PHOENIX — In an effort to enhance safety at one of the busiest ports of entry in the nation, the Arizona Department of Transportation is building a new pedestrian underpass on State Route 189 (Mariposa Road) that will allow pedestrians to safely travel to and from the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales.

Traffic on State Route 189 (Mariposa Road) will be stopped intermittently at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales on Wednesday, July 15, and Thursday, July 16, from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for survey activities.

Currently, there is no separation between commercial truck and pedestrian traffic at the port of entry within the state right-of-way. The highway serves as a bypass route for truck traffic to and from Mexico.

ADOT will construct a 356-foot-long, 10-by-10 concrete box culvert underneath SR 189 that will include ventilation structures and lighting. Other improvements include new sidewalks, traffic signals and storm drain improvements.

At less than four miles long, SR 189 in Nogales is one of the shortest routes on the state’s highway system, but it is a critical component of Arizona’s Key Commerce Corridors that facilitates international trade and commerce due to its close proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border.

The $3.3 million improvement project is expected to be completed in December 2015.

To stay up to date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at az511.gov or call 511; outside of Arizona dial 1.888.411.ROAD (7623).

PHOENIX — As the second-busiest border crossing in Arizona, the San Luis Port of Entry has experienced growing traffic congestion and it’s why the Arizona Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Yuma County and the city of San Luis partnered on a project to provide several improvements in the downtown San Luis area to improve traffic circulation, enhance pedestrian safety and improve access to downtown businesses.

Following eight months of construction, ADOT completed the $11 million project on budget and on time after crews applied the final lane striping on US 95 (Main Street) last week and lifted all traffic restrictions. 

The project, which started last fall, included rerouting San Luis Port of Entry traffic away from the busy business district, which has significant pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and moved port of entry traffic to two local roads that were converted to one-way streets in an effort to relieve some of the traffic congestion and enhance safety.

Now northbound traffic from the San Luis Port of Entry is diverted to First Street and southbound port of entry traffic uses Archibald Street.

“More than six million people travel annually through the San Luis Port of Entry,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “With continuing growth across the international border in San Luis, Sonora, Mexico, it’s become a priority to ensure the safety of the thousands of pedestrians and bicyclists who access the downtown business district in San Luis every day.”

By rerouting vehicle traffic from the San Luis Port of Entry away from Main Street, access to businesses located along Main Street was improved to better accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. In addition, it allowed for additional parking and benches, and new pavement, pavement striping and landscaping, which was partially funded through a Transportation Enhancement grant the city of San Luis received in 2009.

Two roundabouts were also built to facilitate traffic, including one at the intersection of US 95 (Main Street) and D Street, and a second, smaller one at Urtuzuastegui Street and US 95 (Main Street).

ADOT also installed the first pedestrian-activated signalized crosswalk in Yuma County, located at the intersection of US 95 (Main Street) and Urtuzuastegui Street. This special type of traffic light, known as the Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon, is a system of indicator lights and signs that controls vehicle traffic to assist pedestrians in safely crossing a major street or highway at a marked crosswalk that does not have a standard traffic signal.

ADOT also worked with the Yuma County Flood Control District to install a new stormwater drainage system within the downtown area, at the same time the street enhancements were under construction.

In addition, the city of San Luis plans to remove and replace the pavement on B and C Streets between Main Street and Archibald Street at a later date to complement the recently completed improvements.

“The San Luis City Council would like to thank the community for their on-going support during the Main Street Improvement Project,” said city of San Luis Mayor Gerardo Sanchez. “We would also like to thank ADOT, Federal Highway Administration and Yuma County for working with the City of San Luis with this project.  We are pleased with the improvements and beautification throughout the city’s downtown area.”

PHOENIX – Despite an increase in commercial truck crossings from Mexico into Arizona – a key economic driver for the state – Mexican drivers have expressed concerns about access and treatment by U.S. federal inspectors that could threaten the continued growth in cross-border commerce.

The situation has gotten to the point that some Mexican truckers are threatening to institute a traffic blockade of the Arizona border crossings – a March 20 deadline had been given and the efforts of many officials have helped stave off that threat for now.

The trucking industry in Nogales, both Sonora and Arizona, have expressed concerns over the treatment, high number of inspections, high level of fines, and high number of trucks placed “out of service” by U.S. federal safety inspectors. In some instances, the levels of fines and “out of service” rulings are disproportionately high at Nogales and Arizona’s other commercial gateways (San Luis and Douglas) when compared to other parts of the border in Texas and California.

While the Arizona Department of Transportation doesn’t take a position on the merit of these grievances, the department is urging the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to carefully consider these complaints and to resolve differences with the trucking industry to avoid a blockade.

ADOT Director John S. Halikowski is hoping that a blockade can be avoided in this high-intensity commercial travel season. During the peak of the produce season, between 1,500 and 2,000 trucks are processed every day.

“A blockade would have detrimental and long-standing repercussions for Nogales and the entire Sinaloa-Sonora-Arizona corridor as Arizona looks to enhance competitiveness with other U.S. border states,” Halikowski said. “The United States and Mexico are engaged in a high-level dialogue to promote competitiveness and connectivity along with fostering economic growth and productivity. But without an effective and efficient border, our two nations would not be able to reach their maximum potential. Our work on the border is critical to Arizona’s and the nation’s future.”

Two-way vehicular traffic at Arizona’s international ports of entry is on the rise. In 2013, 16.3 million cars crossed at the ports, versus 15 million cars in 2012. Truck traffic increased from 754,000 crossings in 2012 to 763,000 crossings in 2013. And 1,730 trains crossed at the border in 2013, compared to 1,300 trains in 2012.

Whether by car, truck or train, cross-border traffic between Arizona and Mexico is critical to the tourism, trade, commerce and economic development of both regions. New numbers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection show that two-way flows at Arizona’s six international ports of entry rose significantly in 2013 when compared to just one year before.

Mexico is a critical partner with Arizona, with $14.1 billion in bilateral trade occurring annually. Close to 40 percent of all fresh produce consumed in the United States during the winter makes its way through the Nogales Port of Entry alone.

The increase in the flow of goods across the border highlights some key points, such as higher value commerce is moving through Arizona’s international ports of entry, and the dramatic growth in rail traffic reaffirms ADOT’s commitment to multimodal operations at the border. In addition, as pedestrian and vehicle traffic has grown, the wait times to cross the border have decreased overall. This is largely due to major infrastructure improvements at Arizona’s international ports of entry.

“Arizona and our federal partners have been working tirelessly to ensure that our ports of entry are modernized so that we can remain competitive with other border states,” said Margie Emmermann, executive director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission. “We are seeing the fruits of our labor as flows of people and trade at our ports of entry are on an upward trend. This marks the third year that our numbers demonstrate substantial growth in both trade and people crossing the border, and we expect this trend to continue.”

Over the past six years, Arizona and its federal partners have invested more than $450 million in state and federal funding for improvements to border infrastructure, including improvements to support the efficient movement of commercial and non-commercial traffic.

Currently, a $225 million project to modernize and expand the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales is nearly complete. Once the port is fully operational, these improvements will speed the processing of commercial and non-commercial traffic at one of the largest ports of entry on the entire U.S.-Mexico border. In addition to improvements at the port of entry – which now has 12 vehicle lanes, eight commercial vehicle lanes and facilities for pedestrians – ADOT has invested more than $20 million in the area’s roadway transportation infrastructure.

PHOENIX – In 2011, the Arizona Department of Transportation created a special overweight commercial truck permit pilot program to efficiently move time-sensitive produce shipments from Mexico across the border into Arizona through the Mariposa Commercial Port of Entry in Nogales. Success with the program in Nogales has now prompted ADOT to expand the program to include the 25-mile commercial zone at the San Luis Port of Entry.

The Single Trip Overweight Border Permit program increases the weight limits for commercial trucks from 80,000 pounds to 90,800 pounds when transporting produce from Mexico to be off-loaded into warehouses located in the commercial zone area of an Arizona international port of entry. The $75 permit may be purchased online or at the port.

Before the new ADOT overweight border permit program was implemented, more trucks and more trips were necessary to move the same amount of produce that now is accomplished with fewer trucks using the expanded overweight border permit program. Reducing the number of trucks puts fewer commercial vehicles on Arizona roadways, reducing traffic congestion and increasing traffic safety. The new permit also enhances security since cargo loads remain sealed longer and are less vulnerable to tampering.

ADOT worked with business and government representatives in the greater Yuma County area to specify allowable routes for the heavier loads in the San Luis Port of Entry commercial zone.

For more information about ADOT, please visit azdot.gov.

PHOENIX – Governor Janice K. Brewer, together with four state agencies and several southern Arizona border communities, has announced the release of the Border Communities Roadmap.

Announcing the Roadmap’s release, Gov. Brewer said, “Expanding the capacity of our commercial ports of entry, strengthening our trade corridors, and developing a focused trade and transportation strategy for Arizona will foster job creation and attract new business and investment that will benefit the entire state.”

The Border Communities Roadmap is an initiative of Gov. Brewer that examined and developed a strategic action plan with economic development priorities and policy direction to foster economic prosperity for Arizona’s border communities. The Roadmap process involved a collaborative effort between the Arizona-Mexico Commission, the Arizona Commerce Authority, the Arizona Department of Transportation, and the Arizona Office of Tourism working closely with the communities of Douglas, Nogales, San Luis, Somerton and Yuma.

As gateways, the Arizona border communities enable the flow of billions of dollars of trade and millions of cross-border travelers each year.

“As we work toward strengthening Arizona’s economic vitality and solidifying our position in the global marketplace, we view our partnership with Mexico as one element that must be appropriately integrated into Arizona’s future,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “By investing in transportation infrastructure and expanding our ports of entry while looking at the opportunities for importing and exporting, we can ensure job creation and economic growth for Arizona.”

Five game-changers or significant shifts that are catalysts for new opportunities are presented:

1. Build upon Arizona border community assets
2. Form new strategic alliances
3. Harness Mexican economic shifts
4. Leverage key commercial corridors for market connectivity
5. Support emerging business development opportunities

The document discusses each of the game-changers in depth and presents a five-pronged action response for border communities:

1. Build a border business case. Arizona’s strategic position to Mexico’s growing economy is a major economic asset for each border community. Understanding the bi-national economy and communicating a strong business case is imperative for Arizona’s border communities to be successful.
2. Enhance border economic viability. The Roadmap discusses building on community assets, developing the labor force needed to meet industry demand, and focusing on business sectors that align with the economic vision.
3. Improve border community image. Marketing and communicating about the economic opportunity of Arizona’s border communities can help change the dialogue from its current focus on security to strategic positioning of the region for business development.
4. Strengthen relationships and foster collaborations. A concerted and coordinated public/private relationship-building effort must occur at every level – local, regional, state, and national. The Roadmap calls for the establishment of a “Border Brain Trust” – state agencies in partnership with the border communities – to move the strategic action plan forward.
5. Focus on border infrastructure that links border communities to key commerce corridors and promotes global connectivity. Enhancing competitiveness and sustainable economic growth requires an efficient multi-modal transportation system and adequate infrastructure to meet current and projected demand.

View the Border Communities Roadmap.

PHOENIX — At less than four miles long, State Route 189 in Nogales is one of the shortest routes on the state’s highway system, but it is one of the most critical when it comes to commerce and trade due to its close proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border.

The highway serves as a bypass route for commercial truck traffic to and from Mexico. Much of the produce that comes through Nogales ends up making its way throughout Arizona and the rest of the country. It’s an essential corridor and it’s only going to get busier, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Traffic volumes are expected to spike in the future, now that the Mariposa Port of Entry, one of the busiest cargo ports along the U.S.-Mexico border, is nearing the completion of a four-year, $225 million reconstruction and modernization project in 2014. For instance, the port of entry currently processes between 1,200 and 2,400 trucks per day and this number is expected to climb to 3,000 trucks by 2014.

With additional traffic on a roadway that is already congested, ADOT is exploring options for a new or expanded highway to handle the increased volume of traffic.

Beginning in early 2011, shortly after the federal government accelerated the Mariposa Port of Entry project after receiving American Recovery and Recovery Act funds, ADOT began evaluating long-term improvements to the SR 189 (locally known as Mariposa Road) corridor.  

ADOT, along with the Federal Highway Administration, launched an engineering and environmental study for the SR 189 corridor. The goal of the study was to evaluate alternatives to handle the projected increased volume of traffic and relieve congestion on SR 189. Initial estimates range from $50 to $215 million to complete the improvements.

While no funding has been identified to pay for any of the long-term improvements at this time, ADOT understands the improvements are critical to Nogales and the trade industry, and is looking into potential funding sources, which may include local, state, federal and Public-Private Partnerships (P3).

The agency is moving forward with some interim improvements that will begin this fall. The work is expected to accommodate the additional truck traffic expected following the completion of the Mariposa Port of Entry.

This week, ADOT launched a $1.5 million project that includes signal timing synchronization at the Interstate 19 interchange and throughout the entire SR 189 corridor. The upgraded traffic signal system, which uses a microwave technology to interconnect to the traffic signal controllers, will share traffic data in real time. The signals will continuously adapt to traffic demands, thus reducing congestion and travel times along the corridor.

Additional enhancements include the construction of dual eastbound left-turn lanes at the SR 189 to northbound I-19 entrance ramp intersection and widening the northbound I-19 entrance ramp on the departure side of the intersection. The work is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

PHOENIX – America's Transportation Awards presented a Best Use of Innovation award to the Arizona Department of Transportation for the Nogales Mariposa Port of Entry project completed in summer 2012. ADOT received the award during a presentation at the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials annual meeting on Aug. 5 in San Francisco.

The Best Use of Innovation award recognizes innovative management techniques and use of technology.

The Nogales Mariposa Port of Entry received new technology to allow faster processing of trucks crossing the border, thereby improving overall traffic flow and processing capability at one of the busiest ports of entry in the United States. The project involved collaboration between ADOT, the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the U.S. General Services Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Arizona-Mexico Commission.

Upgrades included seven Slow Speed Weigh in Motion (SSWIM) scales, seven credential processing booths, and a larger building to accommodate more staff to process commercial truck permitting and issuance of citations.

The project cost $8.5 million and took a little more than six months to complete.

In addition to improvements at the port of entry, ADOT realigned and widened a portion of State Route 189 that runs adjacent to the port, further improving traffic flow in the area.

The America's Transportation Awards competition, co-sponsored by AAA, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), was launched in 2008 to recognize projects accomplished each year by state departments of transportation. The awards highlight the value that departments of transportation add to their communities.

PHOENIX —With limited funds available for maintaining approximately 7,000 miles on Arizona’s highway system, the Arizona Department of Transportation is seeking $40 million from the federal government for two key projects that support the movement of interstate commerce.

The projects include rehabilitating a bridge approaching the Virgin River Gorge on Interstate 15 to and from the Nevada and Utah state lines in Mohave County, and improving Arizona-California border crossing times at the Ehrenberg Port of Entry on Interstate 10 in La Paz County. Both interstates are heavily used by commercial trucks en route to deliver goods to Arizona and the rest of the nation. 

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, all 50 states and the District of Columbia submitted 568 applications in the fifth round of federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER V) grant funds for a total of $9 billion, much more than the $474 million the federal government has allocated for the 2013 program.

Last year, ADOT successfully secured a $21.6 million grant, the largest single grant given to any state last year, to improve Virgin River Gorge Bridge No. 6 on I-15 (milepost 16) in the fourth round of TIGER funding. That rehabilitation project will focus on the first of the eight bridges on the I-15 corridor that have been identified for repair. The $27 million project is slated to begin construction later this year in the northwest corner of Arizona.

In 2010, Tucson successfully won federal funding for a $63 million modern streetcar project through the first round of TIGER funding. To date, the I-15 bridge and Tucson streetcar projects are the only TIGER-awarded projects Arizona has received since the TIGER grant program was launched in 2009.

The following are the projects that ADOT submitted for TIGER V grant consideration this month:

• I-15 Virgin River Bridge No. 1 ($24 million grant, total cost $30 million): The I-15 bridge (milepost 10) is located in the Virgin River Gorge in the northwestern corner of Arizona and serves as a vital link between the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and beyond. The bridge, built in 1964, is rated as “structurally deficient,” meaning it is safe, but requires repair or improvement. While most Arizonans have never driven on this remote 29-mile stretch of highway, it is a critical commercial trade route in North America used by more than 1.4 million trucks annually. The rehabilitation project would include the replacement of the bridge’s superstructure (girders, deck and railings), as well as widening the roadway.
• Reconstruction of the Ehrenberg Port of Entry ($16 million grant, total cost $20 million): The project would reconstruct the facility, which was built in 1976, and provide an effective electronic screening system to better facilitate the safe movement of commercial truck traffic into Arizona. The port of entry is located in western Arizona along I-10 approximately three miles from the California state line. As one of the nation’s primary transportation corridors, I-10 provides a safe and expeditious route for commercial truck traffic to deliver goods from international sea ports in Southern California to Arizona and across the nation.

TIGER grants are awarded to transportation projects that have a significant national or regional impact. Projects are chosen for their ability to contribute to the long-term economic competitiveness of the nation, improve the condition of existing transportation facilities and systems, increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve the safety of U.S. transportation facilities, and enhance the quality of living and working environments of communities through increased transportation choices and connections. The U.S. DOT gives priority to projects that are expected to create and preserve jobs quickly and stimulate increases in economic activity.

The U.S. DOT is expected to announce the recipients of the TIGER V grants later this year.