PHOENIX - The Queen Creek Tunnel on US 60 east of Superior now has a light-emitting diode (LED) lighting system, making it Arizona’s first tunnel to have this innovative and energy-saving technology.

To clean the tunnel’s walls and ceilings after this installation, US 60 in the area will be closed in both directions for six hours every night beginning the evening of Monday, Oct. 10, and ending early Friday, Oct. 14. The closures, which are scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. and end at 4 a.m., will be in effect between Superior at milepost 226 and Oak Flat at milepost 231.

The closure points allow commercial trucks to turn around and will avoid stopping traffic on the steep grade closer to the tunnel.

An alternate route connecting with US 60 in Superior and Globe is along State Route 77 and State Route 177. Motorists headed to the White Mountains region, including Show Low and Springerville, may want to consider taking State Route 87 and State Route 260 through Payson.

The new lighting system will improve visibility in the tunnel, which was built in 1952, by using an adaptive control system that will adjust the lighting level based upon ambient light and weather conditions outside. It will also save money on electricity and reduce the need for maintenance.

ADOT secured a $1 million federal grant in 2014 to help fund this project.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but it’s possible that unscheduled closures or restrictions might occur because of weather or other factors. For the latest highway conditions around the state, visit ADOT’s Travel Information Site at az511.gov, follow us on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511.

SURPRISE – The next week of construction on an overpass and interchange carrying Bell Road over Grand Avenue (US 60) includes adding concrete to the bridge deck on the west side of the project and continuing to get Bell Road ready for paving.

The $41.9 million Arizona Department of Transportation project remains on track to reopen Bell Road on Nov. 22, though unforeseen circumstances such as extreme weather can affect construction timelines.

While they continue building retaining walls holding stabilized earth to create the center of the bridge and ramps to and from Grand Avenue, crews are adding a median to Bell Road on the west side of the project area, and installing sidewalks and lighting on Bell Road and the bridge.

Other work scheduled for the next week includes continuing to create new eastbound Grand Avenue lanes through the project area. For now, Grand Avenue traffic is sharing what will be the westbound lanes.

Bell Road is closed between 134th Avenue and West Point Parkway to reduce the project’s length and lessen the overall impact of construction. Drivers can access nearby businesses throughout.

The entire interchange is scheduled for completion by spring 2017.

The primary detour routes while Bell Road is closed are Dysart, Greenway and Litchfield roads. Drivers should observe signs and speed limits and note that law enforcement officers are patrolling.

SURPRISE – Crews building a $41.9 million overpass and interchange at Bell Road and Grand Avenue (US 60) are reconstructing a median on Bell Road while they continue adding ramps to and from Grand Avenue.

The median work, on the east side of the Arizona Department of Transportation project, is among steps crews are taking to get Bell Road ready to reopen. That’s expected to happen on Nov. 22, though extreme weather and other unforeseen circumstances can affect project timelines.

Other work scheduled for the next week includes adding to retaining walls that will hold stabilized earth to support on- and off-ramps connecting Bell Road with Grand Avenue. This work also will create the center of the bridge.

Crews continue building new eastbound Grand Avenue lanes through the project area and adding sidewalks and handrails to the Bell Road bridge. For now, Grand Avenue traffic is sharing what will be the westbound lanes.

Bell Road is closed between 134th Avenue and West Point Parkway to reduce the project’s length and lessen the overall impact of construction. Drivers can access nearby businesses throughout.

The entire interchange is scheduled for completion by spring 2017.

The primary detour routes while Bell Road is closed are Dysart, Greenway and Litchfield roads. Drivers should observe signs and speed limits and note that law enforcement officers are patrolling.

SURPRISE – As a bridge carrying Bell Road over Grand Avenue (US 60) continues taking shape, crews are building retaining walls for ramps to and from Grand Avenue.

These walls, used elsewhere on the bridge, hold stabilized earth for the structure.

Work on the $41.9 million Arizona Department of Transportation project will require these traffic restrictions:

• Grand Avenue will be closed in both directions between Dysart and Litchfield roads from 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, to 5 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, to allow crews to remove scaffolding from the bridge. Traffic will detour at Dysart and Litchfield roads.
• Grand Avenue will then be narrowed to one lane in each direction from 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, for installation of a storm drain pipe.

Other work scheduled in the next week includes installing sidewalks and handrails on the Bell Road bridge and continuing to reconstruct eastbound Grand Avenue. For now, Grand Avenue traffic is sharing what will be the westbound lanes.

Bell Road is closed between 134th Avenue and West Point Parkway to reduce the project’s length and lessen the overall impact of construction. Drivers can access nearby businesses throughout.

ADOT expects to reopen Bell Road on Nov. 22, though unforeseen circumstances such as weather can affect project timelines. The entire interchange is scheduled for completion by spring 2017.

The primary detour routes while Bell Road is closed are Dysart, Greenway and Litchfield roads. Drivers should observe signs and speed limits and note that law enforcement officers are patrolling.

 

PHOENIX – To deter unsafe lane changes that can result in crashes, Arizona Department of Transportation crews will install a series of lane separator posts by this weekend along the westbound US 60 (Superstition Freeway) HOV lane between Kyrene Road and Interstate 10 in Tempe.

The white polyurethane posts, also known as lane delineators, are being installed to discourage westbound US 60 drivers using the HOV lane from making sudden lane changes as they approach the I-10 interchange.

The installation will require the following overnight restrictions along westbound US 60:

• Westbound US 60 HOV lane and next left lane closed between Kyrene Road and I-10 from 9 p.m. Thursday to 1 a.m. Friday (Sept. 23). Please be prepared to merge safely and watch for workers and equipment in work zone. 
• Westbound US 60 HOV lane and next left lane closed between Kyrene Road and I-10 from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Saturday (Sept. 24). Please be prepared to merge safely and watch for workers and equipment in work zone.

Sudden lane changes from the westbound HOV lane have contributed to crashes along this section of US 60 in recent years. While most have been minor, non-injury crashes, some have been serious. The crashes can cause significant delays for drivers on the westbound Superstition Freeway.

State highway conditions are available by visiting ADOT’s Travel Information site at az511.gov or by calling 511.

SURPRISE ‒ Grand Avenue (US 60) will be closed overnight between Dysart and Litchfield roads beginning Friday, Sept. 23, for work on an overpass and interchange under construction at Bell Road.

An overnight closure that was scheduled to begin tonight (Friday, Sept. 16) has been moved to next week.

Next week’s closure, beginning at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, and ending at 5 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, will allow crews to remove scaffolding from the Bell Road bridge across Grand Avenue. Traffic will detour at Dysart and Litchfield roads.

Between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, Grand Avenue will be reduced to one lane in each direction between Dysart and Litchfield roads to allow for installation of a storm drain pipe.

Other scheduled work on the $41.9 million Arizona Department of Transportation project includes installing sidewalks and railings on the Bell Road bridge, reconstructing eastbound lanes of Grand Avenue and constructing retaining walls for parts of the bridge that will incorporate stabilized earth.

Bell Road is closed between 134th Avenue and West Point Parkway to reduce the project’s length and lessen the overall impact of construction. For now, both directions of Grand Avenue traffic are using what will be the westbound lanes.

The project remains on track to reopen Bell Road in November. Drivers can access nearby businesses throughout.

The entire interchange is scheduled for completion by spring 2017.

The primary detour routes while Bell Road is closed are Dysart, Greenway and Litchfield roads. Drivers should observe signs and speed limits and note that law enforcement officers are patrolling.

SURPRISE ‒ From the rising walls and columns bearing a distinctive agave pattern to the bridge sections receiving a concrete deck, a $41.9 million overpass and interchange under construction at Bell Road and Grand Avenue (US 60) remains on track to reopen Bell Road to traffic in November.

Pouring concrete for the bridge deck will require closing Grand Avenue in both directions from 9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, to 5 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 8. During that time, traffic will detour at Dysart and Litchfield roads.

While traffic in both directions shares the future westbound lanes of Grand Avenue, crews continue building new eastbound lanes.

Meanwhile, progress continues on retaining wall panels in parts of the structure that will use reinforced earth to carry the roadway and ramps.

While Bell Road is closed between 134th Avenue and West Point Parkway to reduce the project’s length and lessen the overall impact of construction, drivers can access nearby businesses throughout.

The primary detour routes while Bell Road is closed are Dysart, Greenway and Litchfield roads. Drivers should observe signs and speed limits and note that law enforcement officers are patrolling.

Bell Road is scheduled to reopen to traffic by November, while the entire interchange project is scheduled for completion by spring 2017.

SURPRISE ‒ Construction of an interchange and overpass that will improve traffic at Grand Avenue (US 60) and Bell Road is moving forward in stages.

A current focus of the Arizona Department of Transportation’s $41.9 million improvement project is giving eastbound lanes of US 60 a makeover.

With Grand Avenue traffic temporarily sharing reconstructed westbound lanes, the eastbound side is now dirt. The old asphalt pavement has been removed, and a variety of utility relocation work is underway.

Work on the overpass that will carry Bell Road over Grand Avenue includes concrete deck pours scheduled in the coming weeks. Crews also continue to install sections of retaining walls that will be part of the overpass.

As is the case for ADOT projects across the state, no short-term closures will be scheduled on the Bell/Grand project over the extended Labor Day weekend. Drivers are asked to stay alert and use caution in work zones.

Businesses in areas close to the project are open during construction, and access points for customers are available while Bell Road is closed between 134th Avenue and West Point Parkway.

Bell Road is scheduled to reopen to traffic in time for the start of the holiday shopping season in November. The entire Bell/Grand interchange project is scheduled for completion in spring 2017.

This project is part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan.

SURPRISE – Piece by piece, square foot by square foot, crews working on the Arizona Department of Transportation’s $41.9 million Grand Avenue (US 60)/Bell Road interchange project are building the overpass that will carry Bell Road over Grand Avenue.

Concrete for one part of the Bell Road bridge deck was poured and allowed to set over the weekend of Aug. 13-14. To allow the next stage of that work, Grand Avenue is scheduled to be closed in both directions between Dysart and Litchfield roads from 9 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28, to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 29.

With two-way traffic along Grand Avenue now sharing the recently widened and paved westbound lanes near Bell Road, crews are focused on relocating and improving underground utilities along the closed eastbound side of US 60 within the work zone. A significant portion of the eastbound pavement has been removed while the utility work is being accomplished.

Businesses in the area are open during construction. While some driveways along Grand Avenue have been closed, some were scheduled to reopen by Sunday, Aug. 21. That includes driveways for Chick-fil-A and The Vitamin Shoppe. Alternate entrances are always available.

The Grand Avenue/Bell Road interchange project is being constructed with the design-build contracting method, which provides flexibility as the contractor’s design team works side-by-side with construction contractors to deliver the project as soon as possible.

The Bell Road overpass remains on schedule to open to traffic by late November, in time for the holiday shopping season. The entire project, which began in January, is scheduled to be completed in spring 2017. The interchange, including the Bell Road overpass traveling over Grand Avenue and the nearby BNSF Railway tracks, is designed to provide a significantly improved flow of traffic in the area for decades to come.