Loop 202

#FridayFive: We're talkin' dust storms, construction milestones and Voluntary Travel ID

#FridayFive: We're talkin' dust storms, construction milestones and Voluntary Travel ID

#FridayFive: We're talkin' dust storms, construction milestones and Voluntary Travel ID

#FridayFive: We're talkin' dust storms, construction milestones and Voluntary Travel ID

April 13, 2018

Arizona State Capitol Dome

By David Woodfill / ADOT Communications

This week, we saw highway closures from blowing dust, promoted worker safety, announced highways reopening after winter hibernation and more. Don’t forget to follow the hashtag #FridayFive on social media to see what others are sharing from their week.


1. The Arizona State Capitol Dome glowed orange for National Work Zone Awareness Week. What a picture to start this week's Friday Five! The dome was illuminated dusk to dawn April 9-13 to remind folks to give our road workers a brake. Check out the time-lapse video at right.

About 1,300 crashes in Arizona occurred in work zones during 2017. Eleven people died and 30 were seriously injured.


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Dust storm

2. Blowing dust forced the closure of Interstate 10 in Casa Grande and State Route 347 between I-10 and Maricopa this week, reminding us of the dangers of driving in such conditions. We took the opportunity to remind folks to Pull Aside – Stay Alive.

If you ever encounter blowing dust, check traffic around you, slow down, exit the highway completely, turn off all of your lights, stay off your brakes and stay buckled until the storm passes.

Follow the hashtag #PullAsideStayAlive for the latest information on dust from ADOT and the National Weather Service.


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Facebook Post

3. Three state highways in the White Mountains reopened this week after a long winter slumber.

We asked folks on Facebook to tell us which highway they planned to travel this summer– SR 261 between Eagar and Big Lake, SR 273 between Sunrise Park and Big Lake or State Route 473 between SR 260 and Hawley Lake.

SR 273 was the clear highway of choice with 61 percent.


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SMF Construction

4. It wouldn't be a normal week if the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway project didn't reach another milestone.

Construction is now two-thirds complete on what will be the longest bridges on the freeway. Two half-mile spans will carry traffic over the Salt River in Laveen and will serve the burgeoning areas of the southwest Valley when the freeway opens by late 2019.

This work involves setting some very, very long girders to support the bridge decks. Check out this video on ADOT Flickr to see just how long they are.


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Voluntary Travel ID

5. Finally, we urged Arizonans to consider getting a Voluntary Travel ID through ADOT's Motor Vehicle Division.

This an Arizona driver license or ID card that meets requirements of the federal REAL ID Act of 2005. Starting Oct. 1, 2020, Transportation Security Administration will no longer accept standard Arizona credentials at airport security. If you wish to use your state credential at airports and secure federal facilities, a Voluntary Travel ID is the way to do that.

To learn more about the Voluntary Travel ID, visit azdot.gov/TravelID.

ADOT hits milestone for South Mountain Freeway construction

ADOT hits milestone for South Mountain Freeway construction

ADOT hits milestone for South Mountain Freeway construction

ADOT hits milestone for South Mountain Freeway construction

April 4, 2018

By Laurie Merrill / ADOT Communications

For an agency that justifiably prides itself on meeting traffic milestones, this is still a pretty big one: the opening of the first bridge over what will be the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway.

This is the first time in five months that drivers in Laveen can continue motoring on Elliot Road without exiting before crossing the freeway right of way near 59th Avenue.

It’s also the first of 40 planned bridges along the South Mountain Freeway to open to motorists.

The 272-foot span is yet another step toward opening the 22-mile freeway by late 2019 and providing a much-needed direct connection between the West Valley and East Valley.

Since Elliot Road closed at the 59th Avenue, crews have constructed more than 2,000 feet of roadway improvements, including installing underground utilities and drainage structures, building retaining walls and moving more than 300,000 cubic yards of earth to create bridge approaches and ramps.

There’s more to come to complete the interchange: Crews will pave ramps and the mainline freeway and work on signage, lighting, final striping, signals and landscaping.

For more information and to sign up for project updates, please visit SouthMountainFreeway.com.

Ninth Circuit ruling keeps South Mountain Freeway construction on track

Ninth Circuit ruling keeps South Mountain Freeway construction on track

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Ninth Circuit ruling keeps South Mountain Freeway construction on track

Ninth Circuit ruling keeps South Mountain Freeway construction on track

December 8, 2017

PHOENIX – The Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway remains on track to open by late 2019 with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco affirming a U.S. District Court ruling that allowed the Arizona Department of Transportation to move forward with construction.

“This is a clear victory for one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions, ensuring that progress will continue on a project that will make this a better place to live and do business,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “ADOT has worked closely with the city of Phoenix, the Maricopa Association of Governments and Federal Highway Administration to develop the most extensive environmental review of any highway project to date in Arizona, and the courts have taken notice of this by ruling in favor of this project at every step.”

In a ruling released Friday, the Ninth Circuit affirmed an August 2016 ruling by the U.S District Court of Arizona on all issues.

The 22-mile freeway will provide a direct link between the East Valley and West Valley and a much-needed alternative to Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix. Approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985 and again in 2004 as part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan, the South Mountain Freeway will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system in the Valley.

Halikowski added, “We’re committed to delivering on a promise to Maricopa County voters to complete the Loop 101 and Loop 202 system that will connect communities and employment centers while helping position the Phoenix area for continued growth and opportunity.”

Major construction on the South Mountain Freeway began early this year, and progress is evident throughout the entire 22-mile corridor. In Ahwatukee Foothills, interchanges are taking shape at 17th Avenue and 40th Street. In Laveen, crews are building two half-mile-long bridges that will provide a much-needed grade separated crossing over the Salt River. In the West Valley, the skyline is changing daily along Interstate 10 as work continues to create an interchange connecting with the South Mountain Freeway at 59th Avenue, including several flyover ramps.

For more information, visit SouthMountainFreeway.com.

Straddle bent key to South Mountain Freeway interchange in Phoenix

Straddle bent key to South Mountain Freeway interchange in Phoenix

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Straddle bent key to South Mountain Freeway interchange in Phoenix

Straddle bent key to South Mountain Freeway interchange in Phoenix

August 10, 2017

PHOENIX – Creating the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway’s interchange with Interstate 10 in west Phoenix is no small feat of engineering, starting with the need to have supports for flyover ramps to straddle existing lanes of traffic.

As is the case at other freeway-to-freeway interchanges around the Valley, this is being done with a structure known as a straddle bent. It is an alternative when a typical one-column pier carrying a ramp would need to be in the middle of an existing roadway. Instead, the straddle bent has multiple columns supporting a wide top, or cap, that in turn supports a ramp.

In construction, “bent” refers to a structure providing lateral as well as vertical support. The first South Mountain Freeway straddle bent, over the westbound lanes of I-10 near 59th Avenue, has two columns supporting a 140-foot-wide, 12-foot-high cap. On its own, it looks a bit like a giant concrete soccer goal.

Straddle bents are part of the freeway connections Valley motorists use every day. The flyover ramp from eastbound I-10 to northbound State Route 51 (Piestewa Freeway) in central Phoenix has a bent straddling the westbound lanes of I-10, while HOV ramp connections between those two freeways use three straddle bents over westbound I-10.

In all, seven straddle bents will be part of the South Mountain Freeway connection with the I-10 Papago Freeway, with the first going up after a series of weekend and overnight closures to allow large cranes to work.

This past weekend, Connect 202 Partners, the South Mountain Freeway developer, poured more than 400 cubic yards of concrete to complete the bent just east of the current I-10/59th Avenue interchange. The falsework that held the structure in place prior to the concrete pour will be removed in the near future.

In order to safely construct the seven straddle bents for the new I-10/Loop 202 system interchange at 59th Avenue, intermittent lane restrictions and closures of I-10 are needed regularly. Fortunately, ADOT minimizes the inconvenience to the traveling public by scheduling as much work as possible during non-peak hours, but because some of the work is occurring directly above the existing I-10, full closures are often necessary for the safety of motorists and construction crews.

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Once the straddle bent structures are built, girders will be placed to create future ramps that will provide connections to and from the South Mountain Freeway.

The 22-mile South Mountain Freeway, expected to open by late 2019, will provide a long-planned direct link between the East Valley and West Valley and a much-needed alternative to I-10 through downtown Phoenix. Approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985 and again in 2004 as part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan, the South Mountain Freeway will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system in the Valley.

Take a virtual drive on the South Mountain Freeway

Take a virtual drive on the South Mountain Freeway

Take a virtual drive on the South Mountain Freeway

Take a virtual drive on the South Mountain Freeway

March 16, 2017

By Dustin Krugel / ADOT Communications

Motorists won’t be able to drive the South Mountain Freeway until late 2019, but now you can visualize that trip using the simulation above that launched today at SouthMountainFreeway.com.

It includes some key additions since we shared a popular simulation in 2013:

  • aesthetic and landscaping treatments along the 22-mile freeway corridor
  • direct HOV lane access to and from downtown Phoenix at the freeway’s western end
  • a six-mile shared-use path along Pecos Road
  • interchange reconfigurations, including diverging diamond interchanges at Desert Foothills Parkway and 17th Avenue. 

You’ll find much more at SouthMountainFreeway.com, including traffic alerts, a way to sign up for project news, renderings showing aesthetics and construction photos.

 

Statements on encampment in ADOT right of way in Mesa

Statements on encampment in ADOT right of way in Mesa

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Statements on encampment in ADOT right of way in Mesa

Statements on encampment in ADOT right of way in Mesa

February 27, 2017

While continuing efforts to connect occupants with services, the state is assisting organizers of an encampment on Arizona Department of Transportation land in Mesa with plans to relocate.

Out of concern for the health, safety and well-being of those at the site, ADOT began discussions last week with camp organizers about plans to relocate and notified them Friday that they would need to move on. At the request of organizers, the state will allow the encampment near the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway and McKellips Road to remain until March 20.

In the meantime, ADOT is arranging for the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services and the Arizona Department of Economic Security to return to offer assistance to veterans and others in the encampment.


December 20, 2016

The State of Arizona’s goal is assisting the veterans and other individuals in this area, located near Loop 202 and McKellips, by helping them find shelter and other community-based services. No one has been removed, and there are no plans to do so.

On Monday, the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services visited the site to meet veterans and offer to connect them with services. DES was also on site to help civilians. Ryan Peters, the governor’s director of Constituent Services and a Marine Corps veteran, also visited to thank the vets and offer assistance. The visits were all described as positive.

ADOT is happy to partner with these other state agencies. No one should be homeless, especially during the holidays, and our goal is to help all these individuals find shelter and other community-based services.


December 16, 2016

The State of Arizona is committed to protecting veterans. The desire is to assist the individuals in this area, located near Loop 202 and McKellips, by helping to find them shelter and assistance. No one has been removed, and there are no plans to do so. With assistance from the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services and the Arizona Department of Economic Security will be on site Monday to help connect these individuals with shelter and services. No one should be homeless, especially during the holidays, and our goal to help all these individuals find shelter and other community-based services.


December 15, 2016

ADOT continues working with local social service organizations and other state agencies, including the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, to provide services for those who need them at this camp, which moved onto ADOT right of way on Dec. 6. While ADOT did post “no trespassing” signs, no action has been taken to force relocation of the camp. We will continue to work in partnership with the organizers to appropriately support their efforts while encouraging them to relocate outside of state right of way.

Loop 202 East closed between I-10 and 44th St. for part of weekend

Loop 202 East closed between I-10 and 44th St. for part of weekend

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Loop 202 East closed between I-10 and 44th St. for part of weekend

Loop 202 East closed between I-10 and 44th St. for part of weekend

November 9, 2016

PHOENIX – The eastbound lanes of Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) will be closed between Interstate 10 and 44th Street in Phoenix from Friday night until late Saturday night (Nov. 12) for resurfacing work.

Drivers should plan ahead and use alternate routes while eastbound Loop 202 is closed, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The weekend closure is scheduled as follows:

Eastbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) closed between I-10 and 44th Street from 9 p.m. Friday to 11 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 12) for resurfacing. The east- and westbound I-10 ramps to eastbound Loop 202 at the SR 51 “Mini-Stack” interchange also closed. The southbound SR 51 ramp to eastbound Loop 202 will be open but traffic will need to exit at 32nd Street and use alternate routes. DETOUR: Drivers can consider using I-10 in either direction to northbound SR 143 (Hohokam Expressway) to access Loop 202. Westbound I-10 traffic also can connect with northbound SR 51 and exit to eastbound Thomas Road before using local streets to reach eastbound Loop 202 beyond the closure at 44th Street.

For a complete list of highway and freeway restrictions in the Phoenix area and around the state, visit ADOT’s Travel Information site at az511.gov or call 511. Another great way to find out more about ADOT’s projects and programs to improve Arizona’s transportation system is the ADOT Blog at azdot.gov/adot-blog.

ADOT plans and constructs new freeways, additional lanes and other improvements as part of the Regional Transportation Plan for the Maricopa County region. The primary funding source for regional freeway improvements is a half-cent sales tax approved by county voters in 2004. More information about ADOT projects and the regional plan is available at azdot.gov/central-district.

From the Director: South Mountain Freeway will drive economic development

From the Director: South Mountain Freeway will drive economic development

From the Director: South Mountain Freeway will drive economic development

From the Director: South Mountain Freeway will drive economic development

August 24, 2016

South Mountain Freeway (Loop 202) Final Environmental Impact Statement

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

Construction will begin on the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway in early September after the U.S. District Court in Phoenix dismissed legal challenges against the long-planned and long-studied new corridor. The court ruled ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration completed all steps required to move this construction project forward.

The court’s decision is a victory for the Phoenix metropolitan region. Beyond the benefits to traffic on I-10 through the Broadway Curve and on local streets, this new freeway means economic development, connecting people with employment, entertainment and educational centers.

It requires a team to successfully undertake the extensive environmental review to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. The Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway represents the most extensive environmental review of any highway project to date in Arizona. The court’s ruling affirms the good work of the entire project team.

Besides the Federal Highway Administration, our partners include the city of Phoenix and the Maricopa Association of Governments. Both Phoenix and MAG have been strong allies in the project’s development for years and have guided ADOT in the planning, design and development phases. It is impossible to complete a project like this without strong partnerships, but ADOT is fortunate to have a solid team helping to move this project forward.

The South Mountain Freeway is a 22-mile corridor with a fixed $916 million contract for design and construction as Arizona’s first public-private partnership for a highway project. It is expected to open in late 2019.

For more information, please visit www.azdot.gov/SouthMountainFreeway.


Director-Halikowski-headshot

 

This post originally appeared on ADOT Director John Halikowski's
LinkedIn page. He has led the agency since 2009.

 

ADOT, archaeologists look to learn more about past before South Mountain Freeway construction

ADOT, archaeologists look to learn more about past before South Mountain Freeway construction

ADOT, archaeologists look to learn more about past before South Mountain Freeway construction

ADOT, archaeologists look to learn more about past before South Mountain Freeway construction

May 25, 2016

By Dustin Krugel / ADOT Communications

“Who knows only his own generation remains always a child.”
– University of Colorado President George Norlin, based on an inscription by Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero

This saying applies to the archaeological work the Arizona Department of Transportation is conducting in advance of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway project, according to Mark Chenault of WestLand Resources, an archaeological company contracted by ADOT.

“If you don’t know history, you don’t get the big picture of this life,” said Chenault, who says he knew at age 6 that he wanted to be an archaeologist.

On an early morning in May at a location along the 22-mile-long footprint of the freeway, a dozen or so archaeologists worked in an opening field, digging systematically in 5-foot-deep trenches. They were searching for signs that the prehistoric Hohokam built irrigation canals in this area.

This is one of 16 field investigations ADOT will be conducting following an archaeological survey during the freeway's study phase, which began in 2001.

It may come as a surprise that ADOT is one of the largest sponsors of archaeological research in Arizona. Prior to any transportation project, the agency studies the potential effects the environment, and it abides by environmental laws that are designed to preserve history and manage our cultural resources. This process often requires the aid of archaeologists.

Digging in a trench.

“Although ADOT is a transportation agency, environmental stewardship is very important,” said Linda Davis, ADOT Historic Preservation Team leader. “ADOT is very sensitive of the cultural sites that we encounter. We work closely with tribal communities to ensure the best preservation and protection when avoidance is not possible.”

While some may think of “Indiana Jones” when the topic of archaeologists comes up, Chenault said that’s far from the truth.

“A lot of people think archaeologists go out and find something that solves some big riddle, but it rarely works that way,” he said. “It’s a cumulative science, so we are getting information that we add to information gathered by archaeologists from decades prior to use. It gives us a bigger and fuller picture of what the Hohokam lifestyle was like.”

While some of these archaeological sites may be fenced off and/or have security guards, it’s for good reason.

“We are just trying to protect both the site and the public,” Chenault said. “We have open trenches there. We don’t want anyone falling in and getting hurt, but we also don’t want any damage to the site. So the fencing is for protection for everyone involved.”

In addition, state and federal historic preservation laws require some of the work to be confidential until the investigations are completed.

Eventually, all of the work that ADOT and the archaeologists complete will be documented in research reports available for the public to review, and future generations will be able to learn more about the area’s history. In addition, artifacts will be housed at the Huhugam Heritage Center on the Gila River Indian Community.

South Mountain Freeway agreement delivers lower cost, shorter timeline

South Mountain Freeway agreement delivers lower cost, shorter timeline

I-17 101 traffic interchange

South Mountain Freeway agreement delivers lower cost, shorter timeline

South Mountain Freeway agreement delivers lower cost, shorter timeline

February 26, 2016

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation will deliver the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway three years sooner and at a cost savings topping $100 million by taking an innovative approach to selecting the team to design, build and maintain the highway.

“This is another example of government working at the speed of business to save taxpayer money and improve the lives of Arizonans,” said Governor Doug Ducey. "Thanks to hard work and collaboration, the South Mountain Freeway will be completed under budget and faster than expected.”

The Department of Transportation finalized a public-private partnership Friday with the project team – Connect 202 Partners – that will serve in all three roles.

“This first-of-its-kind highway contract in Arizona has not only reduced the overall cost but allowed ADOT to accelerate the entire project, meaning motorists will be able to benefit from this critical freeway sooner,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “That’s especially important in light of transportation needs today and into the future.”

The 22-mile freeway, expected to open by late 2019, will provide a long-planned direct link between the East Valley and West Valley and a much-needed alternative to Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix. Approved twice by Maricopa County voters, the South Mountain Freeway will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system.

Connect 202 Partners will design and build the freeway corridor and provide maintenance for 30 years after construction. The team consists of Fluor Enterprises Inc., Granite Construction Co. and Ames Construction Inc., with Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. as the lead designer.

The fixed $916 million contract for design and construction makes this the largest highway project in state history.

The amount required for the overall project is approximately $122 million less than anticipated because of innovative approaches Connect 202 Partners proposed for construction and engineering, as well as reducing the amount of property that must be acquired for the freeway.

While the phrase public-private partnership may evoke visions of a toll road, that isn’t the case with the South Mountain Freeway. Instead, this agreement, ADOT’s first for a highway project, provides the advantages of lower cost and shorter timeline that come from having one team not only design and build the freeway, but maintain it afterward.

The original plan called for construction of the freeway as nine individual projects. But after receiving an unsolicited proposal for a public-private partnership in 2013, ADOT decided to seek proposals using that approach.

Connect 202 Partners was selected as the “best value” developer in December 2015 following an extensive review that led to a final list of three prospective developer teams in March 2015. ADOT encouraged these teams to propose innovative concepts that would save time and money while adhering to all environmental commitments.

Innovations proposed by Connect 202 Partners include optimizing the design of the freeway to reduce the amount of right-of-way needed and improving efficiency by reducing the amount of earth needing to be hauled by trucks. The project will include construction of a 15-foot-wide multi-use trail along the existing Pecos Road alignment from 40th Street to 17th Avenue.

Even with the lower cost made possible by a public-private partnership agreement, motorists will enjoy the same modern amenities they have been accustomed to for decades, including a high-capacity freeway with four lanes of traffic in each direction including HOV lanes, rubberized asphalt, access-controlled interchanges and aesthetics that reflect the nearby communities.

The South Mountain Freeway, which will be paid for with state, federal and voter-approved regional transportation funding, has been a critical part of the region’s transportation plans since voters approved the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Freeway Program in 1985. It also was part of the Regional Transportation Plan that Maricopa County voters approved in 2004.

“The award provides cost certainty on the largest transportation project in the Regional Transportation Plan,” said Scottsdale Mayor W.J. “Jim” Lane, chair of the Maricopa Association of Governments. “We now know the range of savings we can put toward the rest of the freeway program.”

Halikowski said support from the Maricopa Association of Governments, city of Phoenix and Federal Highway Administration has been essential to advancing the South Mountain Freeway.

Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2016. Pre-construction activities, including geotechnical and utility work and property acquisition and preparation, have been underway since spring 2015 after ADOT received final federal clearance to move forward.

For more information, visit azdot.gov/SouthMountainFreeway.