asphalt as an innovative method of using recycled tires to increase pavement durability and create smoother highways for motorists. Now ADOT will test a new method in roadway construction, called “intelligent compaction,” to improve efficiency and provide longer-lasting pavement that could potentially extend the life of roadways – saving the state time and money.

Compaction is one of the most important processes in roadway construction to achieve quality and uniformity of pavement materials, which in turn ensures long-term support, stability and strength. Conventional compaction equipment and processes can result in inconsistent pavement density, which can shorten the pavement life, leading to additional maintenance costs and subsequent repair projects that can be inconvenient to motorists.

On the other hand, intelligent compaction takes a modern approach through the use of special vibrating rollers – a piece of heavy equipment commonly used to pave roadways – equipped with an integrated measurement system, a map-based GPS, and an onboard display and computer reporting system. The intelligent compaction rollers allow crews to collect real-time information and create a more accurate picture of the project. If there are any compaction issues with the new pavement, they can be addressed immediately during construction.

This winter, ADOT crews will test this technology while making spot repairs along Interstate 40 east of Flagstaff. The data collected from the intelligent compaction components installed on a retrofitted roller will be used on a future pavement improvement project beginning next spring along a 14-mile stretch of Interstate 40 from Walnut Canyon to Twin Arrows (mileposts 204-218).

Potential benefits of using intelligent compaction, which ADOT will be investigating, include better quality control, increased productivity, reduced highway repair costs, fewer roller passes, fuel savings and improved long-term durability of the roadway. 

“Intelligent compaction is just one way ADOT is incorporating the latest technologies to protect Arizona’s $19 billion transportation system,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “Continued use and improvement of intelligent compaction technology will help keep drivers safe, improve the efficiency of the highway system and allow ADOT to be a high-performing organization at a time when funding for transportation is limited.”

Intelligent compaction is relatively new to the United States after it originated and proved successful in Europe and Asia. Recently, 12 U.S. states (not including Arizona) participated in a study on intelligent compaction in an effort to better understand this new process. The new equipment is now readily available for use across the country.

The federal transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), encourages the widespread use of innovative technologies and practices, including intelligent compaction. This allows state departments of transportation to increase the amount of federal dollars that can be used for the project, saving state funds for other projects.

In other words, ADOT will be able to use those state funds on other critical projects. For instance, on a $15 million project, such as the I-40 Walnut Canyon to Twin Arrows project, ADOT could save up to $750,000 to apply to other projects. 

This increase in federal funding is intended to offset a state’s costs for implementing the intelligent compaction technology. It costs construction contractors an additional $25,000 to $50,000 to add the new technology to each roller.

ADOT is responsible for maintaining a transportation system of approximately 7,000 miles of state highways.

PHOENIX – Motorists traveling along Interstate 40 from Flagstaff to Kingman need to plan ahead and allow extra travel time as the Arizona Department of Transportation continues a rockfall containment project approximately 15 miles west of Flagstaff that will require weekly 30-minute rolling closures due to blasting operations.

Beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 31, a rolling closure for up to 30 minutes will be necessary in both directions of I-40 near Parks (mileposts 180-181) to allow crews to perform blasting rock cuts along the highway and clear debris from the roadway. In preparation for the blasting work, westbound I-40 is currently narrowed to one lane through the work zone until the restriction is lifted on Friday afternoon.

A weekly 30-minute rolling closure is scheduled to occur at 9 a.m. during mid-week until the project is completed. ADOT will notify the public in advance of the weekly rolling closures until the project is completed.

The $1.6 million safety improvement project is necessary to protect motorists and prevent damage to the highway from falling rocks, particularly during monsoon storms and heavy rains, while reducing the frequency of closures due to falling rocks. Work includes rock excavation and scaling, installing rockfall netting and constructing a wider rock ditch.

This is one of four current I-40 projects between Flagstaff and Kingman. ADOT recently started a $13.6 million project to upgrade a 15-mile segment between Rattlesnake Wash, five miles east of Kingman, and the US 93 junction (mileposts 57-72). The paving project is expected to be completed this fall.

ADOT is nearly complete with a resurfacing project from Ash Fork to Williams (mileposts 146-161). The $10.5 million project started last summer, and following a winter shutdown, the project will be completed this year. In the same vicinity, ADOT is also working on bridge rehabilitation projects from Ash Fork to West Ash Fork (mileposts 143-147).

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 or call 5-1-1.

As the third-longest interstate in the nation, stretching from California to North Carolina, Interstate 40 is one of Arizona’s most heavily used highways for commercial vehicles. The daily heavy truck traffic, winter weather and summer monsoon storms take a toll on the roadway and that’s why the Arizona Department of Transportation is investing in several pavement improvement projects along the I-40 corridor in northern Arizona.

Commercial vehicles account for approximately 25 percent of the overall traffic on I-40 — the highest percentage of truck traffic on any Arizona highway. I-40 is in need of preventive maintenance and ADOT has a plan in place to resurface large segments of the highway, including several projects in progress.

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 2015-2019 Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program.

Collectively, it’s a $130-million-plus investment to resurface approximately 135 total miles of I-40, or 37.5 percent of the highway, which extends 360 miles across the state and intersects five counties. 

“With timely preservation, ADOT can provide the traveling public with improved safety and mobility, and smoother, longer-lasting pavement,” said ADOT Senior Deputy Engineer Dallas Hammit. “I-40 is one of Arizona’s Key Commerce Corridors, linking northern Arizona and the state to continued economic growth and development.”

Motorists traveling along I-40 between Kingman and Flagstaff need to be aware of two paving projects and a rock scaling project that could create delays.

ADOT recently started a $13.6 million project to upgrade a 15-mile segment between Rattlesnake Wash, five miles east of Kingman, and the US 93 junction (mileposts 57-72). The paving project is expected to be completed this fall.

Just east of this project is another resurfacing project that is scheduled for completion this summer from Ash Fork to Williams (mileposts 146-161). The $10.5 million project started last summer but work stopped for a winter shutdown. In the same area, ADOT is also working on bridge rehabilitation projects from Ash Fork to west Ash Fork (mileposts 143-147).

Through early August, westbound I-40, just west of Parks, may have up to 30 minute delays as part of a rolling closure to allow crews to clear the roadway rock scaling operations. The work is part of a $1.6M rockfall containment project which includes rock excavation and scaling, installing rock-fall netting and constructing a wider rock ditch. This westbound closure will be intermittent during rockfall excavation and scaling operations currently underway Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.

ADOT advises drivers to proceed through or near work zones with caution, to slow down, and to be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

For the latest information about highway conditions across Arizona, visit ADOT’s Travel Information site at az511.gov or call 5-1-1. Visit facebook.com/azdot, twitter.com/ArizonaDOT or azdot.gov for more information about ADOT. 

KINGMAN – Motorists on Interstate 40 will soon be traveling over new and improved lanes over the BNSF railroad in Kingman, and just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The new lanes will open on Wednesday, Nov. 27 on the $3.9 million bridge improvement project, which began earlier this year.

The project includes newly paved roadway and full bridge deck replacements in the eastbound and westbound lanes (mileposts 52-54), new guardrail and lighting.

Construction crews will return in spring 2014 to apply the top layer of pavement when the weather is ideal for this type of work.

If you have questions about the project you can email ADOT at [email protected] or call the agency’s Project Hotline at 1.855.712.8530.