PHOENIX – Three highway projects by the Arizona Department of Transportation, including two major northern Arizona projects, won Engineering Excellence Grand Awards presented by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Arizona earlier this year. Two other projects received Honor Awards.

The winning projects were the Interstate 17/State Route 69 Cordes Junction Traffic Interchange, the US 89T Interim US 89 Detour and a topographical survey on the State Route 89A improvement project through Oak Creek Canyon.

HDR Engineering, Inc., won a Grand Award for the I-17/SR 69 Cordes Junction traffic interchange project. This project was ADOT’s first federally funded highway project to be built under the construction manager-at-risk (CMAR) method in Arizona. The CMAR concept is an innovative contracting method that involves pairing a design team with a construction team to create one, coordinated entity that delivers a freeway project from beginning to end. This method can save time and money by overlapping the design and construction phases.

The US 89T project, built to serve as a detour to the landslide-damaged US 89, received the award for AZTEC Engineering Group’s coordinated effort to produce roadway plans and get environmental clearance in less than two months. This process normally takes one to two years to complete.

ADOT, the Federal Highway Administration, the Navajo Nation, Navajo Division of Transportation and Bureau of Indian Affairs worked together to accelerate the process in order to open the temporary route as soon as possible. US 89T cuts the original detour route via US 160 and SR 98 nearly in half, saving time and mileage.

The SR 89A improvement project, which will include repaving the roadway, replacing guardrail, repairing the bridge deck at Pumphouse Wash and mitigating rock falls in the area, received the award for David Evans and Associates’ innovative use of laser imaging technologies to conduct a topographical survey. The use of laser imaging resulted in fewer lane closures and significant savings in time and cost. Topographical surveys are a part of the design phase of a roadway project.

Honor Awards were received by URS Corporation for the redesign of the Interstate 10/State Route 90 interchange to solve safety and traffic capacity issues, and by Parsons Brinckerhoff for the Avenue 3E widening project from Gila Ridge Road to 24th Street in Yuma to provide better connectivity through the community.

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Arizona Engineering Excellence Awards competition recognizes engineering firms for projects that demonstrate an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, achievement and value.

American Council of Engineering Companies of Arizona is a member organization under the American Council of Engineering Companies, and is devoted exclusively to the business interests of engineers in private practice.

PHOENIX — The newly paved, shorter US 89 detour route in northern Arizona is now fully open with no restrictions after the Arizona Department of Transportation completed fencing along the corridor to help prevent livestock from crossing the roadway.

The Temporary US 89 (US 89T) route opened with limited access on Aug. 29, only three months after construction began the $35 million project to pave Navajo Route 20, which was mostly a dirt and sandy road before work began in late May.

Until now, the roadway was limited to only daytime use and speed restrictions were present in areas where the fencing had yet to be completed. Along with fencing, crews have recently finished final lane striping and installed recessed pavement markings to enhance safety along the corridor. The maximum speed limit for the corridor is now 55 mph.

The 44-mile-long US 89T route runs parallel to US 89 from The Gap to LeChee and is accessible from US 89, approximately 17 miles north of the US 160 junction (Tuba City exit). Previously a Navajo Nation roadway, US 89T will be maintained by ADOT while it is in use as a detour.

The US 89T project became necessary after a Feb. 20 landslide closed a section of US 89 between Bitter Springs and Page. Prior to paving US 89T, drivers headed to and from Page were forced to take a 115-mile-long alternate route along US 160 and State Route 98.

When traveling on US 89T, ADOT urges motorists to slow down, pay attention to their surroundings and be aware that this roadway on the Navajo Nation is prone to animal crossings, including horses, goats, cows and dogs.

The US 89T project was eligible for reimbursement through the Federal Highway Administration’s emergency relief program, which provides funding to state and local agencies for the repair or reconstruction of highways, roads and bridges that are damaged in natural disasters and catastrophic failures.

US 89T is not part of the ultimate solution to repair US 89, which suffered a landslide that buckled pavement along the mountain slope in the Echo Cliffs area.

After an extensive geotechnical investigation of the US 89 landslide, ADOT’s proposed solution is to move the travel lanes away from the active landslide and construct a rock structure to stabilize the area.

The projected $25 million repair is already on the fast track. Design on the repair began in late August and ADOT is meeting with potential contractors this fall. ADOT’s goal is to start construction by mid-2014, if extensive environmental and right-of-way clearances are finalized. 

After the reconstruction of US 89 is complete, US 89T will be returned to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and will be referred to again as Navajo Route 20, with maintenance handled by the Navajo Division of Transportation.

ADOT has a range of communication tools, including a web page dedicated to keeping the public informed about the status of the closure and alternate travel routes, including US 89T, complemented by up-to-date video and photos of the roadway damage on US 89.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has been recognized for its communications efforts with six national awards, winning first-place honors in every skills contest the agency entered.

The awards included ADOT’s “Pull Aside-Stay Alive” public education campaign that was featured in more than 600 media clips worldwide, and the agency’s crisis communications work in response to the US 89 landslide that closed a highway in northern Arizona in February.

The honors came from the annual meeting of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Subcommittee on Transportation Communications, where transportation communication professionals exchange ideas in the transportation industry’s premier competition.

The awards were announced Thursday from Grand Rapids, Mich.

“Communicating with the public is vital to our mission at ADOT,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “We constantly work to communicate transportation issues in an easy-to-understand and timely fashion because of their importance to Arizona’s economy and quality of life. And our safety campaigns like the Haboob Haiku contest demonstrate innovative approaches to engaging the public.”

ADOT received the following awards:

• Excel Award (without a consultant) for the Pull Aside-Stay Alive public education program. This represents the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ highest award for public relations programs and campaigns. The award recognizes the specific techniques that made a pivotal contribution to the overall success of a broad-based communication endeavor using two or more public relations tools.
• Best Television Commercial or Public Service Announcement for the Pull Aside-Stay Alive 30-second video. In only 30 seconds, this impactful video shows viewers the very real danger of driving in a dust storm.
• Issues/Crisis Management Communication for the communications program in response to the US 89 landslide. This award recognizes a program or actions undertaken to deal specifically with a public relations crisis or other event that has an extraordinary impact on the organization.
• Best Micro-Blog for the ADOT Twitter account. This award recognizes the use of a social media platform to inform and engage the public.
• Best Use of Social Media in a Campaign for the Pull Aside-Stay Alive Haboob Haiku Challenge. This award recognizes the use of social media as part of a communications campaign. The initial five-day launch of the campaign was featured in more than 600 news stories worldwide, including CNN, the Weather Channel, The New York Times and the BBC.
• Best Display for the 20 Years of Partnering trade show display used at the American Council of Engineering Companies of Arizona Roads and Streets Conference and other industry events. This award recognizes the effectiveness and innovation for a large scale presentation or trade show booth.

PHOENIX — Drivers headed to Page and the Lake Powell area this Labor Day weekend will have another option when the Arizona Department of Transportation opens the newly paved Temporary US 89 route (US 89T) on Thursday, August 29, albeit with some restrictions.

The limited-access opening will occur following the formal Navajo Nation dedication ceremony marking substantial completion of the project. The former Navajo Route 20 route (known locally as Coppermine Road) runs parallel to US 89 from The Gap to LeChee and is accessible on US 89, approximately 17 miles north of the US 160 junction (Tuba City exit).

While the 27-mile paving operations have been completed, US 89T remains an active construction zone as crews continue to install right-of-way fencing along the corridor, which has a large amount of livestock.

Until fencing is complete, US 89T will be open during daylight hours only (except for local residents) and there will be a 25 mph speed limit in place. When construction is complete, the speed limit will be raised and nighttime restrictions will be lifted.

When traveling on US 89T, ADOT urges motorists to slow down, pay attention to their surroundings and be aware that this roadway is prone to animal crossings, including horses, goats, cows and dogs.

The $35 million paving project to adopt N20 temporarily into the state highway system was finished only three months after breaking ground, an impressive feat considering the 44-mile-long tribal route was primarily a dirt road before work began in late May.

By paving US 89T, the detour route travel time was cut in nearly half and is similar in length to the closed US 89 route. Immediately after the US 89 landslide, ADOT set an alternate route along US 160 and State Route 98, but the 115-mile-long route created a heavy burden for drivers because it was 45 miles longer than the direct route. With the restricted opening of US 89T, however, the US 160-to-SR 98 detour route may still be a faster option for drivers.

“After the Feb. 20 landslide, ADOT quickly moved to establish a designated detour route along US 160 and SR 98 to ensure motorists could travel through the region,” said Jennifer Toth, deputy director of transportation. “But we knew that detour route, with its additional 45 miles, posed a negative impact to those community members who rely on US 89 every day. That’s why this project was so critical to complete in record time.”

Early on, N20 stood out as a better route for an interim US 89 detour because of its direct access to Page, but there were several obstacles to overcome. The most obvious was bringing the sandy, mostly dirt roadway up to highway standards.

Without paving and significant roadbed improvements, N20 would not be able to accommodate the volume of traffic that US 89 carries daily, let alone commercial truck traffic. Approximately 300,000 cubic yards of soil needed to be moved onto the roadway before the gravel and asphalt could go down. To complete the 27 miles of paving – which included fencing, cattle guards, centerline rumble strips and striping throughout the entire corridor – about 5,000 truck loads are asphalt were needed.

Equally important to the project’s success was the collaboration between the various stakeholders involved, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Navajo Division of Transportation, Navajo Nation and the Federal Highway Administration.

“Without this direct collaboration between ADOT, tribal leaders, chapter presidents and the Navajo Division of Transportation, we would not have been able to finish a project of this magnitude in such a short time frame,” Toth said. “It is the existence of this dedicated partnership between ADOT and the Navajo Nation that helped expedite the Federal Highway Administration’s release of $35 million in emergency relief funds.”

The US 89T project was eligible for reimbursement through the Federal Highway Administration’s emergency relief program, which provides funding to state and local agencies for the repair or reconstruction of highways, roads and bridges that are damaged in natural disasters and catastrophic failures.

US 89T is not part of the ultimate solution to repair US 89, which has been closed north of Bitter Springs and south of Page since Feb. 20 due to a landslide that buckled pavement along the mountain slope in the Echo Cliffs area.

After an extensive geotechnical investigation of the US 89 landslide, ADOT’s proposed solution is to move the travel lanes away from the active landslide and construct a gravity buttress to stabilize the area. The projected $40 million repair is expected to take more than two years to complete, and will include significant environmental and right-of-way clearances prior to construction.

After the reconstruction of US 89 is complete, US 89T will be returned to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and will be referred to again as Navajo Route 20.

ADOT has a range of communication tools, including a Web page (azdot.gov/us89) dedicated to keeping the public informed about the status of the closure and alternate travel routes, including US 89T, complemented by up-to-date video and photos of the roadway damage on US 89.

PHOENIX — Now that the Arizona Department of Transportation has completed its geotechnical investigation at the site of the Feb. 20 landslide on US 89 south of Page, the agency is sharing the results and its long-term plans to repair the damaged roadway with the public next week.

ADOT will host community meetings in Bitter Springs and Page to review the preferred repair concept identified in the final geotechnical report, as well as provide information on the repair timeline and updates on the paving of Navajo Route 20, which will eventually serve as the designated US 89 detour route.

Bitter Springs Community Meeting
Wednesday, July 31
6 p.m. – 8 p.m. (Arizona time)
LDS church located at the junction of US 89 and US 89A

Page Community Meeting
Thursday, Aug. 1
6 – 8 p.m. (Arizona time)
City Hall Council Chambers
697 Vista Ave., Page, AZ

The geotechnical assessment report, which was finalized earlier this month, recommends the construction of a landslide buttress and cutting back the mountain slope. The buttress, a wall-like support structure composed of rock, would be built at the base of the slope and the highway travel lanes would be moved farther to the east by creating a new cut into the existing slope in the Echo Cliffs.

The US 89 roadway linking the Bitter Springs and Page communities has remained closed since the Feb. 20 landslide. Almost immediately after the landslide, ADOT began assembling a team of geotechnical experts to examine the stability of the mountain slope that carried the damaged highway and searching for options available to reopen the roadway.

ADOT has a range of communication tools dedicated to keeping the public informed about the status of the closure and alternate travel routes, complemented by up-to-date video and photos of the roadway damage on US 89.