Loop 101 Pima Freeway

National Engineers Week: Meeting a Central District engineer working on a Loop 101 improvement project

National Engineers Week: Meeting a Central District engineer working on a Loop 101 improvement project

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National Engineers Week: Meeting a Central District engineer working on a Loop 101 improvement project

National Engineers Week: Meeting a Central District engineer working on a Loop 101 improvement project

By Doug Nintzel / ADOT Communications
February 20, 2024
A woman in an orange reflective safety vest stands in a construction area with heavy equipment behind her.

During National Engineers Week, Feb. 18-24, we’re asking engineers on some of ADOT’s projects to share with us stories about their work and careers. Today, meet Sara Howard from the Loop 101 Princess Drive to Shea Boulevard Improvement Project in Scottsdale. Howard is a Senior Resident Engineer in heavy civil construction and transportation.

What sparked your interest in engineering?

It really dates back to when I was a kid. I was interested in how things are built. Basically how you take parts and put something together. I took part in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) events in elementary and middle school, which furthered my interest. At ASU, I wound up pursuing and earning a degree in Construction Management.

What steps have you taken as your career at ADOT has advanced?

I started at ADOT in 2011 as a Transportation Engineering Specialist with the Contracts and Specifications Group, which involved reviewing and compiling contract documents. That work also involved reviewing project bidding and constructability processes. I then became the Alternative Delivery Transportation Engineering Specialist in ADOT’s Construction Group, which focused on less traditional ways for the agency to advance projects. That includes the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method. That process involves ADOT hiring a construction manager, or private company, to oversee the project from design to construction close-out and deliver it with a guaranteed maximum price. One of my accomplishments was developing guidance for ADOT’s alternative delivery contracting, including CMAR. I’m sure that sounds complicated, but advancing flexibility within ADOT’s project processes has been important in helping the agency manage limited transportation funding. A key step in my career happened in 2017 when I obtained my Professional Engineer license. I’ve been a resident engineer in development as well as construction, working on a variety of projects. I advanced to become a Senior Resident Engineer in 2021, administering several projects and serving on several statewide committees and groups.

What responsibilities does a Senior Resident Engineer have at ADOT?

There’s a lot to do. Supervise, manage and mentor personnel in my unit. Administer construction projects for compliance with state, federal and local ordinances and ensure conformity with contract documents. There’s the management of project budgets and schedules and interaction with local stakeholders, including cities and utility companies. I have also mentored and trained new and current resident engineers in our Central Construction District.

The Loop 101 Improvement Project in north Scottsdale started in early January. What are your specific responsibilities now?

I do it all (laughs). Just kidding. We’re adding single lanes in each direction of Loop 101 between Shea Boulevard and Princess Drive/Pima Road. I work with our contractor to ensure contract compliance. There’s a lot that goes into coordinating our work with stakeholders, including the city of Scottsdale, especially with improvements that will be made at the Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard interchange. We need to plan ahead on major milestones, stay up to date in interpreting plans and specifications and offer support for my staff in the field. Communication is such an important factor in delivering a successful project over the next two years.

What does working for ADOT mean to you and what advice would you have for young people considering a career in transportation engineering?

It’s rewarding to work on construction projects from cradle to grave while knowing our ADOT team is committed to making Arizona’s transportation system better, safer and more efficient through the use of innovative concepts. My advice for young people is to look for a mentor to provide advice and guidance. Yes, you need to be ready to work. But in this business, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions and speak up when it comes to creativity and innovation.

For more information about ADOT’s Loop 101 Improvement Project between Shea Boulevard and Princess Drive/Pima Road, please visit azdot.gov/Loop101PrincessToShea.  

 

It’s January in north Scottsdale: Golf, cars and a freeway project?

It’s January in north Scottsdale: Golf, cars and a freeway project?

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It’s January in north Scottsdale: Golf, cars and a freeway project?

It’s January in north Scottsdale: Golf, cars and a freeway project?

By Doug Nintzel / ADOT Communications
January 10, 2024
Heavy machinery removes the top layer of asphalt from a freeway at night.

One of the questions we get when talking about the early January start of the Loop 101 Improvement Project between Shea Boulevard and Princess Drive/Pima Road in north Scottsdale is: Will the freeway work impact access to events like car shows and the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament?

While I’ll stop short of saying it absolutely won’t have any impact, a lot of thought has gone into keeping the freeway project from being an issue for event visitors.

Freeway closures between Shea and Princess/Pima were scheduled over the first two January weekends to allow crews to start setting work zones and remove the top layer of worn asphalt pavement within the 4.5-mile project’s boundaries. The project team is getting that important work done before the bigger special events in the area, including the Phoenix Open, are ready to go.

ADOT has worked closely with the city of Scottsdale on planning efforts to keep freeway traffic moving. No other full closures will be scheduled at least through Phoenix Open weekend, which also is known for a rather large football game.

Crews will do work behind barrier walls and elsewhere as their mission to add another lane in each direction north of Shea Boulevard gets rolling.

Ultimately, the Loop 101 improvements are part of a two-year $108 million project scheduled as part of the region’s transportation plan managed by the Maricopa Association of Governments. A key source of funding is Proposition 400, a half-cent sales tax for transportation approved by voters in 2004.

Additional work will include traffic capacity enhancements, such as the conversion of the busy Loop 101 interchange at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard into a diamond configuration.

If you’re a driver who uses Loop 101 between Shea Boulevard and Princess Drive/Pima Road, we can provide project information at azdot.gov/Loop101PrincessToShea. The site provides a way for you to sign up to receive emailed information about planned closures to help you consider alternate routes.

Don’t forget that real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov and via the AZ511 app (download free for Apple and Android devices). ADOT also provides highway condition updates via its Twitter/X feed, @ArizonaDOT

2024 will be a busy year for Phoenix-area freeway projects

2024 will be a busy year for Phoenix-area freeway projects

I-17 101 traffic interchange

2024 will be a busy year for Phoenix-area freeway projects

2024 will be a busy year for Phoenix-area freeway projects

December 26, 2023

Two Loop 101 widening projects to start; I-10, I-17 work will advance

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation will start or continue making progress on several Phoenix-area freeway construction or maintenance projects during 2024.

The new year will see the launch of two Loop 101 widening projects as well as advancements on improvement projects that are underway along Interstate 10 near the Broadway Curve and along Interstate 17 north of Phoenix.

The following are among the major freeway projects ADOT will work on in 2024:

  • Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) Improvement Project between Shea Boulevard and Princess Drive/Pima Road in Scottsdale. The project is scheduled to start on Jan. 5 and include the addition of a lane in each direction within a 4.5 mile work zone. Crews also will convert the Loop 101 interchange at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard into a diamond configuration to improve traffic flow. The project is scheduled to be completed in approximately two years. More information: azdot.gov/Loop101PrincessToShea         
  • Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) Improvement Project between I-17 and 75th Avenue in the northwest Valley. The two-year project is scheduled to start in fall 2024 and include the addition of a lane in each direction. Other work will include interchange and cross-street improvements at 75th Avenue. More information: azdot.gov/Loop101West75thToi17                        
  • I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project between the I-17 “Split” and Loop 202 in Chandler. The largest freeway reconstruction project in ADOT’s history started in fall 2021 and is slated for completion near the end of 2024. Crews will finish elevated ramps providing direct connections between I-10 and State Route 143 (Hohokam Expressway) and complete lanes carrying local traffic in areas between Baseline Road and 40th Street. The project improves travel on 11 miles of one of the Valley’s busiest stretches of freeway. More information: i10broadwaycurve.com            
  • I-17 Improvement Project between Anthem Way and Sunset Point north of Phoenix. Work on the 23-mile project started in fall 2022. Crews are adding third lanes in each direction between Anthem Way and Black Canyon City as well as a unique 8-mile flex lanes system north of Black Canyon City. Improvements are scheduled for completion by late 2025. More information: improvingi17.com
  • I-10 Gila River Bridges Project southeast of Riggs Road. The project, which will reconstruct the outdated existing I-10 bridges crossing the Gila River, is scheduled to start in spring 2024 and take approximately two years to complete. 
  • I-17 Resurfacing Project between Happy Valley Road and State Route 74 in north Phoenix. A project to improve pavement conditions along I-17 is scheduled to start in spring 2024 and take approximately seven months to complete.

ADOT plans and constructs new freeways, additional lanes and other improvements in the Phoenix area as part of the Regional Transportation Plan for the Maricopa County region. Many projects are funded in part by Proposition 400, a dedicated sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004.

Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov and via the AZ511 app (download free for Apple and Android devices). ADOT also provides highway condition updates via its Twitter/X feed, @ArizonaDOT.

ADOT to launch Loop 101 widening project in Scottsdale in January

ADOT to launch Loop 101 widening project in Scottsdale in January

I-17 101 traffic interchange

ADOT to launch Loop 101 widening project in Scottsdale in January

ADOT to launch Loop 101 widening project in Scottsdale in January

December 19, 2023

Two-year project will add lanes between Shea Boulevard and Princess Drive

PHOENIX – A project to add new lanes and make interchange improvements along Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) between Shea Boulevard and Princess Drive/Pima Road in Scottsdale is scheduled to start in early January, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The $108 million Loop 101 Improvement Project is scheduled to be completed in approximately two years. Crews will widen Loop 101 by one regular traffic lane in each direction within a 4.5-mile work zone. 

Construction is scheduled to begin with a closure of northbound Loop 101 between Shea Boulevard and Princess Drive from 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5, to 5 a.m. Monday, Jan. 8. The first weekend closure will allow crews to remove the existing top layer of asphalt pavement and install temporary barrier walls used to set up a work zone along the freeway. 

ADOT is working with the city of Scottsdale to limit restrictions during local special events, including the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament.

The new lanes will mean this stretch of Loop 101 will have four regular lanes and the existing HOV lanes in each direction. The project is the latest in a series of projects to widen approximately 35 miles of Loop 101 between Interstate 17 in north Phoenix and Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) in Chandler.

Other key elements of the project include:

  • Converting the Loop 101 interchange at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard into a diamond configuration
  • Turn-lane improvements at the Shea Boulevard, Raintree Drive and Princess Drive/Pima Road interchanges
  • Work on retaining walls and maintenance of existing sound walls
  • Installation of new signs, traffic signals and freeway lighting

The Loop 101 widening project is funded in part by Proposition 400, a dedicated half-cent sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004. The project is scheduled under the Regional Transportation Plan managed by the Maricopa Association of Governments, which serves as the metropolitan planning organization for the Greater Phoenix region.

FNF Construction Inc. is the prime contractor on the project. 

Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov and via the AZ511 app (download free for Apple and Android devices). ADOT also provides highway condition updates via its Twitter/X feed, @ArizonaDOT

 

Crews complete all major work on Loop 101 widening project

Crews complete all major work on Loop 101 widening project

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Crews complete all major work on Loop 101 widening project

Crews complete all major work on Loop 101 widening project

January 11, 2022

PHOENIX – The final major components of the Loop 101 Improvement Project in the north Valley have been completed following the last scheduled full weekend closure for lane-marking work, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

ADOT’s $185 million project, which started in Jan. 2019, has added a fourth regular (general purpose) lane in each direction along 13 miles of Loop 101. Drivers have already been experiencing improved traffic flow along the wider freeway for several months while crews focused attention on other necessary work such as interchange enhancements, the addition of permanent, easier-to-see lane stripes and the sealing of concrete deck joints.

Other improvements added during the Loop 101 project include:

  •   Wider bridges above cross streets, the Central Arizona Project canal and area washes.
  •   A new Loop 101 overpass above the city of Scottsdale’s planned Miller Road extension.
  •   New freeway lighting and signs.
  •   Noise barriers in areas where warranted.
  •   New landscaping in several areas. On- and off-ramps at interchanges reconstructed to fit the profile of the wider freeway.

As with other freeway construction projects, crews will oversee a required landscape establishment period and take care of any other minor punch-list work in the new year. Drivers are asked to continue to stay alert for workers or equipment in the area. 

The Loop 101 Improvement Project has been funded as part of the Regional Transportation Plan for the Maricopa County region. Projects in the plan are funded in part by Proposition 400, a dedicated half-cent sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004.

Rattlesnake image greets Cave Creek Road motorists

Rattlesnake image greets Cave Creek Road motorists

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Rattlesnake image greets Cave Creek Road motorists

Rattlesnake image greets Cave Creek Road motorists

By Laurie Merrill / ADOT Communications
January 15, 2021

Loop 101 Pima Freeway Artwork

On the southeast side of the Loop 101 Pima Freeway, the image of a coiled rattlesnake raises its head to gaze at motorists on Cave Creek Road.

Before the design was painted a deep red that emphasizes its eyes, rattle and forked tongue, it was the same color as the concrete wall on which it was carved.

The unpainted carving perplexed motorist Lorraine Normand, who wrote to the Arizona Department of Transportation inquiring about it.

“I am wondering what the insignia is on the new overpass wall of the 101 at Cave Creek Road?  It doesn't look like a Phoenix and I have tried several times to take a photo (while my husband was driving/stopped at the light),” she wrote.

John Tucker, the community relations manager for the project improving Loop 101 between  I-17 and Pima Road, sent her photos taken by ADOT photographer Joe Larger and an explanation.

“According to ADOT’s landscape architects, the icon in question is a Hohokam coiled snake petroglyph. It’s found on several strategic wall-accent areas on the project,” Tucker said. “It and other icons used on the project – such as flying birds, lizards, agave cactus and cactus ribs – reflect the archaeological history, wildlife and reptiles found in the area.” 

For example, a flock of birds flies in a single file of red-painted images along some of the sound walls. Giant green lizards with detailed scales seem to scramble up concrete pillars. Up close, the scales are actually rocks and gravel, used to create a bumpy surface. You can check a sampling of the design in the Flickr album at the top of this post.

The intersection at Cave Creek is part of a $185 million project to improve and widen 13 miles of L-101 from Interstate 17 to Pima Road. New lanes have been added, bridges widened and on-and-off ramps adjusted to fit the new configuration. Work is expected to end in fall 2021.

Choosing the rattlesnake image went beyond displaying the Hohokam influence, said Joe Salazar, ADOT Project Team Leader for Landscape Architecture and Aesthetics.

“The inspiration is there in the desert, but there are also rattlesnakes in the area,” Salazar said. “There are some trails that go up along the mountainside. It can also be an informational icon just letting people know what the reptile wildlife is in the area.”

Meanwhile, the Normands were delighted with the information Tucker provided.

“Thank you for taking the time to answer me in such detail,” Normand wrote. “My husband and I just couldn't figure out the design.  Now that you have explained it and sent a picture, we can see the eyes of the snake.”

The Normands appreciate the artwork springing up on new projects like the Loop 101 widening project.

“We feel that the improvements on the walls look so nice,” Normand wrote, adding, “When we drove cross country to live in Arizona 25 years ago, we did not see such detail. In these trying times, it gives us a sense of pride.”