Despite the current public health situation, highway improvements continue. And since public involvement is a crucial part of a highway project’s schedule, ADOT needed to get creative to keep the public engaged.

And that brings us to ADOT’s first project-level virtual public hearing on Thursday, May 28, for the I-40/US 93 traffic interchange project in west Kingman. This virtual public hearing will be a call-in event where the public can call in to listen to a presentation on the current status of the project and give their input and feedback.

The virtual hearing will also be broadcast live on local radio stations in the Kingman and Bullhead City area for those who just want to listen in.

Virtual meetings, which allow ADOT to gather public input and answer questions like it would at an in-person public meeting, are planned for upcoming construction projects in Tucson and Prescott Valley. 

It’s important to find ways to hold these hearings and keep the public involved so project schedules don’t get behind. Temporary solutions like virtual public hearings and meetings are creative solutions to keep the public involved and projects on schedule during a time where we can’t meet together.

The public comment period is also open right now until Saturday, June 6. People can offer their comments online, through email, phone or mail. Every comment received gets recorded in the environmental record.

For more information on how to participate, please visit azdot.gov/WestKingmanTIP.

Those who drive Arizona’s highway system know it best – and you’re pretty good about telling us when you see something that needs improving or needs to be repaired.

Starting today, the Arizona Department of Transportation is asking everyone to take a look at our 2021-2025 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program and send us your thoughts and comments.

The plan is part of the proposed annual update to ADOT’s lineup of all statewide projects. The 2021-2025 Tentative Five-Year Program allocates funding for preservation, modernization and expansion projects.

The complete report, along with an online comment form, can be found at azdot.gov/tentative5year. You can also email [email protected] or call 855.712.8530 with your comments.

We want to hear from you! You’ve got until June 2 to send us your comments. The State Transportation Board will make its final decision on June 19 about what will be in the updated Five-Year Program.

Much of the 2021-2025 Tentative Five-Year Program focuses on the preservation needs for our state highway system. The program proposes an average of approximately $310 million per year for preservation of bridges and roadways statewide. This moves ADOT even closer to its goal of allocating $320 million per year for system preservation.

Preervation projects include repaving highways, filling potholes, extending the life cycle of existing pavement, and repairing or reconstructing bridges. Approximately 67 percent of all funding allocated to Greater Arizona will be directed to preservation projects from FY 2021 to FY 2025.

By Caroline Carpenter / ADOT Communications

There’s no such thing as oversharing or TMI when it comes to ADOT wanting to hear your opinions and feedback.

The public comment period begins today for the Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program for 2017-2021. The program, detailing how ADOT intends to invest in future transportation projects, has three sections: highways, regional transportation plans and airport improvements.

ADOT recommends speeding up the following projects because of additional funding through the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act and a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant.

• Two Interstate 10 widening projects in Pinal County (State Route 87 to Picacho Peak and Earley Road to Interstate 8).
• Two widening projects along US 93 and the State Route 347 railroad overpass project in the city of Maricopa. The SR 347 project received a $15 million TIGER grant and a $15 million local contribution to add to ADOT’s $19 million commitment.

Public Hearings

In addition to a public hearing held today in Oro Valley, here are other events:

April 15, 2016 at 9 a.m.: Public hearing and board meeting in the ADOT Administration Building Auditorium, 206 S. 17th Ave., Phoenix.

May 20, 2016 at 9 a.m.: Public hearing and board meeting in the City of Flagstaff Council Chambers, 211 W. Aspen Ave., Flagstaff.

June 17, 2016 at 9 a.m.: Board meeting in the City of Holbrook Council Chambers, 465 First Ave, Holbrook.

If you follow us on social media or check out our website from time to time, you’ve probably noticed that ADOT hosts a lot of public meetings.

From the annual hearings for the Five-Year Construction Program to the monthly State Transportation Board meetings and everything in between, we’re constantly out there talking and listening about future plans and current projects. Public input really does help shape ADOT’s projects.

We aren’t able to review every single type of meeting in this blog post (there are just too many), but we do want to give you an overview of some of the project-related meetings regularly held throughout the state. Hopefully, by the time you’re done reading this, we’ll have convinced you that you should attend the next one…

Let’s start with corridor study/scoping meetings.

These take place when ADOT is planning for a future transportation corridor. Generally, at this point in the planning process, a large area is being evaluated and no specific route has been identified. Typically, these meetings are held far ahead (sometimes decades) of any construction.

The next set of public meetings is usually held during the pre-design phase. This is when planners are looking at a more targeted, defined area. They’re also looking at environmental concerns at this stage. We’re not just talking trees and birds – ADOT also considers any socioeconomic factors that may impact the area.

It might be a good time for us to point out that all projects are subject to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. We’re not detailing that aspect today, but if you’d like more information on environmental clearances, check out our post from earlier this year.

Finally, we’ve got to tell you about public meetings during the actual construction phase. These will happen if there’s a big impact on an area. ADOT’s Community Relations team will also make presentations and answer questions at various community meetings (HOA, city council, etc.) during this time.

Now that you know all that, maybe you’re still wondering why you should attend.

Senior Community Relations Officer Megan Griego says that meetings give residents a chance to learn information and find out about any potential project impacts. They also give people the opportunity to share their opinions with ADOT.

“The community’s input can really impact the project’s outcome,” she says. “People who live in the community understand how these routes work and they’re able to share valuable information with ADOT.”

What to expect

No two projects or public meetings are exactly the same. Most project-related public meetings will include a project overview, along with details on the current status and future plans.

If you do attend, you’ll hear from a variety of technical experts, engineers, planners and community relations officers.

Maps are usually a given at these meetings, but depending on the project ADOT might be able to provide advanced tools that help the public understand more about the project, including drive-simulations and roundabout “how-to” videos.

After the meeting

All comments collected at the meetings (and through email, mail or the ADOT website) are forwarded on to ADOT’s technical team. That team will research and write replies for all the questions. ADOT either responds in an official document related to the project or posts the answers on the project webpage.

We really are listening

Comments from the public really do make an impact. Remember the San Pedro River Bridge replacement project? Before work got started, residents took part in several ADOT public meetings where different construction alternatives were discussed. The public weighed in and ADOT went with an option that allowed SR 90 to stay open for the duration of the project – something that was important to residents.

How to find out about meetings

Public meetings are often advertised in local newspapers. ADOT will sometimes use radio and television ads to get the word out, too. ADOT sends postcards or fliers to residents near the project area. Social media, email, news releases are all utilized as well. ADOT also works with municipalities to make residents aware.

You’re urged to sign up for updates through our website to ensure you get all the project news for your area.

Now the big question is: Will we see you at our next public meeting? We hope so!

The State Transportation Board voted last week to adopt the 2015-2019 Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program…

This means that projects to preserve, modernize and expand Arizona’s highway system have now formally been approved to move forward over the next five years.

You’ll remember that the five-year program is updated every year and serves as a blueprint that details where, when and how regional, state and federal funding will be spent for projects over the next five years to improve the state’s transportation infrastructure (this includes highways, bridges, transit and aviation). It is divided into three sections: the Maricopa County region, the Pima County region and the 13 counties that make up Greater Arizona.

Each five-year program begins with a long-range visioning process, moves into a more realistic 20-year plan and finally yields each Five-Year Program. The program is developed by working closely with local planning organizations and community leaders to identify ready-to-construct or design projects. Funding for the Five-Year Program is generated by the users of transportation services, primarily through the gasoline tax and the vehicle license tax.

2015-2019 Program

The board’s recent action determines which projects are now programmed in Greater Arizona while allocating dedicated funding to the preservation of Arizona’s existing highway system over the next five years. In addition, six major projects will move forward in the Pima County region and four major projects will advance in the Maricopa County region using, in part, funding generated by those regions.

Much like the current Five-Year Program, the 2015-2019 Five-Year Program reflects a major focus on preserving the existing state highway system while moving some programmed projects forward. ADOT must prioritize projects due to stagnant revenue from the gas and vehicle license taxes and from decreased federal funding — all of which support the Five-Year Program. The 2015-2019 Five-Year Program includes a three-percent increase in preservation spending over the current program, with a steady increase in preservation funding over the next 10 years.

The following is the list of projects for Greater Arizona during the 2015-2019 Five-Year Program. The list includes three projects that were added to the program during this spring’s public comment period, as the board provided input to ADOT planners.

* State Route 347 Railroad Overpass: Total project cost is $55 million.
FY 2015: $5.5 million allocated for design and $500,000 allocated for right of way.
FY 2016: $5.5 million allocated for right of way.
FY 2017: $7.3 million allocated for right of way.
FY 2020: $36.2 million for construction (note that this portion of the project is in the 2020-2024 Development Program).

* State Route 189, Nogales to Interstate 19: Total project cost is $69 million.
FY 2016: $2 million allocated for environmental work.
FY 2018: $4 million allocated for design.
FY 2022: $63 million for construction (note that this portion of the project is in the 2020-2024 Development Program).

* US 60, Show Low to Little Mormon Lake: $6 million allocated in FY 2018 for this project, which will add turn lanes, widen the roadway and construct intersection improvements.

* US 60, Silver King Section and Superior Streets: $45 million allocated in FY 2015 for this widening project (reconstruct to a four-lane roadway with a center turn lane).

* US 95, Fortuna Wash Bridge Construction: $13.5 million allocated in FY 2015 for construction of a new bridge.

* State Route 260, Interstate 17 to Thousand Trails: $62 million allocated in FY 2016 for construction of this widening project.

* State Route 89, State Route 89A to Deep Well Ranch Road: $15 million allocated in FY 2017 for a corridor widening project that will improve capacity, operations and safety.

* State Route 260, Lion Springs Section: $5 million allocated in FY 2019 for design work on this widening project.

* Interstate 15, Bridge No. 1: $2.5 million allocated in FY 2017 for design and $33 million allocated in FY 2019 for bridge replacement.

The public comment period for the 2015-2019 Five-Year Program began on March 7 and ended on May 20. During this time, public hearings were held in Phoenix, Marana and Flagstaff. Comments were also submitted online.

Got any opinions on the latest I-11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study results?

If you do, there’s an easy way to share your thoughts.

The Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation have launched a public feedback period that’s completely online. That’s right … you don’t even have to leave your house to participate!

Just visit www.i11study.com to comment on the Level 2 Analysis, which was recently completed by the study team.

And, if you haven’t a clue about the study or the latest analysis, you can get all sorts of information, including a narrated presentation about the current status of the study, on the site.

More about the I-11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study

The two transportation departments have been working together since the summer of 2012 on the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study, which includes detailed corridor planning of a possible interstate link between the Phoenix and Las Vegas metropolitan areas, along with high-level visioning for potentially extending the corridor north to Canada and south to Mexico. Congress designated the future I-11 corridor between Phoenix and Las Vegas as part of the latest surface transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).

Since last fall, the study team has explored the universe of alternatives for potential routes from Mexico to northern Nevada. That broad range of possible corridor alternatives underwent an initial evaluation and screening process by the study team in October. An additional level of analysis — the Level 2 Analysis — was recently conducted for the congressionally designated portion of the corridor that would connect Phoenix and Las Vegas.

Public Comment

This month’s online feedback opportunity will allow the public to view the results of this recent analysis and provide feedback prior to the study moving forward.

Online feedback for this phase of the study is being accepted through March 7, 2014. However, comments about the I-11 study can be submitted at any time via the project website.

What’s next?

The Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study is a two-year, multiphase, high-level study examining the feasibility, benefits, opportunities and constraints of a proposed new interstate highway corridor.

This initial study is expected to be completed later this year.

Funding to construct a potential corridor has not been identified. In addition to the Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation, the Maricopa Association of Governments, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Railroad Administration are partners in this study.

For more information about the I-11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study and to sign up for updates, visit www.i11study.com.