SURPRISE – Drivers now can skip detour routes and make direct connections between Grand Avenue (US 60) and Bell Road after the Arizona Department of Transportation opened all four ramps Thursday at the Valley’s newest highway interchange.

The new on- and off-ramps extend from the center median area along Grand Avenue to the recently completed Bell Road bridge as part of a $41.9 million project that started just over a year ago. Traffic signals on the overpass regulate turns between the ramps and Bell Road.

“This is about planning ahead, thinking outside the box and keeping promises,” said Dallas Hammit, ADOT’s state engineer and deputy director for transportation. “The project team did a great job opening the Bell Road bridge in November and now completing the new Grand Avenue ramps before the start of Cactus League play at Surprise Stadium, as we had pledged to do.”

The new interchange improves the flow of traffic by replacing the old ground-level intersection that was plagued by long lines and delays, especially when Bell Road drivers needed to cross both Grand Avenue and the parallel BNSF Railway tracks. The Bell Road bridge now travels over Grand Avenue and the railroad tracks.

Surprise Mayor Sharon Wolcott called the project a perfect example of community involvement and agency cooperation to limit impacts on businesses, local residents and visitors.

“After hearing from residents and the business community, we worked with ADOT to create a shortened project schedule to mitigate the impacts during spring training and last year’s holiday shopping season,” Wolcott said. “Thanks to a collaborative approach we have achieved those goals. I sincerely appreciate everyone who played a role in making this happen.”

Opening the new ramps means drivers aren’t required to use temporary detour routes, including Dysart and Litchfield roads, to get to and from Bell Road and Grand Avenue. 

The Bell/Grand interchange design is known as a median urban diamond, with connections at the center rather than ramps to the right of Grand Avenue’s travel lanes or other possible configurations. The benefits of this design include minimizing the impact on neighboring shopping centers and businesses by not requiring the ADOT to acquire as much property.

The entire project is expected to be completed by early March after crews replace temporary lane stripes on fresh pavement with permanent striping. Landscaping and drainage system work also will be finished in the coming weeks.

The project is funded as part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan approved by county voters in 2004. Funding sources include a countywide half-cent sales tax for road and transit improvements as well as the Phoenix region’s share of federal and state transportation funds.

SURPRISE – When drivers begin using ramps to and from Grand Avenue (US 60) at the new Bell Road bridge this week, the connections will be from the center of Grand Avenue.

The $41.9 million interchange, where ramps are scheduled to open Thursday, Feb. 16, is what’s called a median urban diamond, which has connections at the center rather than ramps to the right of Grand Avenue travel lanes or other possible configurations. The benefits of this design include minimizing the impact on neighboring shopping centers and businesses by not requiring the Arizona Department of Transportation to acquire as much property.

Drivers using the new interchange should pay attention to signs and other traffic-control devices, including the new traffic signals on the Bell Road bridge. Motorists using the new Grand Avenue on-ramps should use caution when merging with other traffic on US 60.

After ADOT opened the Bell Road bridge as promised before the start of the holiday shopping season, opening ramps to and from Grand Avenue before the start of spring training baseball games at nearby Surprise Stadium represents another key milestone.

Construction of the Bell/Grand interchange began a year ago. The entire project is expected to be completed by early March after crews replace temporary lane stripes on fresh pavement with permanent striping. Landscaping and drainage system work also will be finished in the coming weeks.

The project is funded as part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan approved by county voters in 2004. Funding sources include a countywide half-cent sales tax for road and transit improvements as well as the Phoenix region’s share of federal and state transportation funds.

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 – To protect crews working on an Arizona Department of Transportation project along US 60 near Superior, westbound commercial trucks will be required to stop for brake checks in the Oak Flat area beginning Tuesday, Dec. 6.

Trucks with ineffective brakes coming down the grade into Superior can pose a safety threat to workers along the road.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety will operate the mandatory brake check pullout, near US 60 milepost 231 east of Superior, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Message boards will alert commercial truck drivers approaching the area that the brake check is mandatory during those times.

The checks are expected to continue until ADOT crews complete their work in the Superior area next summer.

Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment.

SURPRISE ‒ A bridge carrying Bell Road over Grand Avenue (US 60) opened Tuesday after seven-plus months of work to create a $41.9 million traffic interchange.

Opening the bridge in time for the holiday shopping season is the first reward of an accelerated construction timeline made possible by closing Bell Road on April 1. The rest of the Arizona Department of Transportation project, including completing ramps connecting Bell Road and Grand Avenue, is on track to finish before the start of spring training baseball.

The interchange in the heart of Surprise will eliminate delays caused by trains using the BNSF Railway tracks along Grand Avenue and will keep Grand Avenue free-flowing.

 ADOT met extensively with city officials, business owners and other stakeholders to develop a project and timeline that supported businesses and the community even before the final payoff of a modern interchange.

Remaining work also includes completing lanes that will carry eastbound Grand Avenue traffic. For now, both directions of traffic are sharing what will be the westbound lanes.

Motorists connecting from Grand Avenue to Bell Road can continue using Dysart and Litchfield roads. Those using Grand Avenue also can continue accessing stores and restaurants just west of the construction area using Town Center Drive and Bell Grande Drive.

The Bell/Grand project is funded as part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan approved by county voters in 2004. Funding sources include a countywide half-cent sales tax for transportation projects and the MAG region’s share of state and federal highway funds.

SURPRISE ‒ An overpass carrying Bell Road across Grand Avenue is set to open Tuesday, Nov. 22, after seven-plus months of construction on a $41.9 million traffic interchange.

Reopening Bell Road is the first reward of an accelerated timeline designed to have most of the Arizona Department of Transportation project finished before the holiday shopping season and all work done by the start of spring training baseball.

The interchange will eliminate delays caused by trains using the BNSF Railway tracks along Grand Avenue and keep Grand Avenue free-flowing. It also creates a much more useful and appealing intersection.

 After reopening Bell Road, the rest of the work will primarily be completing ramps connecting Bell Road with Grand Avenue and completing lanes that will carry eastbound Grand Avenue traffic.

ADOT met extensively with city officials, business owners and other stakeholders to develop a project and timeline that supported businesses and the community even before the final payoff of a modern interchange.

"We know how important it is for commerce in the area to have both of these roadways function well," said Dallas Hammit, ADOT’s state engineer and deputy director for transportation. "That’s why we worked closely with the community to create a project that supports businesses and improves the quality of life in Surprise."

In addition to the faster construction timeline made possible by the Bell Road closure that began April 1, putting on- and off-ramps in the middle of the interchange created a smaller footprint that has minimized the project’s impact on nearby businesses. A convenient detour route has allowed motorists to reach businesses on both sides of the project throughout.

 "With teamwork and careful planning, we were able to maintain access to the Bell/Grand business district throughout this very important project, and our community responded by continuing to shop this area," Surprise Mayor Sharon Wolcott said. "The reopening of Bell Road is the perfect kickoff to the holiday shopping season!"

Motorists connecting from Grand Avenue to Bell Road can continue using Dysart and Litchfield roads. Those using Grand Avenue also can continue accessing stores and restaurants just west of the construction area using Town Center Drive and Bell Grand Drive.

The Bell/Grand project is funded as part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan approved by county voters in 2004. Funding sources include a countywide half-cent sales tax for transportation projects and the MAG region’s share of state and federal highway funds.