US 93

Contract awarded for I-40/US 93 interchange project in Kingman

Contract awarded for I-40/US 93 interchange project in Kingman

Contract awarded for I-40/US 93 interchange project in Kingman

March 15, 2024

Construction starts this summer on free-flowing connection

KINGMAN – The State Transportation Board has awarded a $106 million construction project to build a free-flowing traffic interchange for Interstate 40 and US 93 in Kingman.

With the contract awarded to Fisher Sand & Gravel Co. during the board’s meeting on Friday, March 15, construction is expected to begin this summer and take two and a half years.

The interchange in west Kingman is designed to reduce congestion on the highly traveled route between Phoenix and Las Vegas while improving safety, travel times and reliability. While vehicles now must stop at a traffic signal where Beale Street intersects with I-40, the system-to-system interchange will feature ramps that allow traffic to flow freely.

The interchange is designed to handle projected traffic growth for the next 25 years.

For more information, please visit azdot.gov/WestKingmanTI.

US 93 bridge improvement project completed south of Wikieup

US 93 bridge improvement project completed south of Wikieup

US 93 bridge improvement project completed south of Wikieup

February 13, 2024

Project replaced pavement surface on two bridges

WIKIEUP – The Arizona Department of Transportation has completed a project to improve the pavement surface and flood protection capabilities of two bridges on US 93 south of Wikieup.

The $1.8 million project involved work on the Sycamore Creek bridge at milepost 128 and the Gray Wash bridge, both of which carry traffic on northbound US 93.

The project included:

Removing the top layer of pavement from the bridge decks and replacing it with a new concrete overlay
New pavement markings and other related work
Scour protections, which included removing sand and gravel that had built up around bridge abutments and piers

To learn about ADOT projects in your area and to subscribe for updates, please visit azdot.gov/projects.

I-40/US 93 Kingman interchange project set to begin in the new year

I-40/US 93 Kingman interchange project set to begin in the new year

I-40/US 93 Kingman interchange project set to begin in the new year

December 28, 2023

It’s one of many 2024 improvements planned for northern Arizona

KINGMAN – The new year will be an exciting one for drivers who use US 93 between the Phoenix area and Kingman as the Arizona Department of Transportation advances one major project to increase capacity and starts another.

A current US 93 widening project near Wickenburg is at 50% completion. And by summer, one of the largest US 93 improvement projects in recent years will kick off in west Kingman as work starts to construct an interchange that will provide a free-flowing connection between US 93 and Interstate 40.

These US 93 projects are among many projects ADOT plans to start, continue or complete across northern Arizona in 2024.

The Kingman interchange is planned to eliminate delays that can occur for passenger and truck traffic on the main route between Las Vegas and Arizona. While traffic now must stop at a traffic signal where Beale Street intersects with I-40, a system-to-system interchange features ramps that allow traffic to flow freely.

This interchange, expected to open in 2026, is designed to handle projected traffic growth for the next 25 years. For more information on the Kingman interchange project, please visit azdot.gov/WestKingmanTI.

The current US 93 project near Wickenburg is now halfway done as work continues to transform a 5-mile section of two-lane roadway into a four-lane divided highway. Work on the Wickenburg-area project is expected to continue through 2024, with lane restrictions limited to overnight hours to minimize traffic impacts. More information is available at azdot.gov/US93Wickenburg.

Since 1999, ADOT has completed 19 projects to modernize US 93 between Wickenburg and I-40. ADOT's long-term vision calls for four-lane divided highway through the entire 200 miles between Wickenburg and Nevada.

More projects are scheduled to be under construction on US 93 over the next several years as ADOT continues working on turning its vision into reality.

ADOT’s Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program for 2024-2028 has these additional projects scheduled to convert US 93 to four-lane divided highway:

Fiscal 2024: Mileposts 106-109.5.in the Cane Springs area
Fiscal 2026: Mileposts 190.5-193.5 in the Vista Royale area northwest of Wickenburg
Fiscal 2027: Mileposts 161.7-166.2 in the area of Big Jim Wash

Another project scheduled to start in 2026 calls for adding passing lanes to US 93 between mileposts 171.5-173 and 175.5-177.

In addition to US 93, ADOT is planning to begin, continue or complete several major projects improving travel to, from and within northern Arizona in 2024, including:

Continuing work to rehabilitate pavement and bridges on a 29-mile stretch of southbound I-17 between Flagstaff and the Coconino County line. Work on this heavily traveled highway began in spring 2022 and will continue through fall 2024. For more information, please visit azdot.gov/I-17Southbound.
Beginning work next summer to widen 1 mile of SR 69 in Prescott. ADOT, working with the Central Yavapai Metropolitan Planning Organization, will add a third lane of travel in each direction of the highway between Prescott Lakes Parkway and Yavpe Connector with a raised center median. The project, which will improve safety and increase roadway capacity, will be complete by mid-2024. For more information please visit azdot.gov/sr69frontiervillage.
Continuing the $56 million Interstate 15 Bridge No. 1 replacement project near Littlefield in northwestern Arizona, with completion scheduled by spring 2024. The challenging project in the Virgin River Gorge provides a safer I-15 bridge operating with two lanes in each direction. Work began in February 2021. For more information, please visit azdot.gov/I-15VirginRiverBridge.
Beginning work to replace the Queen Creek and Waterfall Canyon bridges on US 60 just east of Superior. The project, similar to a nearby project that replaced the Pinto Creek Bridge, will require a series of daytime highway closures for rock blasting operations. The project will begin in early 2024 and is scheduled to take three years. For more information, please visit azdot.gov/US60QueenCreekBridgeProject.
Completing two paving projects on SR 95 totalling 49 miles, covering a 23-mile section between I-40 and SR 28 and a 26-mile segment between I-40 and Lake Havasu City. Work began in 2023 on both projects and is expected to be completed in early 2024.
Beginning work to rehabilitate the SR 87 Coyote Wash bridge about 25 miles north of Winslow, at milepost 375.
Continuing a major I-17 improvement project north of the Phoenix area to improve safety and efficiency on 23 miles of one of Arizona’s busiest corridors. The work includes 8 miles of flex lanes that can carry traffic northbound or southbound, depending on which direction is carrying the most traffic at any given time, between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point. Also, ADOT is constructing a third traffic lane on 15 miles of I-17 between Anthem and Black Canyon City. The project is expected to be complete in 2025. For more information, please visit improvingI17.com.

For more information on other improvement projects statewide, please visit azdot.gov/projects.

ADOT begins US 93 widening project near Wickenburg

ADOT begins US 93 widening project near Wickenburg

ADOT begins US 93 widening project near Wickenburg

March 23, 2023

Five-mile segment to become four-lane divided highway

The Arizona Department of Transportation has begun a project near Wickenburg to transform another 5 miles of US 93 from two lanes to four-lane divided highway.

The work is part of ADOT’s long-term vision to transform the entire 200-mile section of US 93 from Wickenburg to the Hoover Dam bypass into a modern four-lane divided highway. In the past several years, ADOT has invested nearly $500 million in projects that have widened and improved US 93.

The $51 million project getting underway near Wickenburg will upgrade US 93 between Tegner Street and Wickenburg Ranch Way. Construction is expected to continue for about two years and includes:

Raised center medians
Frontage roads
Roundabouts at Rincon, Cope, Vulture Mine and Scenic Loop roads
Lighting, drainage systems, erosion control and landscaping

The project is between mileposts 194 and 199. About 70 percent of this stretch is in Yavapai County and 30 percent is in Maricopa County.

In the initial phase of the project, motorists should expect temporary lane closures and other restrictions from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday evenings through Friday mornings. No restrictions will be scheduled during the day, weekends or holidays.

For more information about the project, please visit azdot.gov/US93wickenburg.

ADOT seeking federal grant for the West Kingman Traffic Interchange

ADOT seeking federal grant for the West Kingman Traffic Interchange

ADOT seeking federal grant for the West Kingman Traffic Interchange

August 16, 2022

KINGMAN – The Arizona Department of Transportation has submitted an application for a federal bridge grant that, if awarded, would allocate nearly $73 million toward the construction of the planned West Kingman Traffic Interchange that will provide a free-flowing connection between US 93 and Interstate 40.

If the grant is awarded, those funds would be added to state-matching funds and other federal funds to cover the estimated $160.7 million cost of construction. The grant is funded under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bridge Investment Program and would cover the bridge improvement portion of the new interchange.

The West Kingman Traffic Interchange, planned for construction in 2024, is a critical component of the highly traveled route between Phoenix and Las Vegas. The I-40 and US 93 area has regional and national economic significance due to the amount of goods that pass through the area.

The traffic interchange will improve safety, reduce travel times, and improve reliability for people and freight moving between the fast-growing metropolitan areas of Phoenix and Las Vegas by establishing a seamless freeway connection.

US 93 between Wickenburg and Kingman is designated as the future Interstate 11. The West Kingman Traffic Interchange will play a critical role in laying the foundation for this future interstate that would connect Phoenix and Las Vegas. With the grant, ADOT will be able to move funds to address other transportation needs while ensuring the construction of the much-needed West Kingman Traffic Interchange goes forward as planned.

For more information, visit azdot.gov and transportation.gov.

ADOT installing rumble strips on US 93 north of Wickenburg to improve safety

ADOT installing rumble strips on US 93 north of Wickenburg to improve safety

ADOT installing rumble strips on US 93 north of Wickenburg to improve safety

July 18, 2022

Rumble Strips

WICKENBURG, AZ – The Arizona Department of Transportation will begin a project to improve safety along US 93 north of Wickenburg by installing centerline rumble strips along a 20-mile section of the highway.

The project area stretches from the Santa Maria River to the junction with State Route 71, which is mileposts 161 to 183. The work will take place overnights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. beginning Monday, July 18, and lasting through early August. No weekend work is scheduled.

US 93 will be narrowed to one lane only in 2-mile segments while crews work. A flagging operation and pilot car will guide motorists through the work zone. Drivers should expect delays of up to 20 minutes.

The $545,000 project is designed to improve safety along this two-lane stretch of US 93 by helping to reduce the frequency and severity of lane and road-departure crashes.

The project also includes the replacement of raised pavement markers, new striping and crack seal repair of the road.

ADOT has dedicated nearly half a billion dollars to widening and improving US 93 in this region over the last decade. ADOT's long-term vision is to transform this highly traveled route into a four-lane divided highway. Of the 200-mile drive from Wickenburg to the Hoover Dam, approximately 35 miles remain to be widened.

A project to widen US 93 in Wickenburg from Tegner Street to Wickenburg Ranch Way is currently being advertised and anticipated to start early next year. ADOT has also applied for a grant through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to help accelerate the widening of three additional segments of US 93.

For more information, visit azdot.gov/US-93-Rumble-Strips.

ADOT to compete for federal grant to speed up US 93 improvements

ADOT to compete for federal grant to speed up US 93 improvements

ADOT to compete for federal grant to speed up US 93 improvements

May 25, 2022

The Arizona Department of Transportation submitted a competitive grant bid that, if awarded, would allocate approximately $65 million to speed up already-planned improvement projects on US 93 between Wickenburg and Interstate 40.

If the grant application is approved, these competitive funds would be added to state match funding and additional federal dollars, for a potential total of more than $200 million for the improvements on US 93, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration.

The prospective funding and work would come from an Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). It would complement work already completed by ADOT, improving safety and removing existing bottlenecks along a major route between Phoenix and Las Vegas.

The projects include a three-mile stretch of the highway near Cane Springs, four and a half miles near Big Jim Wash and three miles near Vista Royale. Together, these three projects will widen more than 10 miles of US 93 to a four-lane divided highway. Currently, fewer than 40 miles of US 93 between Wickenburg and I-40 remain a two-lane highway.

ADOT has dedicated nearly half a billion dollars to widening and improving US 93 in this region over the last several years. ADOT's long-term vision is to transform this highly traveled route into a four-lane divided highway.

Improvements to these three segments will enhance safety and further prepare Arizona and the region for increased population growth, as well as economic and freight activity. US 93 between Wickenburg and Kingman is designated as the Future Interstate 11. With the grant, ADOT will improve project delivery through accelerated construction techniques delivering the improvements earlier than traditionally available.

For more information:/ and https://www.transportation.gov/

Three bridge projects starting between Seligman and Kingman

Three bridge projects starting between Seligman and Kingman

Three bridge projects starting between Seligman and Kingman

April 6, 2022

KINGMAN – As construction season in northern Arizona resumes, three bridges in the northwestern part of Arizona will be rehabilitated starting this year.

Along Interstate 40, ADOT will reconstruct the bridge decks on the bridge at Exit 123 into the east side of Seligman. The project is needed to replace the damaged elements of the bridges and to perform other upgrades to increase the lifespan of the bridges.

Crews will be replacing the bridge decks of the two bridges as well as the approaches, and any guardrails and curbs as needed. During the project, traffic will be shifted over to share one side of I-40 with one lane in each direction through the work zone. Access to all adjacent properties will be maintained during daytime hours.

Also along I-40, the overpass for Anvil Rock Road, located about 11 miles west of Seligman, will receive a new bridge deck. Work will occur during the day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays. Drivers along I-40 can expect the highway to be intermittently reduced to one lane as work requires. There will also be a full closure of I-40 when demolition of the bridge deck takes place. Traffic will be rerouted around the closure using the off- and on-ramps at the Anvil Rock Road exit.

On US 93 south of I-40, ADOT will begin rehabilitation of the Kabba Wash Bridge at milepost 97 north of Wikieup on Monday, April 11. This project will include widening the existing northbound bridge, replacing the existing bridge deck and approach slabs, guardrail work, and installing new pavement markings. Northbound US 93 will be reduced to one lane in the work zone for the duration of the project.

Construction for the bridges at Exit 123 and Kabba Wash is anticipated to be completed in late 2023. The Anvil Rock Road overpass is anticipated to be completed by this fall.

For more information, visit azdot.gov/projects and click on the Northwest District.

Throwback Thursday: What a tangled web we weave

Throwback Thursday: What a tangled web we weave

Throwback Thursday: What a tangled web we weave

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications

May 20, 2021

We're a pretty diverse lot here at ADOT, but collectively as an agency we do love bridges and great photography. And a little bit of 1950s B-movies, which is maybe why we glommed on to this particular shot.

As you probably sussed at a glance that's the Hoover Dam in the background, demarcating the state line between Arizona and Nevada. But up there above it looks like the handiwork of the largest spider ever, with long strands branching out from anchor points to support the bottom of a magnificent arch. We almost have the screenplay written in our heads: A spider is mutated from (insert your favorite reason here), grows to monsterous proportions and terrorizes Las Vegas. The climax will be a battle at the spider's lair spanning the Colorado River. The movie poster's tagline will be "To IT, we are all bugs!"

Okay, so those are just silly flights of fancy. In reality this is obviously part-way through construction of the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, which created a bypass so US 93 traffic no longer had to go over the dam. Construction of the actual bridge (which is 900 feet above the river!) ran between 2005 and 2010, and when completed was the highest and longest arch concrete bridge in the Western hemisphere.

Another fun fact – due to how hot it gets in that particular spot, concrete had to be poured from mid-air at night and then cooled with tubes full of liquid nitrogen. That also potentially explains why we were able to capture this shot of crews working on the bridge this particular night.

Just something to think about the next time you drive to or from Las Vegas.

Now, if you'll excuse us, we are going to pitch our monster movie idea to Hollywood.

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Ho-ho-holiday spectacle once conspicuous on US 93

Ho-ho-holiday spectacle once conspicuous on US 93

Ho-ho-holiday spectacle once conspicuous on US 93

By John LaBarbera / ADOT Communications

December 24, 2020

US 93 enters Arizona at the Nevada state line via the Hoover Dam. It travels south for a good 200 miles before it meets its end at US 60 in Wickenburg. Along the way it passes through some curiously named towns such as Chloride, Grasshopper Junction and Nothing. There is one place, though, that once lived up to its jolly moniker.

And that is Santa Claus.

Located just 14 miles northwest of Kingman, Santa Claus was the brainchild of Nina Talbot, the self-described “biggest real estate agent in California” (not for her success at selling homes, but for her physical size).

Nina and her husband were operating a Kingman motel in the 1930s when she decided to buy up a bunch of land with the intention of creating a resort-style subdivision. But she needed a hook, and what better than a desert oasis for everyone’s favorite winter houseguest?

Multiple buildings adorned with peppermint stripes and jolly green rooftops were quickly erected, including an office for the jolly old elf himself. This was all in hopes of luring people off the highway to take a look. There was even a little train that chugged around the nascent community, bringing children from attraction to attraction.

Soon, Talbot also established Cinderella’s Chalet (a storybook-themed area) and the sumptuous Santa Claus Inn, a restaurant that offered such delicacies as Chicken a la North Pole and Dasher-and-Dancer omelettes. Santa Claus was becoming a pretty popular tourist destination, but nobody was actually moving to that part of the desert.

After owning and managing Santa Claus for 12 years, and not seeing a drop of land sales (the only people living there were people who worked at the attractions), Talbot sold her big idea in 1949 and, by all accounts, never made such an outlandish venture ever again.

By this time, a post office had joined the other attractions and became a highly treasured destination to send letters around Christmastime, as they would be returned “From Santa Claus.” And if they were lucky to make a stop, children could visit the town’s namesake (or maybe it was just one of his helpers?) any time of year.

Sometime in the 1950s, The Santa Claus Inn was renamed The Christmas Tree Inn and was remarkably praised for its quality and affordability. A big farmhouse breakfast was only 75 cents and Duncan Hines (Yes, THAT Duncan Hines), called it one of the go-tos for good eats near Route 66.

However, the novelty started to wear off and the popularity of Santa Claus dropped considerably in the 1970s. It languished through the 1980s with one or two gift shops shilling knick-knacks and the Christmas Tree Inn still serving up items like Rum Pie a la Kris Kringle.

Santa Claus hung on by some very thin thread (red, I suppose). By 1995 the final attractions were shuttered, leaving behind the remnants of a once-must-stop for tourists on their way to or from the Hoover Dam and a mailing destination for children all over the country. Their mail now gets sent to Santa Claus, Indiana.

Drive by today on US 93 and you just might catch a glimpse of some old, boarded up, vaguely holiday-themed buildings between mileposts 57 and 58… if you don’t blink.

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