Since ADOT installed its first pedestrian hybrid beacon back in 2012, motorists have likely noticed more and more of these devices…
They’re designed to assist pedestrians who are crossing a street or highway at a marked but unsignaled crosswalk. This special type of traffic light utilizes a system of indicator lights and signs that alerts drivers and controls vehicle traffic. Pedestrian hybrid beacons have been deployed across the nation, including the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas, to improve safety for pedestrians.
If you’ve ever had a question about how to use one, today’s video should provide the answers!
Months of US 89 repair work is squeezed down to minutes in new time-lapse videos
Months of US 89 repair work is squeezed down to minutes in new time-lapse videos
April 21, 2015
Yes, the US 89 landslide repair project is complete, but that doesn’t mean we’re done blogging about it!
Today, we want to share three new time-lapse videos that squeeze about nine months of the repair into an amazing two minutes. You’ll notice the video up top shows an alternating view from two cameras. The videos at right show the shots from each camera separately.
Looking back
Since we’re revisiting the project today, let us point out some of the milestones from along the way. You might remember that prior to starting the US 89 landslide repair in summer 2014, ADOT had to clear several significant hurdles to keep the project moving forward…
Views from each camera.
In the two years since the Feb. 20, 2013 landslide:
After you’re done watching the new videos, you can learn even more about the project by revisiting our previous blog posts. And, to see some really great visuals from the project, be sure to check out our Flickr album and our US 89 YouTube playlist for a look at the repairs from start to finish.
On this blog, we often focus on projects, construction and planning, but we also like to shed a light on the behind-the-scenes work that goes into the development and maintenance of the state highway system...
That brings us to today’s topic: ADOT's Right of Way Group.
The Right of Way Group is the real estate organization for ADOT and its primary functions include development of State Transportation Board resolutions, right of way plans, appraisals, property acquisition, condemnation, residential and business relocation, and property management.
Assistant Chief Right of Way Agent Brian Rockwell does an excellent job outlining the group’s purpose in the video above.
“Right of way group’s main mission overall is to acquire and clear property rights necessary for transportation purposes,” he says. “Generally, that’s highway right of way, but it could be maintenance camps, it could be facility sites, it could be material pits, anything in the way of real estate that’s needed for the department is acquired through the Right of Way Group.”
After you check out the video, visit the Right of Way page for more information.
Driving a modern roundabout doesn’t have to be confusing…
In fact, if you understand how a roundabout works for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians, your travel through these intersections will be easier and safer. Watch our newest video to learn some of the basics and then head over to our roundabout page for even more information, including answers to a variety of FAQs.
Be sure to stay tuned. We have another video coming soon that will explain why ADOT uses modern roundabouts, along with the safety benefits these intersections can offer.
As you might know by now, the stretch of US 89 that had been closed following a 2013 landslide, is open to traffic...
ADOT reopened the road last week and the first vehicle to drive on it was a school bus from the Page Unified School District!
As you’ll see in the video above, the project was a unique one for ADOT. It’s also one that has had a big impact on community members, who have been using alternative routes, including the Temporary US 89 route that was opened in August 2013, to get to and from the Page and Lake Powell areas.
“The road is open,” says Bitter Springs resident Eulinda in the video. “It means a lot to us who live here.”
If you’ve always wondered how truck escape ramps work, today’s your lucky day.
We have a brand new video to share that illustrates how the ramps can effectively stop a truck or vehicle that has lost use of its brakes. The video also explains why ADOT installs the ramps on projects like the one on SR 87.
“Every time a runaway truck ramp is used, it reduces crashes, it reduces road closures, it reduces injuries and possible fatalities,” says ADOT Senior Resident Engineer Thomas Goodman in the video. “At ADOT, safety is the No. 1 priority and this is just another method to help keep the traveling public safe.”
Check it out: Loop 101/90th Street bridge time lapse
Check it out: Loop 101/90th Street bridge time lapse
March 18, 2015
Loop 101 is being widened from Shea Boulevard to Loop 202, and within that span, there are several bridges that get additional lanes. However, one of those bridges – the one at 90th Street – required a little more work than the others.
For one thing, it’s curved. That means precast girders, ones that are prebuilt offsite, weren’t an available option for the lane additions. So, crews had to build the components at the project location, which required falsework (we’ve blogged about falsework before, but if you need a refresher: falsework gives temporary support to a structure until it can carry its own weight).
That falsework, which is what crews constructed the additional Loop 101 lane on top of, hangs lower than the final height of the bridge and had to be built high enough to give adequate clearance to the traffic traveling below on 90th Street.
Still with us?
To recap, the necessary falsework meant that crews had to build the new lane a few feet above its eventual resting spot and, as you can see in the video above, when the lane construction was finished, they had to lower it into place.
That covers why the lane was lowered, now let’s look at how it all got done.
ADOT Transportation Engineering Specialist David Locher explains that lowering the new lane was accomplished with the help of four jacks – each rated at 250 tons.
“We use very strong jacks,” he said. “We just lifted the lane ever so slightly so that we could remove some of the timbers (part of the falsework) at a time.”
Locher said that the road was lowered in three-inch increments until it was in place about 13 hours later.
In the coming months, crews will pour concrete to connect the new lanes to the existing bridge. After that, they’ll build the roadway deck on top.
One more thing…
ADOT is expanding Loop 101 on both the southbound and northbound sides, but you might notice in the video above that only the northbound side of the freeway had to be lowered.
Wondering why?
Locher explains that the southbound side was actually high enough to clear traffic because it is built on a banked curve. The slight incline gave crews the space they needed to build the additional southbound lane without having to elevate the falsework.
About a month ago, we shared a quick update on the I-15 Virgin River Bridge No. 6 rehabilitation project – you might remember seeing photos of the bridge deck demolition and rockfall containment work.
Today, we’ve got even more project details for you in the video above…
ADOT Resident Engineer Adam Carreon explains that up until now, most of the work has been below the deck (and drivers), but that has changed.
“The substructure is complete, all the columns and piers are built, the abutments are built, but a lot of the work now is transitioning to the top side of the bridge, where the public will have a view of everything going on and really see a big change with the replacement of the deck,” he says in the video.
What drivers need to know
Earlier this week, crews began work to install the girders on the new northbound bridge structure. The work will continue through the end of March and will require intermittent traffic breaks. Drivers traveling on I-15 between Mesquite, Nevada and St. George, Utah, should plan ahead for construction delays.
Drivers will also want to prepare for potential delays next weekend (March 6-8) due to a NASCAR racing event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. While no active construction will take place during the weekend, ADOT anticipates an increase in traffic as motorists make their way through the existing work zone that’s nearly 100 miles northeast of Las Vegas.
What’s ahead
The $27 million bridge rehabilitation project began in March 2014 and is anticipated to be complete in 2016. Work includes the replacement of the bridge’s superstructure (girders, deck and railings), as well as widening the roadway through the narrow passage of the Virgin River Gorge.
“Over the next six months, we’re going to build the northbound section of the bridge,” says Carreon in the video above. “Once that happens, we’ll switch traffic onto the new bridge and start the same process over again on the southbound side.”
Before crews could even begin repairing the road, ADOT provided immediate emergency access in the area and kicked off an extensive geotechnical investigation. ADOT also paved US 89T (formerly Navajo Route 20) to serve as the detour for motorists driving to and from Page. In addition, there were environmental, utility and right-of-way processes to complete. Around that time, a long-term repair solution was identified.
Now, 24 months after the landslide, progress is clearly visible, as you can see in the video above.
So, what’s left to do?
Not all that much, considering how big of a project this has been.
“We’ve entered the final phase of the project,” says ADOT Senior Resident Engineer Steve Monroe. “We’re now starting to actually rebuild the road itself. They’ll bring in some aggregate base, put several layers of that down, wet it down, compact it, wet it down, compact it, get that all in place. After that, we can start paving. When that’s finished, then there will be a half-inch of friction course, just another layer of asphalt that goes on. Then we can come back do the final striping, put in the recessed pavement markers, the rumble strip and then we’ll have it opened up to traffic before the summer tourist season.”
Find the latest on the project, by visiting some of our previous posts. Don’t forget to stay tuned ... we’ll continue to share US 89 details here and we look forward to blogging about the grand reopening.
You’ve heard of a coffee break and a spring break, but how about a traffic break?
Traffic breaks are typically conducted by highway patrol officers to create a gap in traffic. That gap gives project crews a span of time in which to complete work within a traffic lane.
As you can hear in the video above, traffic breaks are sometimes used instead of a complete traffic stop.
“Instead of a car coming around a corner to traffic stopped, they’re coming around to traffic moving at 30, 40 miles per hour and they’re able to slow down safely” says ADOT Resident Engineer Adam Carreon in the video.
This work, which will continue through the end of March, will require intermittent traffic breaks to allow for the safety of both construction crews and the traveling public. Work hours will be Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to noon.
Motorists are reminded to slow down and drive carefully through the work zone and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.
The $27 million rehabilitation of Virgin River Bridge No. 6 (milepost 16) began in March 2014, and is anticipated to be complete in 2016. This significant project includes the replacement of the bridge’s superstructure (girders, deck and railings), as well as widening the roadway through the narrow passage of the Virgin River Gorge.
Find more details on the project page by checking out our previous posts.
