US 93

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

I-17 101 traffic interchange

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

I-17 101 traffic interchange

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

I-17 101 traffic interchange

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

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.

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

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.

Old Tourist Shop
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.

Santa Claus Office
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.

US 93 widened to four lanes north of Wikieup

US 93 widened to four lanes north of Wikieup

I-17 101 traffic interchange

US 93 widened to four lanes north of Wikieup

US 93 widened to four lanes north of Wikieup

December 8, 2020

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has finished converting three miles of US 93 north of Wikieup to a four-lane divided highway increasing safety and traffic capacity.

The upgrade to a four-lane divided highway improves traffic flow, supports the movement of freight and enhances safety through this heavily traveled corridor.

This project connects two sections of highway that had already been widened. This provides a continuous stretch of divided four-lane highway from milepost 108, about 15 miles south of I-40, and milepost 121 near Wikieup.

The majority of the 200-mile drive from Wickenburg to the Nevada state line has been widened. Fewer than 40 miles of US 93 remain a two-lane highway.

Work on the $35 million project began in the spring of 2019. In addition to converting US 93 into a four-lane divided highway, the project included building concrete box culverts, two box bridges and installing pipe culverts, guardrail and fencing. 

Crews plan to return in the spring to add a top layer of pavement, known as friction course, to the newly-widened segment.

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

ADOT to conduct traffic switch as US 93 widening project hits milestone

ADOT to conduct traffic switch as US 93 widening project hits milestone

I-17 101 traffic interchange

ADOT to conduct traffic switch as US 93 widening project hits milestone

ADOT to conduct traffic switch as US 93 widening project hits milestone

September 18, 2020

PHOENIX – With the completion of new lanes for the US 93 widening project north of Wikieup, the Arizona Department of Transportation will conduct a traffic switch Monday, Sept. 21 so crews can work on rebuilding the existing southbound lanes.

The traffic switch will occur at 8 a.m. Monday, Sept. 21, between mileposts 116 and 119. Drivers in the area should expect a brief delay while crews switch all traffic to the new northbound lanes.

The upgrade to a four-lane divided highway improves traffic flow, supports the movement of freight and enhances safety through this heavily traveled corridor.

Work on the project began in the spring of 2019. In addition to converting US 93 into a four-lane divided highway, the project includes building concrete box culverts, two box bridges and installing pipe culverts, guardrail and fencing.

The new section of 3-mile divided highway is expected to be completed in the fall.

For more information, visit azdot.gov/projects.

In Arizona, nothing from Nothing equals a ghost town

In Arizona, nothing from Nothing equals a ghost town

In Arizona, nothing from Nothing equals a ghost town

In Arizona, nothing from Nothing equals a ghost town

By Laurie Merrill / ADOT Communications
September 2, 2020

Does Nothing from nothing leave nothing?

It does, except in Arizona, where Nothing is a ghost town, and that’s not nothing!

Its wind-weathered sign on US 93 between Wickenburg and Kingman is a faded reminder that Nothing’s population – once a thriving 9 – is now, well, nothing.

Nothing might be more accurately described as a ghost settlement, since it never gained incorporated status. It was more of a wide place along the road about 100 miles northwest of Phoenix at milepost 148.5.

But during its heyday, Nothing boasted the “Taint Much Ado” bar, a store, taco stand and gas station. Richard “Buddy” Kenworthy built the businesses after settling the outpost in 1977. The place managed to snag some gamblers and other ramblers traveling between Phoenix and Las Vegas.

After a 1988 fire destroyed Kenworthy’s businesses, he rebuilt the store and garage, but it wasn’t enough to return Nothing to something.  Kenworthy moved on in 2005.

Nothing had a near revival in 2008. A businessman, Mike Jensen, took a liking to Nothing and set up a pizza stand with a portable oven. He even spiffed up the place up with the goal of creating accommodations for RVs.

But by 2011, he too had moved on. It’s tempting to say nothing remained in Nothing, but the worn-out signs and collapsing structures are still there, providing a break in the scenery on the 128 miles between Wickenburg and Kingman. 

You could say it was all for Nothing, like the sign in Nothing:  

Town of Nothing Arizona. Founded 1977. Elevation 3269 ft.
The staunch citizens of Nothing are full of Hope, Faith, and Believe in the work ethic. Thru-the-years-these dedicated people had faith in Nothing, hoped for Nothing, worked at Nothing, for Nothing.

Plan extra travel time on US 93 next week due to pavement maintenance work

Plan extra travel time on US 93 next week due to pavement maintenance work

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Plan extra travel time on US 93 next week due to pavement maintenance work

Plan extra travel time on US 93 next week due to pavement maintenance work

August 28, 2020

PHOENIX – Travelers driving between Kingman and Wickenburg will need to plan extra travel time as the Arizona Department of Transportation will be conducting pavement maintenance work on US 93 south of Wikieup from Monday, Aug. 31 through Thursday, Sept. 3.

Work will take place from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily between the Santa Maria Bridge and Alamo Road, which includes mileposts 162 to 180. US 93 will be narrowed to one lane with flaggers and a pilot car leading traffic through the work zone. Crews will only be working in sections of a few miles a day.

Drivers should expect delays of about 20 minutes and move slowly through the work zone.

Workers will be doing pavement maintenance work again on Tuesday, Sept. 8 from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. between Alamo Road and the State Route 71 junction. US 93 will be narrowed to one lane in that area with a flagging operation to guide traffic through the work zone.

Crews will be placing a sealant on the existing asphalt, which helps protect and extend the life of the roadway.

Final Environmental Assessment approved for West Kingman traffic interchange project

Final Environmental Assessment approved for West Kingman traffic interchange project

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Final Environmental Assessment approved for West Kingman traffic interchange project

Final Environmental Assessment approved for West Kingman traffic interchange project

August 25, 2020

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has been granted environmental approval to move forward with plans to improve the US 93/I-40 traffic interchange in west Kingman.

ADOT issued a Finding of No Significant Impact after completing a Final Environmental Assessment for the project, which was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act. The Final Environmental Assessment includes comments from the community received through the public hearing on May 28, 2020. The document is posted at azdot.gov/WestKingmanTIP.

The improvements to the traffic interchange include a free-flowing direct connection between US 93 and I-40, designed to reduce congestion and improve traffic flow. Currently, traffic switching between the highways must stop at an intersection with a traffic signal before proceeding.

The new traffic interchange is designed to accommodate both current and projected traffic volumes for this area for the next 25 years.