John Halikowski

ADOT competing for $300 million in added federal funding for I-10 expansion between Chandler and Casa Grande

ADOT competing for $300 million in added federal funding for I-10 expansion between Chandler and Casa Grande

I-17 101 traffic interchange

ADOT competing for $300 million in added federal funding for I-10 expansion between Chandler and Casa Grande

ADOT competing for $300 million in added federal funding for I-10 expansion between Chandler and Casa Grande

May 23, 2022

When it comes to the long-awaited Interstate 10 expansion between Chandler and Casa Grande, more money means more lanes. With that goal, the Arizona Department of Transportation has submitted a proposal to get additional federal dollars to combine with state funds for the project. 

ADOT has officially delivered a grant application through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for an added $300 million to supplement the $400 million state appropriation signed into law by Governor Doug Ducey earlier this month. That commitment of state dollars made ADOT eligible to apply for the federal competitive grant. There is also $290 million previously budgeted, for a potential project total of $990 million. Construction is funded in part by Prop. 400, a dedicated half-cent sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004. 

ADOT is collaborating closely with the Gila River Indian Community and Maricopa Association of Governments on the I-10 project, and the ADOT application has also gained the vital support of the Arizona congressional delegation, state legislators, and local and regional elected officials. Additionally, more than 50 letters of support have been received from multiple chambers of commerce, trade associations as well as large and small businesses. 

“This project is essential for Arizona to enhance the safety and traffic capacity of I-10 with the added benefit of positively impacting our economy,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “Interstate 10 is a Key Economic Corridor. Commercial traffic on I-10 carries significant numbers of products and commodities, many of which are manufactured or produced right here in Arizona. These critical items reach every corner of the United States and internationally.” 

Halikowski added, “ADOT will do everything possible to leverage financial resources to expand and improve these 26 miles of highway and associated infrastructure. Applying for these federal funds speaks loudly to our commitment to the vision of moving Arizona and becoming the safest, most reliable transportation system in the nation.”

The grant award announcement is expected sometime this fall. In the interim, an engineering and environmental study for the project is currently being completed in cooperation with the Gila River Indian Community and Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG). Additionally, a public hearing for the project is planned in late summer.

Following completion of required environmental review and clearance, the project is expected to start in 2023, beginning with expanding the bridges that carry traffic over the Gila River. Should the federal money not be awarded to the state, ADOT will have contingencies prepared to maximize the use of available dollars for lane expansion. 

Target completion date for the full project is sometime in 2026.

For more information: http://i10wildhorsepasscorridor.com/ 

New federal Infrastructure law is one piece of ADOT funding process

New federal Infrastructure law is one piece of ADOT funding process

I-17 101 traffic interchange

New federal Infrastructure law is one piece of ADOT funding process

New federal Infrastructure law is one piece of ADOT funding process

January 25, 2022

January 2022 ushers in a year in which funding for select future Arizona Department of Transportation projects will see an increase over the next five years. A portion of this increase is the result of the recent passage of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which uses a mix of funding determined by a formula, and money that will be available only through competitive grants. IIJA replaces the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST). The additional transportation funding is approximately a 20% increase from the existing federal funding the State of Arizona receives.

A Welcome, Complex and Transparent Program Process

“We welcome additional funding opportunities and the certainty provided by this legislation over the next five years,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Federal funding for transportation is highly complex. We are committed to making this process transparent as part of managing the public’s expectations, and will work with our federal partners and other transportation stakeholders to maximize the impact. We will continue to be aggressive and innovative to ensure Arizona takes advantage of every funding source.”

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Funding

IIJA money won’t necessarily begin to flow to projects immediately, and ADOT does not yet know the timing of funding and specific final amounts. For that reason, projects that will utilize the funding cannot yet be determined.

  • Arizona expects to receive through the IIJA an increase of more than $200 million a year over the next five fiscal years between 2022 and 2026.
  • That $200 million per year is part of an overall $5.3 billion (over five years) in what is known as “formula funding” allocated to the state based on an objective formula. 
  • ADOT will retain some of that money for projects, while significant IIJA funding will be sent to local government agencies for their transportation projects, such as local street improvements, public transportation and airports. 
  • The exact funding amounts and recipients won’t be known until federal funding notices are provided by federal agencies later in 2022. 
  • Competitive funding requires transportation agencies to submit competitive bids for discretionary money available from the federal government. ADOT will rely on added guidance from federal agencies to better understand what opportunities may be available for the state to pursue. 
  • Also of note – ADOT’s construction costs have increased 56% over the last five years, which means previously approved funding does not go as far as initially forecasted.

Arizona State Transportation Board/Five Year Program

Projects funded by new money from IIJA will be approved by the Arizona State Transportation Board. ADOT projects require a robust planning and approval process. The overseeing authority is the Board, which approves a new Five Year Program each spring, with annual budgets adjusted to the latest financial forecasts set for each fiscal year. The Board awards construction contracts, monitors the status of construction projects and has the exclusive authority to issue revenue bonds for transportation financing. All meetings are open to the public.

Each year, the Board considers various updates to ADOT’s Five Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program. This is essentially the blueprint for upcoming transportation projects. Projects may also require extensive review and approval for environmental, civil rights and other concerns.

Major Projects Previously Funded and Underway

As 2022 progresses, Arizonans will see significant movement on major transportation projects funded prior to the IIJA. These include a key economic corridor in southern Arizona, as well as improvement projects on both I-17 and I-10:

  • State Route 189 in Nogales.
  • Interstate 17 from Anthem Way to Sunset Point.
  • Interstate 10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project
  • Another potential, future project that has received significant attention is the proposed I-11 corridor, which would span 280 miles between Nogales and Wickenburg. I-11 is in the preliminary study phase, and no funding has been identified for additional, required environmental studies, planning or other work.
  • Dozens of other projects all around the state.    

Project Investment Categories

While new roads attract significant attention, ADOT also is focused on maintaining and operating existing roads and other infrastructure. Similar to how a homeowner does maintenance on their home, ADOT plans upkeep and unplanned work to repair assets all around the state and respond to specific conditions, incidents or events. This link to ADOT’s Project Investment Categories

Visit ADOT’s website to learn more, and subscribe for updates to receive ongoing information about specific projects. 

Gregory Byres named incoming State Engineer

Gregory Byres named incoming State Engineer

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Gregory Byres named incoming State Engineer

Gregory Byres named incoming State Engineer

January 13, 2022

Gregory Byres named incoming State Engineer

ADOT veteran succeeds retiring Dallas Hammit

PHOENIX - Gregory Byres, P.E., has been named the incoming Deputy Director for Transportation and State Engineer for the Arizona Department of Transportation. He will succeed Dallas Hammit, who is retiring after 22 years with ADOT. 

Byres is a seven-year veteran of the Department, having served as a senior project manager, State Roadway Engineer and in his current position as Director of the Multimodal Planning Division. As State Engineer, he will support and coordinate operations of all ADOT transportation divisions to provide a safe and reliable transportation system for the state. 

Prior to coming to ADOT, Byres owned an engineering consulting firm, which provided design services for transportation, airports, utilities and development projects for both private and public sectors. He also has a background as a consulting engineer on transportation, airport and utility projects and as a geotechnical/materials engineering consultant. 

“Greg Byres is bringing a wealth of knowledge, experience and a diverse engineering background to the vital job of State Engineer,” said ADOT Director John Halikowki. “ADOT has a lot of innovative projects underway statewide to expand and improve our transportation infrastructure. Greg’s professional expertise will be invaluable to fulfilling our mission to ‘Connect Arizona. Everyone. Everywhere. Every Day’.” 

Byres is a graduate of New Mexico State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering Technology and he studied Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Missouri – Rolla.