With hundreds of blog posts in our archives, we understand if you haven’t had a chance to read them all.

However, there’s a lot of interesting content in those early posts and we don’t want you to miss out. That’s why we’re looking back and highlighting some of our favorites in a new series called, “From the Rearview Mirror.

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Do you remember what you were doing three years ago today? We sure do! Our team was prepping for Arizona’s big birthday on Feb. 14, 2012. Arizona was turning 100 and our plan was to document everything that ADOT does in a 24-hour span.

On the big day, we kept readers updated by sharing our photos through social media and on the ADOT Blog. The post below came along a month later and features video that was captured on the state’s Centennial. Now, as the state is almost set to turn 103, we want to say: Happy Birthday, Arizona!

Centennial video captures a day in ADOT history

When Arizona turned 100 last month, we celebrated by documenting everything ADOT does across the state in a single day.

And, oh what a day it was!

Our team was up early – out on the road, covering everything from construction projects and maintenance work to planning meetings and the MVD.

If you followed along with us back on Feb. 14, you saw our photos, kept up through social media and probably recall that we promised a mini-documentary detailing the day.

Well, that video is ready and we’re very proud to announce its premiere!

The video speaks for itself … so, we won’t say much more, except that we hope you’ll sit back, relax and enjoy what our team has put together!

Talk about a quick turnaround…

State Route 89A in the Oak Creek Canyon switchbacks (mileposts 387-390) was fully reopened this afternoon after crews repaired a sinkhole that had been discovered in the northbound lane just this past Saturday.

Geotechnical engineers completed an inspection yesterday and determined that repairs could start immediately.

“They know what goes on beneath the ground more than anyone else so we knew they would have some expertise in this situation and provide a solution to the problem we had,” says Assistant District Engineer Chad Auker in the video above.

A speedy fix
Crews used heavy equipment to excavate a six-foot deep, eight-foot-wide section of the roadway to remove about 15 cubic yards of loose material underneath the pavement near milepost 388. Next, they filled the void with a liquid concrete-cement mix that had to harden overnight before the road repaving could begin.

Today, crews repaved the northbound lane and opened the road to motorists.

Visit our Flickr page for photos of the repair project.

Partnering is a valuable concept for ADOT and, as you can see in the video above, it’s something that contributes to a successful project...

It gives everyone involved a chance to get together and determine goals, which not only sets a good course, but as a project moves forward, the partnering process leads the way through any conflict and helps the team evaluate progress.

“Partnering allows us to build relationships with our industry partners, our prime contractors, our subcontractors – making sure that everybody has the opportunity to give open and honest feedback and communicate with one another so we can resolve issues at the lowest level,” says Senior Deputy State Engineer Rob Samour in the video above.

After you finish watching the video, please revisit our previous partnering posts to learn more about the subject.

With hundreds of blog posts in our archives, we understand if you haven’t had a chance to read them all.

However, there’s a lot of interesting content in those early posts and we don’t want you to miss out. That’s why we’re looking back and highlighting some of our favorites in a new series called, “From the Rearview Mirror.”

Originally published on Aug.18, 2011, this post explains how crews regularly clean and maintain the I-10 Deck Park Tunnel.

Cleaning, maintenance all part of I-10 tunnel upkeep

Originally published in 2011, this video shows how the Deck Park tunnel is maintained.

With roughly 240,000 vehicles driving through it each day, the I-10 Deck Park Tunnel needs the night off every once in a while for a good, thorough scrub!

Just about every four months, the tunnel is closed to traffic in order to allow crews the chance to wash the walls, maintain the ventilation systems and check on the tunnel’s 3,700 light fixtures (about 150-200 light bulbs are changed out each quarter!).

Crews typically complete the cleaning over two nights. That means only one side of the tunnel needs to be closed each night … leaving the other direction open to traffic.

Cleaning the white tile walls not only gives the tunnel a fresh look, but it also helps brighten things up a bit.

“We’re washing the walls and keeping them clean so the light bounces off the wall onto the deck so it makes a better drive through,” says ADOT Highway Operations Supervisor Ed Walsh in the video above.

A little history…
For anyone fairly new to the Valley, it might be hard to believe that the Deck Park Tunnel represents part of Interstate-10’s “final mile.”

It was 21 years ago this month that the tunnel was completed, closing up the last remaining gap in the 2,460-mile-long interstate that stretches across the country.

The project was a big one because the path of this final mile was in between two historic Phoenix neighborhoods.

Designers came up with an innovative plan to limit the impacts on the communities. Builders dug out the freeway’s path, put in the 10-lane roadway and covered up the top of the road with a deck made out of 19 side-by-side bridges, created a tunnel and then built a 30-acre city park on top. The project took more than five years to finish and cost an estimated $700 million.

We’ve got an update for you today on a project we first told you about last summer.

Work started about a year ago to expand US 89 from two lanes to four lanes through the community of Cameron within the Navajo Nation, about 60 miles north of Flagstaff.

As you can see in the video above, things are progressing...

“They’ve completed the roundabout at Highway 64 and US 89, so traffic’s utilizing that,” says project supervisor Rick Schilke in the video. “We finished up most of the northbound alignment, so we switched traffic onto the northbound so we can start the southbound.”

Work also includes the removal and replacement of the existing Cameron Truss Bridge with two new bridges (one going north and one headed south) at that location.

“The (new) bridge itself won’t be in use until probably the end of March,” Schilke says in the video. “It’s currently a two-lane bridge that was built in 1959. It’s a steel truss bridge that’s only 26-feet wide curb to curb and there’s no pedestrian walkways on it. The new bridge will be two 12-foot lanes with shoulders and a six-foot walkway on the east side and then, once that’s complete, we’ll take down the existing bridge all the way to below the surface and build an almost identical bridge without the walkway for southbound.”

Additional project improvements include new sidewalks, streetlights and four pedestrian/livestock underpasses.

See additional photos of the project on ADOT’s Flickr page.

We’re wrapping up the week with a new video that shows off some winter driving season stats...

Besides being useful, the information included makes for great trivia. You might consider sharing some of the video’s factoids with your friends and family at any upcoming holiday parties you may be attending! Imagine how impressed everyone will be when you announce the exact number of snowplows in ADOT’s fleet (there’s 214). They’ll be wowed when you explain that ADOT has more than 450 employees trained to drive a snowplow (you might even earn bonus points if you go back and review this video on snowplow driver training). You can also tell them that ADOT uses 193 overhead message boards to alert drivers of road conditions.

OK, we’ll let you watch the video to get the rest of the details, but before we sign off, let us point you to our “Know Snow” webpage. There, you’ll find even more information on winter driving and great tips on how to prepare your vehicle for a wintertime trip, along with info on how to deal with various snowy/icy conditions.

Before you head out on the road, you’re also encouraged to call 511 or visit ADOT’s Traveler Information Center at az511.gov for the latest information. ADOT’s Twitter feed is also a great resource for drivers. Of course, you can always revisit our previous “Know Snow” blog posts and videos. Safe travels!

Winter isn’t officially here yet, but snow is in the forecast and we’re all ready for the icy season ahead. Are you?

Before you answer that, let us first tell you a little bit about ADOT’s winter-weather preparations…

If you’ve been following us on the ADOT Blog for the past few seasons, you already know that ADOT works to remove snow and ice during and after storms to keep state highways safe for travelers. Public safety is the top priority during winter storms.

The goal is to limit highway closures and to clear snow and ice as soon as possible. To date, ADOT’s 214 snowplows are serviced and ready, 450 snowplow operators are trained and on alert and maintenance yards are stocked with deicer materials and equipment.

Know Snow

Arizona is really diverse when it comes to climates. You can drive just a couple of hours from sunny, moderate temperatures in the low desert to ice and snow in the state’s mountain regions. Those winter weather conditions can quickly cause havoc with travel plans, which is why we want to make sure you “Know Snow” and that you’re prepared for the winter driving season that’s upon us.

Here are some driving tips to help you and your loved ones stay safe while on the road this winter:

• Slow down, be patient and drive safely. Plan for extra travel time. Use extra caution around snowplows.
• Be alert: ice forms on bridges first and is hard to see.
• When driving behind a snowplow, stay back at least four car lengths. If you think you’re traveling too close to a plow, you probably are. Be safe and stay back!
• Never pass a snowplow that’s in the process of clearing snow and ice off the road.
• Maintain at least a three-quarter-full tank of gas.
• Notify someone of your travel route, destination and projected arrival time.
• Carry an emergency preparedness kit in your vehicle that includes blankets, extra clothes, a flashlight, an ice scraper, a shovel, sand for traction, a fully charged cell phone and hazard warning lights or reflectors.
• Brake slowly to avoid any panic braking or jerking the steering wheel.
• Increase the distance between you and the traffic ahead.
• Carry plenty of food and water, and all necessary medications.
• Carry tire chains and snow cables, or use snow tires.
• Wear warm clothes to protect you during extended time periods in cold temperatures.

We have additional information on our “Know Snow” webpage, where you’ll find more tips, videos and a helpful brochure you can print and keep in your vehicle’s glove box when traveling in the high country.

One more thing we want to point out is where to find information on highway conditions around the state. Before you head out on the road, you are encouraged to call 511 or visit ADOT’s Traveler Information Center at az511.gov for the latest information. On that site, you can see real-time images along state highways that give you a glimpse of weather conditions in various regions. ADOT’s Twitter feed is a great resource, too.

Finally, you’ll also want to stay tuned to this blog … we have more “Know Snow” posts lined up for you in the coming days!

ADOT’s Traffic Operations Center is admittedly a cool place to be…

It’s a 24-hour-a-day, state-of-the-art electronic data hub where ADOT staff keeps an eye on traffic conditions around the state. This high-tech space (complete with 40 reconfigurable 55-inch flat panel displays that can show video from up to 160 cameras at once!) allows ADOT to provide fast and accurate information to the public about crashes, closures and other restrictions.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, there’s a new partnership involving the TOC that we want to tell you about. The goal of which, is to clear freeway crashes more quickly to reduce congestion and save lives.

Through a collaborative effort among ADOT, the Department of Public Safety, the Federal Highway Administration and the Maricopa Association of Governments, a new program was recently launched that stations DPS officers at the TOC.

How the partnership works

The costs of the three-year pilot project will be equally shared by MAG and ADOT, including $450,000 for the first year and $425,000 for each subsequent year. The program will pay for three DPS officers and a DPS supervisor.

Initially, an officer will be on duty during high-peak traffic periods, joining the ADOT operators who provide 24/7 coverage in the TOC.

As you can see in the video above, having a DPS officer on site will be extremely beneficial.

“They’ll be able to utilize our technology, our 200-plus cameras across the state, to see what’s going on, on the roads. The DPS officer will be able to see crashes as they happen,” says ADOT Public Information Officer Caroline Carpenter in the video above.

DPS Sgt. John Paul Cartier explains why it’s so important to implement a quick response…

“Secondary collisions can be of greater severity that the primary incident,” he says in the video. “To improve the safety of all groups, we want to clear the roadway as quickly and safely as possible, after a thorough investigation, and restore the traffic flow pattern.”

Find more details on the new partnership in this ADOT news release. You can also check out some of our previous blog posts to learn more about the TOC.

Yesterday, we took a look at the US 89 landslide repair project from above. Today, we have another angle to show you…

To really get an idea of the progress being made, you’ll want to pay close attention to a couple of areas on the screen.

First, take a look at the cliffs above the damaged roadway. Notice how the much the formation has changed by the end of the video? That’s because crews are removing material from that area above the slide and trucking it below to build a stabilizing buttress. As we explained in this previous post, crews are utilizing heavy-duty equipment, a fleet of enormous trucks and explosives to get the job done.

A rendering of the repair plan.

You’ll also want to take note of the buttress itself at the base of the slope. Once complete, the buttress will act as a wall-like support structure composed of rock material. In the video above, you can see how it’s coming along. See the graphic at left for good rendering of the overall repair plan.

The one-minute, 22-second video above actually represents about three and a half months of work…

In that time, crews on the US 89 landslide repair project have been busy blasting and moving dirt and rock material. By the end of the project, they’ll have moved about one million cubic yards!

If you’ve been following us for a while, you know that the repair work includes moving the roadway alignment about 60 feet away from the landslide area and stabilizing the new road by constructing a downslope buttress. That buttress is being created with the material that’s being excavated from the landslide area (read more about the repairs in this previous post). ADOT anticipates completion of the US 89 repair and opening the new segment for travel by early summer, 2015.

Check back with us tomorrow, here on the blog. We’ve got another time-lapse video that shows the US 89 landslide repair work from another angle!