Innovation

An extensive and innovative paving project in northeast Arizona is going to greatly improve the road surface while also proving a 2,500-year-old Greek philosopher right.

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.

Using materials from old freeway lanes to build new lanes.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

PHOENIX – Less than six months after major construction began on the state’s largest single highway project ever, progress on the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway has been swift.

ASU Polytechnic students came up with a cattle guard system to resolve a common highway issue.

SAN LUIS RÍO COLORADO, Mexico – An Arizona Department of Transportation program aiming to reduce commercial vehicle wait times at the international border offered its first training in Mexico this week to help Mexican trucking firms better understand and prepare for safety inspections.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is getting ready to install Arizona’s first prefabricated bridge along Oatman Highway, also known as old Route 66, with the help of Mohave County and the Federal Highway Administration.

The 110-foot bridge, manufactured in Phoenix and then transported in sections to the site in northwestern Arizona, will carry traffic over Sacramento Wash, a mile north of Interstate 40 in Topock. Supports have already been built along the roadway, awaiting installation of the prefabricated bridge next week.

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.

PHOENIX – What difference can half an hour make? A huge one when it results in an 80 percent reduction in employee overtime.

The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division has seen major savings in those payroll costs since modifying the operating hours at its three Tucson-area offices. This change was brought about by MVD implementing Lean management techniques, part of the Arizona Management System, that empower employees to find ways to improve the customer experience.

ADOT was on hand for an Innovation Exchange Campaign event held this week in Tempe. Get a glimpse of the future.

TEMPE – The latest ideas and innovations for the future of transportation will be on display as transportation officials gather Tuesday, Oct. 4, for the 2016 Innovation Exchange Campaign, hosted by the Arizona Council for Transportation Innovation.

The annual event brings together the Arizona Department of Transportation and other professionals in the transportation industry to share and learn about the latest technology advancements and innovations in transportation.

PHOENIX ‒ When a section of freeway settles a bit, taking a high-tech approach to the repair work allows the Arizona Department of Transportation to give the roadway a lift without digging up the pavement.

PHOENIX ‒ Who says doing business with a government agency has to involve lots and lots and lots of paper?

Thanks to improvements to how the Arizona Department of Transportation presents project opportunities online, contractors’ recycle bins are getting lighter. Those interested in bidding for projects now can simply determine which projects they want to pursue and download related documents.