PHOENIX – Motorists traveling between Holbrook and the East Valley may see Pony Express re-enactment riders carrying mail along state highways from Wednesday, Feb. 8, through Friday, Feb. 10, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Departing from Holbrook at 8 a.m. Wednesday, the Hashknife Pony Express riders will stop at post offices in Heber-Overgaard, Payson and Fountain Hills en route to their final destination in downtown Scottsdale. The Navajo County Sheriff’s Posse has been staging this 200-mile ride for nearly 60 years.

Law enforcement officers will provide a safety escort for the riders, who hand off the mail bags every mile of the relay route. The riders travel along the edge of the highway or shoulder.

Motorists should not stop along the highway to photograph riders.

The Pony Express will travel along State Route 77, SR 377 and SR 277 to reach the Heber-Overgaard post office around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. They will take SR 260 from Heber to Payson, with a scheduled arrival at the post office about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday.

On Thursday, the Pony Express will take SR 87 to reach the Fountain Hills post office about 3 p.m. The final leg on Friday, from Fort McDowell to downtown Scottsdale, takes them south on SR 87 to the Arizona Canal, where riders will head west.

More information on this event is available at HashknifePonyExpress.com.

PHOENIX – Drivers have a wider, safer US 60 climbing west from Superior, a new bridge that will eliminate flooding closures on US 95 near Yuma and a rehabilitated Virgin River Bridge No. 6 on Interstate 15 thanks to just some of the Arizona Department of Transportation projects completed this year in Greater Arizona.

More is on the way in 2017, including widening the last section of State Route 260 between Interstate 17 and Cottonwood, and starting work on a bridge carrying State Route 347 over railroad tracks in Maricopa.

After months of regularly scheduled blasting closures, those using US 60 between Superior and Globe now have an westbound passing lane on the grade between Oak Flat and Devil’s Canyon (mileposts 230 to 232). Other improvements along this stretch include a wider shoulder at Devil’s Canyon and bridge improvements at Waterfall Canyon near milepost 229. The projects also removed overhanging rocks that have posed the danger of rock falling during heavy rain.

This work was part of $65 million in US 60 improvements that also include ongoing work to convert the last remaining two-lane roadway segment between Phoenix and Superior into four-lane divided highway (mileposts 222-227 just west of Superior) and a project that installed LED lighting in the Queen Creek Tunnel at milepost 228.

Along I-15 in far northwestern Arizona, ADOT completed a $27 million rehabilitation of Virgin River Bridge No. 6 that replaced girders, decks and railings and widened the roadway at the bridge. This was the centerpiece of $50 million in upgrades that also included paving all 29 miles of I-15 in Arizona and repairing the decks of three other bridges in the Virgin River Gorge corridor.

Until late 2016, flash floods could cause closures of US 95 at Fortuna Wash near Yuma – no small problem considering that the wash lies between the city and Yuma County’s largest employer, Yuma Proving Ground. Today, motorists using this key trade route between the U.S. and Mexico cross Fortuna Wash on a $9.3 million, 600-foot bridge. Final work on the bridge and this stretch of US 95 will continue until spring.

Among other highlights in Greater Arizona, ADOT completed a major project to improve mobility and safety along US 89 through the Navajo Nation community of Cameron north of Flagstaff. The $36.7 million project replaced two bridges over the Little Colorado River, widened four miles of highway, added a roundabout at the junction with State Route 64, and installed sidewalks and underpasses.

On State Route 89 between Chino Valley and Interstate 40, ADOT completed a new $14.4 million bridge at Hell Canyon featuring 12-foot lanes and 10-foot shoulders to better accommodate oversize loads and commercial vehicles. Replacing a now-dismantled bridge built in 1954 that no longer met state and federal design standards for larger and heavier vehicles, the new structure is 665 feet long and has four spans to carry the load.

In spring 2017, work is to begin on a project widening nine miles of SR 260 (mileposts 209-218) to modern four-lane divided highway from Interstate 17 west to Thousand Trails Road. This $62 million project also will install seven roundabouts at major cross streets.

Late in 2017, ADOT plans to begin work on a $55 million project in Maricopa that will realign SR 347 between Desert Cedars Drive and Hathaway Avenue and create a bridge carrying the highway over Union Pacific railroad tracks where dozens of trains pass each day. A $15 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant and a $15 million local contribution have helped ADOT move forward sooner on this project than originally planned. 

For information about other current and planned projects in Greater Arizona, visit azdot.gov/projects.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation, White Mountain Apache Tribe and U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs are working together to remove trees considered hazards along the State Route 260 right of way through the eastern Arizona reservation.

In addition to reducing the risk of trees falling on the roadway between McNary (milepost 361) and State Route 273 (milepost 378), the project will reduce the accumulation of snow and ice during the winter by allowing more sunlight to reach the pavement. It also will make it less likely that vehicles leaving the highway will hit trees.

The work, which is currently underway and scheduled to last through Oct. 8, requires lane closures and the use of a pilot car between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down, and watch out for equipment and workers.

White Mountain Apache Timber Co. arranged for a contractor to cut the trees within 30 feet of the roadway, as called for by Federal Highway Administration guidelines. ADOT is providing traffic control, and the tribe will be able to use the trees for lumber and firewood.

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation, which has been nationally recognized for its creative and innovative solutions to promote safe travel while protecting wildlife and connecting ecosystems, received another accolade for its leadership in developing wildlife crossing structures in Arizona.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration recently awarded ADOT and its partner Animal Road Crossing Solutions this year’s Environmental Excellence Award for Excellence in Environmental Leadership.

Arizona has long been considered a leader in wildlife connectivity issues. ADOT and multiple partner agencies, including the Arizona Game and Fish Department, collaborated to construct wildlife underpasses and elk crossings along State Route 260 east of Payson and desert bighorn sheep overpasses near historic Hoover Dam on US 93.

“ADOT has a long record of innovative and successful wildlife accommodations as part of construction projects,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “While ADOT is not a wildlife-management agency, we are a transportation safety agency and we partner with other agencies, such as the Arizona Game and Fish Department, in an effort to preserve and protect wildlife, while reducing vehicle-wildlife collisions.”

According to data collected by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, more than 15,000 crossings by 16 species of animals were recorded at six underpasses along SR 260 in Arizona over a seven-year period. In addition, more than 4,300 desert bighorn sheep crossed three overpasses on US 93 in Arizona in a two-year span.

In addition to preserving wildlife, these specialized crossings protect drivers from crashes with some of the state’s big game.

A fencing project linking three existing crossing structures on SR 260 reduced elk-vehicle collisions by 98 percent over a six-year span.

Wildlife crossing structures and fencing can greatly lessen the impact of traffic because, together, they provide safe linkages across highways, helping ensure stable local and regional wildlife populations.

Selected by an independent panel, the Environmental Excellence Award is the Federal Highway Administration’s biennial recognition of innovative efforts to preserve the environment while enhancing America’s highways.

“Building a 21st-century transportation system that is cost-efficient and protects the environment requires creativity and innovation,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “These awards demonstrate FHWA’s support of projects that approach current and future transportation challenges with new solutions.”

Additional information about the 2015 Environmental Excellence Award recipients can be found at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/environmental_excellence_awards/.

PHOENIX — A little more than six months after the Arizona Department of Transportation eased some weight restrictions on several highways in the White Mountains region to aid forest recovery efforts, more than 67 million pounds of timber has been removed to reduce the risk of future wildfires.

In November 2014, ADOT partnered with the Arizona State Forestry Division and Eastern Arizona Counties Organization to launch the “Healthy Forest Initiative” in a joint effort to promote healthy forests, improve commerce and protect the state’s infrastructure from further damage from devastating wildfires.

The two-year ADOT pilot project allows timber industry trucks to carry additional weight on several state highways in the White Mountains region, including US 60 (mileposts 324-402), State Route 77 (mileposts 342-360), US 180 (mileposts 394-433), State Route 260 (mileposts 250-398), State Route 277 (mileposts 305-336) and State Route 373 (mileposts 385-390).

Previously, trucks were limited to carrying loads of no more than 80,000 pounds. Under the new agreement, the weight limit has been increased on several highways to 90,800 pounds, which allows the timber industry to more effectively manage the forest recovery efforts by carrying heavier loads.

To date, nearly 800 loads have been hauled since the start of the Healthy Forest Initiative.

To bolster those efforts, ADOT has added another highway in the White Mountains on which trucks can carry additional weight. State Route 73 (mileposts 335-358) from Fort Apache to the State Route 260 junction south of Pinetop-Lakeside in Navajo County is now the seventh highway in the region with an increased weight restriction.

“Since the adoption of the Healthy Forest Initiative in November, we’ve seen an immediate response from the logging industry,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “The higher truck weight limits have enhanced the ability of the private industry to clear forests in the White Mountains and transport wood material to sawmills, pellet plants and energy-generating plants in Springerville, Show Low and Snowflake, while reducing the risk of further catastrophic forest fires in the region.

“ADOT is proud to partner with the logging industry to provide jobs, boost the economy and efficiently and safely use the infrastructure to benefit Arizona.”

Last year, Eastern Arizona Counties Organization— which represents Navajo, Apache, Gila, Graham and Greenlee counties — approached ADOT about concerns from the northern Arizona logging industry about weight restrictions on several highways in eastern Arizona, an area subject to recent wildfires.

Prior to approval, ADOT staff conducted an extensive pavement and bridge analysis to determine if the highways could stand up to the increased weight loads.

Timber haulers interested in the program can participate by filing an application for a 30-day, $75 per vehicle permit that will allow an unlimited number of loads up to 90,800 pounds on the designated routes. The permit fees collected will be used to offset impacts to these roadways.

The 2011 Wallow Fire burned more than 500,000 acres in Apache County and resulted in millions of dollars of economic loss, countless hours of firefighter service and loss of animal habitat. ADOT had more than $2.5 million in damages related to the Wallow Fire, including roadway surface repairs, fence replacements, flooding mitigation, sign repairs, hazardous tree removal and ditch cleaning.

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, will host a public information meeting on Wednesday, May 20, in Camp Verde to discuss the upcoming State Route 260 widening project that is slated to begin in spring 2016.

The $62 million safety improvement project in Yavapai County will upgrade a nine-mile segment of SR 260 from a two-lane roadway to a four-lane, modern divided highway east of Cottonwood between Thousand Trails Road and the Interstate 17 junction in Camp Verde (mileposts 209-218).

This project is the final step in transforming SR 260 into a continuous four-lane divided highway between the I-17/SR 260 junction and Cottonwood to enhance safety and improve traffic flow for the Greater Verde Valley area, which includes the communities of Cottonwood, Clarkdale, Jerome, Sedona and Camp Verde.

The project will include the construction of seven full-access roundabout intersections at Thousand Trails Road, Coury Drive, Cherry Creek Road, Horseshoe Bend Drive, Wilshire Road and two new locations to accommodate future traffic demands and meet the forecasted commercial and residential development in the area.

The May 20 meeting will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. (presentation starts at 6 p.m.) at the Cliff Castle Casino Hotel, 555 Middle Verde Road in Camp Verde. Members of the project team will be available to provide information, answer questions and discuss the project.

PHOENIX — TRACKS is an organization that has left their mark in the White Mountains area by helping to develop a trail system that is now more than 180 miles long. Since 2001, TRACKS has left their mark along Arizona’s highways by participating in the Arizona Department of Transportation Adopt a Highway program.

The group formed in 1987 and has a reputation throughout the area for great community service. They clean up litter along their adopted section of State Route 260 near the city of Show Low.

The group often picks up typical roadside litter such as paper, plastic, Styrofoam and glass. As a fun incentive for picking up trash, the group awards the volunteer with the most unusual find the “Lucky Buck” award – a framed dollar bill that guarantees good luck to the winner.

 

At a cleanup last month, volunteer Ruth Nelson won the “Lucky Buck” award for finding a tire wreath. During that cleanup, the group, which has been recognized nationally for community service, picked up 15 bags of trash.

More than 125 members of this unique organization provide a resource for education, communication and social interaction designed to enhance the enjoyment of the outdoor experience in the White Mountains. For more information regarding TRACKS, visit their site online at trackswhitemountains.org.

The Arizona Department of Transportation Adopt a Highway program has provided individuals, organizations and businesses the opportunity to remove litter from two-mile sections of the roadside within the Arizona State Highway System for 25 years. Over the past two decades, Adopt a Highway volunteers have provided a statewide labor benefit in the millions of dollars.

For more information visit the Adopt a Highway program.