PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation continues to gather comments for its proposed Five-Year Construction Program by reaching out to all members of the public and communities statewide for their input on which projects should move forward over the next few years.

The second public hearing for the 2019-2023 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, April 20, at the City of Flagstaff Council Chambers, 211 W. Aspen Ave., Flagstaff. The monthly State Transportation Board meeting will follow.

In its Tentative Program, ADOT proposes several major expansion projects along Arizona’s Key Commerce Corridors, the state’s busiest highways. Better mobility means better daily commutes and travel, along with enhanced freight movement, trade, commerce and economic development. Projects include:

• The first phase of a project beginning in fiscal year 2019 to improve State Route 189 in Nogales between the Mariposa Port of Entry and Interstate 19
• Two major widening projects along US 93 in fiscal years 2020 and 2023 that will bring ADOT closer to its goal of completing a four-lane divided highway from Wickenburg to Interstate 40, laying the groundwork for the future Interstate 11
• Widening Interstate 17 in areas between Anthem and Sunset Point in fiscal years 2021 and 2022, with specific areas and projects still under study
• Widening the last section of State Route 260 near Star Valley beginning in fiscal year 2023 (the Lion Springs section), reaching ADOT’s goal of completing a four-lane divided highway along the entire length of the corridor

These are just some of the projects that are included in the 2019-2023 Tentative Five-Year Program. The complete report is available at azdot.gov for review and comment until June 5.

The Tentative Program also reaches the department's goal of allocating at least $260 million per year for the preservation of the state highway system. Preservation projects include repaving highways, filling potholes, extending the life cycle of existing pavement, and repairing or reconstructing bridges.

In addition, ADOT has proposed increasing the amount of preservation funding to $320 million per year during the next six to 10 years as part of the recently adopted Long-Range Transportation Plan, a blueprint for investment priorities over the next 25 years.

The complete report, posted with a “how to read it” guide, is available at azdot.gov for review and comment. ADOT welcomes feedback via an online form, by email at [email protected] and by phone at 855.712.8530.

Here are the details for the remaining public hearings (the first was on March 16 in Sahuarita), a follow-up study session and the State Transportation Board’s June meeting, where the final Five-Year Program is expected to be approved. All hearings begin at 9 a.m.:

April 20: Public hearing and State Transportation Board meeting at the City of Flagstaff Council Chambers, 211 W. Aspen Ave., Flagstaff.

May 18: Public hearing and State Transportation Board meeting in the ADOT Administration Building Auditorium, 206 S. 17th Ave., Phoenix.

June 5: State Transportation Board study session at ADOT’s Human Resources Development Center, 1130 N. 22nd Ave., Phoenix.

June 15: State Transportation Board meeting at the City of Globe Council Chambers, 150 N. Pine St., Globe.

PHOENIX – Major corridors for passenger and freight traffic would be expanded and improved during the next five years as part of a proposed annual update to the Arizona Department of Transportation's lineup of projects that will be available for public comment beginning Friday, March 16. 

The 2019-2023 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program also reaches the department's goal of allocating at least $260 million per year for preservation of bridges and highways throughout the state highway system. 

In addition, ADOT has proposed increasing the amount of preservation funding to $320 million per year during the next six to 10 years as part of the recently adopted Long-Range Transportation Plan, a blueprint for investment priorities over the next 25 years.

“ADOT is committed to moving people and freight safely and efficiently every day on the Key Commerce Corridors that connect Arizona to major markets and help us better compete for quality jobs, economic growth and prosperity,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “But just as important is the need to preserve and maintain our $21.5 billion system to keep our highways and bridges in good repair and functioning as they should.”

Preservation projects include repaving highways, filling potholes, extending the life cycle of existing pavement, and repairing or reconstructing bridges.

Key expansion projects round out the system by increasing mobility and connectivity while reducing traffic congestion. Major projects ADOT is proposing along highly traveled corridors over the next five years include: 

• Two major widening projects along US 93 in fiscal years 2020 and 2023 that will bring ADOT closer to its goal of completing a four-lane divided highway from Wickenburg to Interstate 40, laying the groundwork for the future Interstate 11
• Widening Interstate 17 in areas between Anthem and Sunset Point in fiscal years 2021 and 2022, with specific areas and projects still under study
• Widening the last section of State Route 260 near Star Valley beginning in fiscal year 2023 (the Lion Springs section), reaching ADOT’s goal of completing a four-lane divided highway along the entire length of that corridor

The public comment period for the 2019-2023 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program begins Friday, March 16, and ends at 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 5. It includes public hearings in Sahuarita (Friday, March 16), Flagstaff (Friday, April 20) and Phoenix (Friday, May 18). The State Transportation Board will make its final decision in June about what will be in the updated Five-Year Program.

The complete report, posted with a “how to read it” guide, will be available on Friday, March 16, at azdot.gov for review and comment. ADOT welcomes feedback via an online form, by email at [email protected] and by phone at 855.712.8530.

Here are the details for the three public hearings, a follow-up study session and the State Transportation Board’s June meeting, where the final Five-Year Program will be approved. All hearings begin at 9 a.m.:

March 16: Public hearing and State Transportation Board meeting at the Town of Sahuarita Council Chambers, 375 W. Sahuarita Center Way, Sahuarita.

April 20: Public hearing and State Transportation Board meeting at the City of Flagstaff Council Chambers, 211 W. Aspen Ave., Flagstaff.

May 18: Public hearing and State Transportation Board meeting in the ADOT Administration Building Auditorium, 206 S. 17th Ave., Phoenix.

June 5: State Transportation Board study session at ADOT’s Human Resources Development Center, 1130 N. 22nd Ave., Phoenix.

June 15: State Transportation Board meeting at the City of Globe Council Chambers, 150 N. Pine St., Globe.

PHOENIX – An Arizona Department of Transportation safety training program for commercial vehicle drivers using international ports of entry is proving so popular with trucking companies and government officials in Mexico that ADOT has doubled the number of training sessions planned for this fall.

“Trade with Mexico is one way our highways are Key Commerce Corridors that drive Arizona’s economy,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “With the support of officials in Sonora, Mexico, we are expanding a program that’s boosting international commerce while ensuring that commercial vehicles are safe.

Tim Lane, director of ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division, which conducts truck safety inspections at commercial ports of entry, said 46 commercial vehicle drivers attended the International Border Inspection Qualification program in the Sonoran capital of Hermosillo on Aug. 22 and 23.

Representatives from the Sonora governor’s office attended the event in Hermosillo, including Natalia Rivera Grijalva, chief of staff for Governor Claudia Artemiza Pavlovich Arellano, and Secretary Ricardo Martínez Terrazas for the Department of Infrastructure and Urban Development of Sonora. The event was covered by local newspapers, television and radio.

The program teaches commercial vehicle drivers what to expect during safety inspections when they enter Arizona through ports at San Luis, Nogales and Douglas. Including sessions in San Luis Río Colorado, Mexico, and Douglas, 89 drivers have completed training and testing in the program’s first six weeks.

Commercial vehicle drivers who pass examinations at the end of the program are able to communicate with ADOT safety inspectors using WhatsApp, a popular smartphone messaging app. Qualified drivers can send photos of potential safety issues to inspectors, who tell them whether the photos show violations and, if so, how to correct them. Commercial vehicle drivers who have participated in IBIQ training can use WhatsApp at the border ports of entry in Nogales, San Luis and Douglas.

The International Border Inspection Qualification program is part of ADOT’s Border Liaison Unit launched last fall to train commercial vehicle drivers and mechanics on safety inspections at the border. The goal is for trucking companies to make any needed repairs before they approach the border, saving the companies time and money and allowing ADOT inspectors to focus on trucks that are more likely to have safety concerns.

The program is working: ADOT inspectors have conducted fewer border inspections over the past year but have found more violations, increasing safety on Arizona roads. Those improvements have led to more trucks crossing in Arizona instead of elsewhere, boosting the state’s economy.

The International Border Inspection Qualification program stems 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.

The program initially scheduled four training sessions this fall but has added four more at the request of Mexican trucking officials, including one held last week in Douglas, Arizona. The remaining schedule:

• Sept. 19-20 in Nogales, Sonora
• Oct. 3-4 in Douglas, Arizona (to be conducted in English)
• Oct. 11-12 in San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora
• Oct. 24-25 in Culiacán, Sinaloa
• A yet-to-be-determined November date in Hermosillo, Sonora  

PHOENIX – Drivers covered nearly 67 billion miles on Arizona roads in 2016, the state’s fifth consecutive annual increase, according to a Federal Highway Administration estimate.

Part of a Traffic Volume Trends report estimating a record 3.2 trillion miles driven on U.S. public roads last year, the Arizona figure demonstrates the importance of maintaining and improving the state’s transportation system, said John Halikowski, director of the Arizona Department of Transportation.

“Highways are Key Commerce Corridors that drive economic growth and jobs,” Halikowski said. “A well-built and well-maintained transportation system positions this growing state to capitalize on its proximity to major markets in California and Texas as well as south of the border.”

ADOT maintains all state and federal routes in Arizona, including six interstate highways.

The estimated number of vehicle miles traveled in Arizona in 2016 – 66.86 billion – represented an increase of more than 1.8 billion miles from 2015, or 2.8 percent. Since 2011, the number of miles navigated by Arizona drivers has increased by 7.28 billion, or 12 percent.

The 13-state West, including Arizona, had the greatest increase in travel compared with 2015, according to the Federal Highway Administration’s report.

ADOT reports vehicle miles traveled for the previous year each June. The agency’s figures also show a steady increase in recent years.

PHOENIX – Arizona’s interstate highways are key commerce corridors serving not only as the backbone of our transportation system but providing businesses and their customers with food, fuel and other essentials.

With the U.S. marking the 60th anniversary of the national interstate highway system that President Dwight D. Eisenhower launched in 1956, John Halikowski, director of the Arizona Department of Transportation, said this essential infrastructure requires adequate and sustained investment.

“By carrying many thousands of trucks each and every week, our interstates in Arizona are a critical lifeline for the health of our state’s businesses and our economic well-being,” Halikowski said. “If our interstate freeways are not reliable, high-quality corridors, Arizona will not be able to maintain our existing businesses and attract new business to the state.”

With ADOT facing limited transportation funding as it safeguards Arizona’s $20 billion investment in highways and looks toward future improvements, the state’s 1,169 miles of interstate highways anchor a reliable travel network vital to economic growth.

“Arizona is at the heart of the 10th-largest regional economy in the world stretching from Southern California to Texas,” Halikowski said. “We’re reminding Arizonans, from business owners to policymakers to the traveling public, that interstates provide the links to this trillion-dollar market. The importance of these links cannot be overstated.”

That applies to Interstate 10, the state’s longest at 392 miles, and the 30 miles of I-15, Arizona’s shortest stretch of interstate.

It’s one of the reasons Halikowski earlier this month led efforts to establish an Interstate 10 Corridor Coalition with transportation leaders from California, New Mexico and Texas. An agreement, signed June 2, supports innovations that make travel on I-10 safer and more efficient.

ADOT also is looking to the future by laying the groundwork for another interstate. Although it’s likely many years from existence, Interstate 11 is on the drawing board as a multimodal corridor improving travel not only between Phoenix and Las Vegas but also as part of a bigger vision for connecting southern Arizona, at Nogales, with the Intermountain West region, including Nevada.

Last December, Congress formally designated I-11 through Arizona as part of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. While that designation didn’t come with funding, it does make the corridor eligible for future federal funding.

“When it comes to what I’ll call the ‘state of our interstates,’ we need to change our driving culture to avoid distractions, be patient and drive sober. ADOT will maximize and use available funding wisely to ensure that we get everyone home safely through road improvements, technology and driver awareness,” Halikowski said. “Focusing on safety and the economy in our transportation infrastructure system will foster a better quality of life for all Arizonans.”

PHOENIX – At the recent Arizona-Mexico Commission plenary session, the organization recognized Arizona Department of Transportation Director John S. Halikowski for his work co-chairing the commission’s Transportation, Infrastructure and Ports Committee, spearheading the Transportation and Trade Corridor Alliance, and for his keen understanding of infrastructure issues facing border communities.

This year, the Arizona-Mexico Commission awarded the Tony Certósimo Award to Halikowski, who, according to the group, “has committed to fostering improved relations with Mexico for numerous years. His leadership has advanced Arizona’s important cross-border agenda with Mexico and has embraced the mission of the Arizona-Mexico Commission in support of a mutually beneficial bilateral relationship.”

During the award’s presentation, Arizona-Mexico Commission Executive Director Margie Emmermann applauded Halikowski for “understanding the marriage of infrastructure and economic development” and for championing this new vision throughout Arizona and beyond through his various Key Commerce Corridor efforts.

The award is given to an individual who embodies all that the Arizona-Mexico Commission strives to accomplish, according to the organization. The honor is named after the first executive director, who was influential in formalizing the Arizona-Mexico Commission by establishing its bylaws and developing the group as a nonprofit membership organization.

“John Halikowski deserves the Certósimo Award as he has embraced the mission of the Arizona-Mexico Commission to improve the economic prosperity and quality of life for all Arizonans though strong collaborations,” according to the nomination. “He has demonstrated this in his work and actions with all levels of the public and private sector on both sides of the border, and truly understands the importance of the relationship with Mexico for Arizona and sets the example for the agency he leads.”

The award was presented June 20 as part of the closing ceremonies for the semiannual meeting between Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and Sonora Governor Guillermo Padrés Elías.

“As the Arizona Department of Transportation turns its focus to the Key Commerce Corridors for the state, the critical linkages between Arizona and Mexico require attention and investment, not only for Arizona but for the entire U.S.,” Halikowski said. “I’m honored to receive this award, which reflects the good work being done every day at ADOT to improve all of our critical connections that support economic development and prosperity.”