We won’t blame you if you see this green slope at the Loop 303 and US 60 (Grand Avenue) and think it's part of a St. Patrick’s Day stunt, but we promise this is no gimmick!

The mound of dirt is green for good reason, albeit one that has nothing to do with tomorrow’s holiday …

ADOT crews just seeded it with a wonderful mix of desert flowers and groundcover plant material.

The seed mixture is actually sprayed on and has an all-natural green dye in it. This dye helps whoever is doing the spraying make sure they get full coverage. In time, the dye will fade, so the slope won’t be green forever!

If we get some nice spring rains, we should see things blooming and growing on the slope in about 45 days.

About now, you might be wondering what this dirt mound is doing ... just sitting there. Maybe you're also asking why ADOT goes to the trouble of seeding slopes like this one.

Well, as part of the Loop 303 Improvement Project, crews had to excavate and haul about 150,000 cubic yards of dirt away from the roadway alignment south of US 60 so bridges could be built at Waddell and Cactus roads.

They hauled the dirt to this location just for the time being.

In the future when it comes time to build the interim traffic interchange at US 60 and Loop 303, this dirt will be used during construction.

But, by seeding it now ADOT is able to control dust. The vegetation that grows will cover the soil and prevent dust (landform graphics work in a similar manner). Seeding also helps prevent erosion.

So, even though there’s no St. Patrick’s Day connection, we’ll take this chance to wish you a little luck of the Irish anyway!

The official start of winter is approaching, but the cold weather is already here!

Over the past few weeks, we’ve told you how ADOT prepares for the snowy conditions common this time of year in Arizona’s high country.

Getting the snowplows ready, along with plenty of deicer ready, along with closing down certain low-traffic/heavy snow routes are vital steps, but there’s an additional action ADOT takes each year as the temperatures start to dip …

Every winter ADOT has to suspend work on projects in the state’s high country. This is necessary because it is too cold to pour concrete or place asphalt pavement (rubberized asphalt is especially sensitive to temperature variations).

But that doesn’t mean our crews just drop what they’re doing!

Work is stopped at a logical point and the work zone is generally left in a condition that doesn’t impede traffic. Drivers may notice some barricades and should be aware as they’re driving through project sites.

And as for the actual crews…ADOT workers who manage or inspect the projects either switch gears to next-year’s planning or are reassigned to maintenance for the season.

Here’s a list of projects that have either already been suspended for the winter, or will be stopped in the next week or so:

• SR 64 roadway and streetscape improvements in Tusayan
• I-17 Munds Park traffic interchange
• US 93 repaving north of Kingman (top layer of rubberized asphalt will be finished in the spring)
• US 93 repaving south of Wikieup
• SR 260 passing lanes between Overgaard and Show Low
• US 60 repaving between Springerville and the New Mexico state line
• I-40 repaving through Holbrook
• SR 87 repaving north of I-40

All the innovation and care that went into the US 60 Gonzales Pass project has really paid off.

Not only did the 10-mile stretch west of Superior transform from two lanes into a safer, more modern four-lane highway, but the project has just been awarded the President’s Award in Valley Forward’s 31st annual Environmental Excellence Awards program.

In addition to the President’s Award – which was awarded Sept. 17 and is Valley Forward’s top environmental honor – Gonzales Pass also earned a first-place Valley Forward award in the site development and landscape (public sector) category.

Valley Forward is an association that advocates for a balance between development and the environment. In addition to the annual Environmental Excellence Awards presentation, Valley Forward also conducts a yearly Livability Summit and EarthFest Educators Night.

About the Gonzales Pass project …

This project was one that had a few challenges. But, because of a great partnership, crews worked through those issues and opened the road in Oct. 2008 – eight months ahead of schedule and about $2.5 million under the $40 million budget.

The location of this section of US 60 between Florence Junction and Superior – a scenic and environmentally sensitive portion of the Tonto National Forest – compounded the challenges faced by the project team. Extraordinary care had to be taken in order to minimize the impact of the highway’s construction.

Crews went to great lengths to control erosion, repair excavated areas and salvage and replant more than 18,000 cacti and other desert plants. In addition, the team constructed ramps connected to box and pipe culverts under the road to help wildlife, such as desert tortoises, to cross the highway safely. They also developed an innovative program to prevent storm water pollution by installing parallel roadway ditches and sediment-settling basins.

Valley Forward took note and has this to say about the efforts:

“The project team made environmental sensitivity a key priority in efforts to improve safety and capacity of the narrow, two-lane roadway by widening it to a four-lane facility.”

Congratulations to the project team, which included employees from ADOT, Jacobs Engineering, Logan Simpson Design, Dibble Engineering, AECOM, Kiewit Construction, Saguaro Geoservices, Corral Dybas Group and the Tonto National Forest!

For details on some of the current statewide projects ADOT is working on, visit our Projects page.