PHOENIX – A new technique that basically slides precast bridges into place has greatly reduced delays for the Bellemont community with an Arizona Department of Transportation project replacing spans over Interstate 40 at Transwestern Road west of Flagstaff.

Using this technique, which the contractor proposed, allowed crews to replace the bridges during a nine-day closure of Transwestern Road over I-40 rather than having the six to eight months of restrictions required for a traditional bridge replacement project.

Joining ADOT engineers in a process called value engineering, which analyzes plans looking for ways to improve quality and value while reducing time needed to complete improvements, the contractor proposed casting the new bridges whole to the east of the existing bridges and then moving them into place in a process that works much like sliding components into place. ADOT approved the plan.

Once the new bridges were complete, crews diverted I-40 traffic to the on- and off-ramps in order to demolish the old bridges. Workers then used hydraulic jacks to lift and move the new Bellemont/Transwestern Road bridges into place. That part of the process took about four-and-a-half days.

ADOT regularly looks for accelerated bridge construction methods and other innovations that can reduce delays and inconvenience for drivers. Earlier this year, for example, the agency used a process known as a geosynthetic reinforced soil-integrated bridge system to rebuild the bridges on I-40 at Meteor City Road, creating abutments by putting in alternating layers of granular fill reinforced with synthetic material. That process also cut construction time by months.

PHOENIX ‒ Almost as soon as traffic on eastbound Interstate 10 started using new lanes through 4 miles of Pinal County between Eloy and Picacho this week, Arizona Department of Transportation crews began demolishing travel lanes that had been in use for more than 40 years. The same occurred in December when westbound traffic moved to new lanes.

But instead of finding a place to discard the old asphalt, concrete and dirt, ADOT engineers are using it to create the foundation for the new eastbound lanes that are now under construction.

“We need to build up the ground under the new eastbound lanes of I-10,” said Dave Locher, ADOT’s regional engineer and project manager. “Usually we have to haul material in from some off-site location, which can be expensive. But in this case the better answer was literally right in front of us.”

About 1 million square feet of asphalt, tons of earth from below the roadway surface and 30,000 feet of guardrail will be removed from the old lanes of I-10. Guardrail in good condition will be sent to maintenance yards around Arizona for use in other projects. The rest of the material will be moved 100-150 yards east to the new eastbound alignment.

In many large projects, crews create a “borrow pit” when they need additional dirt. The pit usually is located near the project, in a site where removing earth doesn’t create additional environmental or economic concerns. Hauling that extra dirt adds time and money to the project.

ADOT is expanding I-10 to six lanes between mileposts 209 and 213, as well as building a new interchange with State Route 87 and creating a first-of-its-kind dust detection zone in the area north of Picacho Peak. The new alignment is just east of the current freeway.

Along with a second widening project in Casa Grande, the work will make I-10 a six-lane freeway from Casa Grande to Tucson. Both projects are expected to be complete by fall 2019.

PHOENIX – Thanks to an innovative public-private partnership, construction is set to begin on turning the former site of a movie theater in Flagstaff into a new Arizona Department of Transportation facility while freeing up prime land for redevelopment.

The state’s first public-private partnership involving real estate brought together ADOT, the city of Flagstaff and Vintage Partners, a Phoenix-based development firm, to complete a three-way land swap that will result in a new ADOT North Central District headquarters and Motor Vehicle Division office.

“ADOT, Flagstaff and Vintage Partners all showed extraordinary perseverance to work through their own processes and requirements and get this project across the finish line,” ADOT Director John Halikowski. “This is a big win for the community and for ADOT’s customers.”

The idea for the project came about in 2012, when Flagstaff was looking for a way to complete two voter-approved road extension and realignment projects that ran directly through ADOT’s current complex on Milton Road. The ADOT office buildings, built in the early 1960s and 1970s, were outdated and inadequate, but ADOT did not have the budget for new facilities.

Using Arizona’s public-private partnership law, ADOT officials suggested swapping the Milton property for new facilities elsewhere in the city, freeing up the Milton land for redevelopment and the road improvements. Flagstaff also contributed a parcel adjacent to ADOT’s complex.

ADOT is scheduled to move into its new facilities at the end of this year at the former site of a Harkins Theatres location that relocated near the Flagstaff Mall as part of the deal. The site will house ADOT district offices, MVD and commercial driver license offices, and lab facilities.

The property of ADOT’s current offices on Milton Road will be redeveloped into student housing by Vintage Partners and allow Flagstaff to extend University Drive and reconfigure Beulah Boulevard, improving access through that part of town.

“This project is unique in Arizona and is one of only a handful of similar projects around the country,” said Gail Lewis, ADOT’s director of public-private partnership initiatives. “It showcases the creativity that can be brought to bear by bringing the public and private sectors together to solve problems.”

Due to the complexity of the transaction, the three-party agreement took five years to complete. After Vintage Partners built the new movie theater, the firm then had to develop a plan for ADOT’s current location on Milton Road and work with ADOT to plan the new facility.  Flagstaff had to approve all of the plans and permits for both the Milton property and the repurposed theater location.

For more information on public-private partnerships and ADOT, visit azdot.gov/P3. 

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation’s pilot Interstate 17 wrong-way vehicle alert system being tested in Phoenix has been recognized with a Government Innovation Award from GCN, an information technology industry magazine.

Governor Doug Ducey, who has directed ADOT to advance efforts to develop wrong-way vehicle countermeasures, including the I-17 system, said the award recognizes the state’s commitment to public safety.

“Too frequently we see reports of another death on our highways due to a wrong-way driver – often one impaired by alcohol or drugs,” Governor Ducey said. “Arizona has taken meaningful steps to crack down on wrong-way driving, and we are proud to lead the way among states for developing and testing measures that make our roads safer and protect innocent drivers.”

In addition, Governor Ducey championed a new law that has wrong-way drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol face felony charges.

The first-in-the-nation system being tested on 15 miles of I-17 uses thermal cameras to detect and track wrong-way vehicles while also immediately alerting ADOT and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. This can save troopers valuable time in responding to incidents rather than waiting for 911 calls from other motorists.

“ADOT is working alongside several other state agencies to explore every viable option when it comes to detecting and preventing wrong-way vehicles,” said Dallas Hammit, ADOT’s state engineer and deputy director for transportation. “While we know that no system can be designed to completely prevent wrong-way drivers, the I-17 system is a significant step forward in these efforts.”

The system also allows ADOT to quickly warn other drivers about wrong-way vehicles via messages on electronic freeway signs.

The pilot project is allowing ADOT to evaluate how technology can be used to reduce the risks associated with wrong-way drivers before expanding it to other freeways.

“This technology so far has shown great promise,” said Brent Cain, who leads ADOT’s Transportation Systems Management and Operations division. “With a commitment to helping every driver get home safely, our entire team has worked tirelessly to generate and research ideas and then design, implement and test this system.”

Thermal cameras have recorded more than 30 detections of wrong-way vehicles, mostly along I-17 off-ramps located within the project’s boundaries between the I-10 “Stack” interchange near downtown and the Loop 101 interchange in north Phoenix. Most the drivers in those incidents have turned around on an off-ramp without entering the mainline lanes of I-17. 

The system’s 90 thermal cameras are positioned to detect wrong-way vehicles entering off-ramps or traveling along I-17. Through the computerized decision-support system, the pilot project also is designed to trigger new illuminated wrong-way signs with flashing red lights aimed at getting the attention of the wrong-way driver.

This technology cannot prevent all wrong-way crashes from happening. The primary goal is reducing the risk of serious crashes by alerting AZDPS and ADOT to wrong-way vehicles much faster than waiting for 911 calls from other motorists. While technology holds promise for reducing the risk of serious crashes, it can’t prevent impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel.

PHOENIX – Innovations that are making lines shorter and services more convenient for Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division customers are coming at a rapid-fire pace. To keep up, MVD is using occasional emails to let customers know what’s new.

More than 1.6 million customers currently get registration renewal updates and will also now periodically receive information about MVD service improvements. 

“In just the past few years, MVD has vastly increased the services available online and we need to take more steps to let people know about these innovations, so customers may occasionally get an informational email from MVD,” said Stakeholder Relations Manager Jennifer Bowser-Richards.

Since 2016, MVD has added more online services options to include:

• electronic title transfers,
• updating insurance information,
• creating personal AZ MVDNow accounts,
• making office appointments for road tests,
• getting the Voluntary Travel I.D., among other services.

About two-thirds of all MVD transactions can be done online.

Other innovations include streamlined office customer service, expanded operating hours, and shorter wait times for phone customers.

“Obviously, people don’t want to be overwhelmed with emails, so any communication will be infrequent and designed to inform our valued customers about improved or added services options. It’s very important that we keep our customers updated about ways we’re working to get Arizonans out of line and safely on the road,” she added.

To sign up for both email registration renewal notification and updates go to the “Address / email change” tab at www.ServiceArizona.com. Those interested in service improvement updates only may sign up for “Motor Vehicle News and Info” at the “Subscribe to Updates” tab at www.azdot.gov.

PHOENIX – With approximately 150 state highway construction projects scheduled to start in any given year, Arizona Department of Transportation engineers constantly look for ways to save time and money in designing and building these much-needed improvements.

Over the past two years, this focus has had ADOT engineers teaming with engineering colleagues from the private sector to speed how projects are designed by improving the process that gets the work started. This includes issuing task orders, or contracts, to private engineering firms that will be preparing the technical construction plans for upcoming projects.

As a result of this collaboration, ADOT has been able to reduce the time needed to issue a task order from approximately 150 days to an average of 50 or fewer days.

“Improving project delivery is a major priority for us,” said Steve Boschen, who leads ADOT’s Infrastructure Delivery and Operations division. “Our review and simplification of the process will help keep future highway construction projects on schedule.”

ADOT manages a highway construction program that often has more than $900 million in work underway each year, so improvements in this area help improve the quality of life in Arizona through more timely improvements to the transportation system.

This is National Engineers Week, organized by the National Society of Professional Engineers to promote understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. At ADOT, engineering is behind every activity that maintains, improves and expands the state’s transportation system, from rehabilitating bridges to paving highways and creating the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway. Common to all those engineering efforts is a commitment to continuous improvement.

To improve the task-order process, ADOT used the Arizona Management System championed by Governor Doug Ducey to assemble a team that included consultant engineers to identify both waste and opportunities.

Consultant engineers have praised the time-saving effort.

“Several tools were created to speed the process, including checklists, simplified forms and ways to monitor the task-order process,” said Randy Simpson, a professional engineer who is vice president with the firm AECOM. “As a member of the Arizona engineering consultant community, I appreciate the opportunity this effort provided to improve the way our industry delivers transportation infrastructure improvements.”

A faster start for project design is especially important when construction schedules are moved up. That’s been the case in Maricopa County, where a rebalancing of transportation tax revenue has allowed regional planners to advance the number of Phoenix-area freeway projects that will be under construction by 2020.

Accelerated projects include adding lanes along Loop 101 between I-17 and Princess Drive as well as along Interstate 10 between Verrado Way and State Route 85. Both widening projects are now scheduled to start by 2019, rather than well after 2020.

“We count on our engineers and the entire team at ADOT to get the most out of the investment taxpayers are making in projects that make travel more efficient and, most importantly, safer,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Accelerating projects is a priority as our engineers team with partners in law enforcement and highway safety to make travel as safe as possible.”

PHOENIX – A popular smartphone messaging app is helping to make Arizona roads safer for motorists and truck drivers while reducing congestion at the international border and boosting Arizona’s economy.

As part of a first-of-its-kind safety certification program for truck drivers and trucking firms in Mexico, the Arizona Department of Transportation is using WhatsApp to help qualified drivers and mechanics know whether their trucks meet Arizona safety requirements before heading to the border.

It’s part of an effort that has members of ADOT’s Border Liaison Unit offering a two-day International Border Inspection Qualification safety course in Mexico. The first workshop was held recently in San Luis Río Colorado, and the next is scheduled for Aug. 22-23 in Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora.

“We’re taking this historic step because a border crossing process that is efficient for international commerce and improves roadway safety is absolutely essential for both Arizona and Sonora,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “This innovative program is part of an ongoing effort to make sure we are doing our jobs the best way possible in the interest of both economic growth and safety on Arizona roads.”

Drivers who complete the course and pass both a 65-question test and a practical exam of truck safety will receive a certificate allowing them to use WhatsApp to send photos of trucks to ADOT inspectors before they approach the border. Inspectors will either tell them the truck meets safety requirements or explain what needs to be corrected.

It’s an extension of an effort launched in 2016 to teach commercial truckers in Mexico what to expect in safety inspections once they enter Arizona. The Border Liaison Unit held safety inspection classes at three border ports of entry – San Luis, Nogales and Douglas – before taking its training program into Mexico.

These efforts stem from ADOT’s use of the Arizona Management System championed by Governor Doug Ducey. This approach to continuous improvement empowers employees at state agencies to come up with innovative ways to better serve customers.

Juan Ciscomani, the governor’s senior adviser for regional and international affairs, praised ADOT’s efforts.

“ADOT is conducting trainings focused on helping transportation companies better prepare for the safety inspection process once they enter Arizona,” Ciscomani said. “This work is helping speed up the flow of trade and improving the competitiveness of our region, which has been a priority for Governor Ducey.”

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has turned to a space-age technique to repair and strengthen girders on two Interstate 17 bridges in Phoenix. As a result, one of those bridges is no longer listed as structurally deficient.

It’s the first time ADOT has used carbon fiber strips that are coated and strengthened with a reinforcing polymer to fix girders on state highway bridges, which in these two cases had been struck by over-height vehicles.

Instead of other repair methods such as injecting epoxy to rebuild sections of the steel-reinforced concrete girders, crews used the strengthening material called Fiber Reinforced Polymer, or FRP, to wrap the damaged girders. The repair work on the two I-17 bridges was completed in May.

The improvements were first done to the bridge carrying I-17 over 19th Avenue. That bridge’s sufficiency rating has now been upgraded, allowing ADOT to move it off the structurally deficit list.

The second repaired bridge, which carries Jefferson Street over I-17, wasn’t structurally deficient.

The term structurally deficient doesn’t mean a bridge is unsafe to use. It means certain repair needs, including component replacement, have been identified through an inspection.

“Our ADOT Bridge Group focuses on using new and innovative bridge-repair technologies that enhance safety while saving time and taxpayer dollars,” said ADOT Senior Bridge Engineer William Downes. “The reinforced fiber strips add strength to the girders and are designed to limit the amount of debris that could fall should a girder be struck again.”

ADOT’s comprehensive bridge inspection program shows the overall condition of the agency’s state highway bridges is among the best in the country. Less than 2 percent of ADOT bridges are listed as structurally deficient.

“We think the carbon-fiber repairs are effective, can extend the lifespan of structures and can be done in much less time than other repair methods,” said ADOT State Bridge Engineer David Eberhart. “We’re likely to use it again if and when repairs are needed.”

FNF Construction Inc., of Tempe and FRP Construction LLC of Tucson, were contractors on the I-17 bridge repairs, using a carbon-fiber process for structural strengthening developed by a Tucson company, QuakeWrap Inc.

ADOT invests more than $40 million each year in bridge preservation as part of a program to safeguard the state’s $20 billion investment in its transportation infrastructure.

PHOENIX ‒ A bright idea by Arizona Department of Transportation employees delivers clearer messages on overhead electronic signs along state highways, while saving taxpayer dollars.

As part of ADOT’s commitment to continuous improvement, employees developed a retrofit kit to replace old halogen light bulbs with state-of-the-art LED lighting for message signs that provide drivers with information about highway conditions, incidents and travel times. Such an improvement, referred to in continuous improvement as kaizen, reduces waste, improves safety or, in the case of this employee-driven idea, accomplishes both.

“The LED system is a brighter, clearer light, so it’s easier to see the signs and read the messages,” said Chuck Hill, ADOT traffic signals and lighting supervisor.

Rather than replacing an older message board when the need arises, at a cost of $300,000, ADOT crews replace the original halogen bulbs and mechanical shutters that had been used to create messages. The cost for a retrofit is significantly lower, at about $42,000 per message board.

The retrofit kit, in use since 2014, also replaces wiring and upgrades the message board’s control box.

Each upgrade replaces 20-year-old technology that requires monthly maintenance. In addition, the maker of the existing boards has gone out of business, so no replacement parts are available.

The LED system uses 60 percent less energy, resulting in an annual savings of about $1,000 per sign.

Forty-five message boards in the Phoenix area have been retrofitted since 2014, and many other signs around the state have received or will receive the upgrade.

As ADOT retrofits message boards, drivers get clearer messages delivered by more reliable signs.