show low

ADOT project will improve safety from Salt River Canyon to Show Low

ADOT project will improve safety from Salt River Canyon to Show Low

I-17 101 traffic interchange

ADOT project will improve safety from Salt River Canyon to Show Low

ADOT project will improve safety from Salt River Canyon to Show Low

November 8, 2021

SHOW LOW – Did you know that about 60% of all roadway fatalities in Arizona are the result of vehicles leaving the road? That’s why the Arizona Department of Transportation has started a new project along US 60 west of Show Low to create a space for those vehicles to safely stop and recover.

On US 60 west of Show Low, there have been 11 fatal and 34 serious injury crashes over the last 10 years between mileposts 292 and 340. Many of these crashes involved leaving the roadway.

ADOT, in its commitment to driver safety, is creating “clear zones” on either side of US 60 that are clear of obstructions like trees. This zone allows a driver time and space to stop or regain control of the vehicle after leaving the roadway. 

Starting today, crews will remove vegetation and trees within 30 feet of the edge of the highway in most locations and 5 feet behind guardrail-protected locations. All of this work will take place within ADOT’s right-of-way.

The work will occur during daytime hours, Mondays through Fridays. No work is planned during weekends or holidays. One lane of traffic will remain open at all times on US 60, and existing turn lanes will also stay open. Barricades or other traffic-control devices will be removed after crews finish working each day. The project is anticipated to be completed early next year.

Additional benefits of this project is that drivers will have more time to react to any wildlife emerging from the forest and heading toward the highway as well as reducing ice-related incidents in the winter months caused by shading of the roadway.

Trees removed from the clear zone will be reused by local government entities including providing firewood for eligible members of the White Mountain Apache Tribe. 

For more information on the safety project, please visit azdot.gov/US60safetyproject.

Adopt a Highway: Volunteers collect tons of trash from Arizona highways

Adopt a Highway: Volunteers collect tons of trash from Arizona highways

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Adopt a Highway: Volunteers collect tons of trash from Arizona highways

Adopt a Highway: Volunteers collect tons of trash from Arizona highways

September 23, 2021

Arizona Department of Transportation volunteers answered the call to participate on National CleanUp Day, Sept. 18, by removing more than 150 bags, or 2,053 pounds of trash from alongside Arizona’s highways. 

Forty groups from all corners of the state: Page, Yuma, Concho, Vernon, Show Low, Prescott, Chino Valley, Congress, Kingman, Lake Havasu City, Tucson, Bouse, Claypool, Sahuarita and Bullhead City, registered with ADOT for the event on the Adopt a Highway website. 

Adopt a Highway Program Manager Mary Currie said, “It’s a win for communities and the state of Arizona. One-day permits offer volunteers a way to explore one type of volunteer work among many, and to be a part of the litter solution. They get first hand experience on the process for adopting and how to conduct a litter cleanup safely. Our experience has been that some of these groups decide to complete the adoption for two-years and become regular caregivers of their segment”. 

More than half of the groups registering for the cleanup were new volunteers interested in participating for one day rather than a two-year adoption.

Every day Adopt a Highway program volunteers are giving back to Arizona somewhere in the state. ADOT strives to make it safe and as easy as possible for them to continue volunteering.  

These individual volunteers made a positive impact for drivers on the state highway system by removing all types of litter, including: cigarette butts, plastic bags and bottles, aluminum cans, and other unsightly trash. Car bumpers and refrigerator doors were also found along the way. A very dangerous type of trash for travelers.

Michele Michelson and her group of eight volunteers opted for a one-day permit to help clean up SR 89A in Prescott Valley. “We are all very proud to be here in this beautiful sunshine to keep the county, the town and our state clean. I saw ADOT’s post on facebook and registered. Here we are and we’ll do it again. Who doesn’t want to keep their community clean. Thank you ADOT for offering this opportunity.”

In return for a two-year permit and a sign recognizing their group’s segment, Adopt a Highway volunteers agree to:

Adopt a minimum of two miles of state highway

Always wear Federal Highway Administration required ANSI Class II Safety vests

Read a safety brief and watch a safety video before each cleanup

Contact ADOT before cleaning up their sections

File an activity report after each cleanup, telling ADOT how many bags of litter was collected

Clean their sections at least once and preferably three or more times per year

Motorists can support Adopt a Highway volunteers by slowing down where people are picking up litter and always driving with extra caution and care. 

To learn more about ADOT’s Adopt a Highway volunteer program, please visit azdot.gov/adoptahighway.