Sitting in the very far northwestern corner of the state, Interstate 15 might seem somewhat remote and out of the way (depending on where you live). But, did you know that it is one of the most heavily traveled commercial and economic corridors linking southern California with the Rocky Mountain region?

More than 1.4 million commercial trucks travel annually on Arizona’s stretch of the interstate and in order to continue to serve that substantial volume of traffic, ADOT is set to begin a series of bridge rehabilitation projects on I-15.

Work starts next week

Beginning Monday, Jan. 6, ADOT will begin a $2.8 million project to upgrade the southbound bridge surfaces, repair girders and perform other work on Virgin River Bridge No. 2 (milepost 13), Bridge No. 3 (milepost 15) and Bridge No. 7 (milepost 22). Work is expected to be completed by summer 2014.

At the January 2014 State Transportation Board meeting, the board is expected to consider the award of a contract for the reconstruction of Virgin River Bridge No. 6 (milepost 16). This significant rehabilitation project will include the replacement of the bridge’s superstructure (girders, deck and railings), as well as widening the roadway through the narrow passage of the gorge.

The $27 million project, which received a federal grant awarded to ADOT last year in the fourth round of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER IV) grant program, is scheduled to launch in spring 2014 and be completed in 2015.

What drivers should know

With limited alternate routes due to the remote location of the I-15 Virgin River Gorge corridor, ADOT urges drivers traveling between Mesquite, Nevada, and St. George, Utah, to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, slow down and drive carefully through the work zone. I-15 will be narrowed to one lane in each direction at each of the bridge projects and delays are expected.

Construction will occur primarily during weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The majority of the work will take place in the southbound lanes, requiring two-way traffic in the northbound lanes.

The Loop 303 is “growing up” right before our eyes.

It seems like just yesterday we were blogging about the massive amount of dirt that would need to be moved for construction of the stretch between Mountain View Boulevard and Peoria Avenue – now, that portion is all finished.

Other sections are coming along, too.

ADOT Senior Community Relations Officer Michelle Thompson discusses in the video above that the section between Thomas and Camelback roads is nearly completed (it just needs rubberized asphalt). The Camelback Road to Glendale Avenue segment is expected to be done in summer 2014. Then, there’s the stretch between Glendale and Peoria avenues…

“It’s three lanes in each direction, it has the rubberized asphalt and it’s good to go,” Thompson says.

While we’re excited to witness the transformation from a two-lane roadway into a modern, urban freeway, we also are very interested to hear how the completed Loop 303 will impact the surrounding communities. Surprise Mayor Sharon Wolcott does a great job of explaining the project’s significance.

“I think the best thing about the 303 right now is that it gives our community more choice,” Mayor Wolcott says in the video. “We’ve been lacking that choice, that connectivity, for a very long time … wow, what a difference now.”

From seat belts and dust storms, to snow, work zones and tire pressure – we know that you know there are plenty of things to consider before getting on the road…

But, do you ever think much about roadway debris? It’s a potential danger all drivers should be aware of – it’s also something that everyone can help prevent.

“ADOT maintenance crews are picking up tons of debris in any given year and our crews wind up picking everything, including the kitchen sink,” says ADOT’s Doug Nintzel in the video above.

Last year, crews picked up more than 36 tons of rubber alone. There were also appliances, luggage, mattresses, ladders, furniture, buckets and your average everyday litter.

What can you do?

Drivers need to make sure their vehicle loads are tied down and covered. It’s also important not to overload your vehicle. To cut down on the chances of having a blowout (that’s what contributes to the tons and tons of rubber out on the roads), it’s essential that you maintain your vehicle’s tires and make sure they’re at the proper pressure.

“Make sure that you’re not letting things fly off your vehicle,” Nintzel says in the video. “It’s about keeping drivers and their passengers safe.”

Watch today’s video and you may never look at pavement markings in the same way ever again…

Who knew there was so much to understand about these stripes?

A little bit about what you’re seeing

Thermoplastic striping is a different than a painted stripe. It’s also unlike this striping tape we showed you back in 2011 when a portion of the Loop 303 opened.

Thermoplastic striping is a highly reflective, long-lasting pavement marking material that is resistant to cracking (from freeze and thaw cycles).

You can see in the video above, that the thermoplastic compound must be heated to 400-440 degrees so that it will bond to the road properly.

To make the stripes reflective (so they're visible at night), glass beads are dropped immediately into the thermoplastic material – you might remember reading about how ADOT tests glass beads for reflectivity in this blog post on the agency’s structural materials testing lab.

ADOT uses thermoplastic striping for its many benefits, including the fact that it doesn’t crack, chip or impact shatter, it’s environmentally safe and the process allows for quicker striping.

It’s been a while since we last checked in on the I-10/Prince Road widening project and judging by the video above, a lot has happened at the site.

But, before we take a look at the progress, let us first give you an overview of the project…

I-10 from Ruthrauff Road to Prince Road widening

ADOT started construction in September 2011 to widen I-10 between Ruthrauff and Prince roads in Tucson.

Besides widening that portion of I-10 to four lanes in each direction, the project also is set to reconstruct the Prince Road traffic interchange so that Prince Road will pass over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and I-10 (this video gives a good explanation).

The project will also update the on- and off-ramps to provide better connections and access. New landscaping is part of the project, too.

Where things are now

You can see in today’s video that crews recently worked to install 22 girders (each measuring in at about 120 feet) for the bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad. According to Resident Engineer Mindy Teague, the process is a little trickier than some of the other bridges on the project.

“We have to coordinate all of our actions with the trains coming through,” she says.

After the girders have been placed, the next step is to pour the bridge deck, says Tucson District Engineer Roderick Lane in the video.

“There’s kind of a big span between this bridge and the next bridge and that’s all going to be filled with dirt, so it’s really going to open up the whole west side of Prince Road for quite a bit of development opportunity,” Lane says, adding that ADOT has put a lot of effort into making business accessible during construction. “The light is at the end of the tunnel. We’re down to the last six months, or so. You can see everything coming up out of the ground and we really appreciate everybody’s patience and efforts as we move through this.”

For more on the project, check out our previous blog posts.

What to expect in Tucson near the project area this Saturday (Nov. 23)

Motorists should expect heavy traffic and possible delays because of special events in Tucson on Saturday, Nov. 23.

Roadway restrictions are planned along I-10 and SR77 (Oracle Road) because of the El Tour de Tucson bicycle race. Drivers should allow extra travel time and consider alternate routes.

In addition, the University of Arizona football game home finale versus University of Oregon kicks off at 1:30 p.m. and significant traffic delays are expected. Football fans should leave early and consider using Kino Parkway or Park Avenue exits as alternate routes off of I-10 to Arizona Stadium.

Detours and road closures will be in place from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23 for El Tour de Tucson: Eastbound I-10 frontage road from Tangerine Road to 22nd Street will be narrowed to one lane. Cyclists will be traveling in the right lane, except within the Prince Road construction project area, where they will be in the left lane briefly and then back into the right lane.

Construction DETOUR:

• Due to the construction at Prince Road, vehicles will be detoured to the eastbound I-10 entrance ramp at Ruthrauff Road.
• Drivers can take the Prince Road exit ramp to access the frontage road businesses or Business Center Drive.
• Drivers leaving this area will be directed by law enforcement to use the right lane to allow cyclists to use the left lane.

Ramp restrictions will be in place on I-10 at Craycroft, Wilmot and Kolb roads. The eastbound I-10 exit ramp at Craycroft Road will be closed. The eastbound I-10 entrance and exit ramp at Wilmot Road will be closed. The eastbound I-10 exit ramp and westbound I-10 exit ramp at Kolb Road will be closed.

Northbound SR 77 from Ina Road to Rancho Vistoso Boulevard will be narrowed to two lanes. Cyclists will be traveling in the right lane and on the shoulder.

Westbound I-10 frontage road traffic will be detoured to eastbound 22nd Street. Eastbound 22nd Street will be restricted to one lane in each direction from I-10 to 4th Avenue. Cyclists will use westbound 22nd Street.

Eastbound I-10 exit ramps at Congress Road and 22nd Street/Star Pass Boulevard will be closed. The eastbound entrance ramps will remain open.

For the most current information about highway closures and restrictions statewide, visit ADOT's Travel Information site at az511.gov, follow us on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511.

Practice makes perfect when it comes to emergency training, which is why several agencies got together earlier this month to prepare for a major disaster.

Not that anyone’s expecting something like this to happen, but the groups involved took on a scenario that included a statewide power outage and severe weather.

“Our statewide exercise is our largest exercise that we will conduct this year,” says Arizona Division of Emergency Management Director Wendy Smith-Reeve in the video, adding that there were more than 2,300 participants and approximately 240 agencies involved. “The reason why we practice is to improve upon our actions and activities, to enhance our relationships with the partners that we have at the local level, county, tribal, other state partners and federal partners. It’s all about practicing with them.”

ADOT was involved because if there ever is statewide emergency, transportation could certainly be affected.

ADOT Assistant State Engineer Lonnie Hendrix explains in the video above that ADOT used the statewide exercise to put into practice the operational and communication plans already in place.

“We’re working with everything from flooding to fires to power outages,” he says of the exercise. “Obviously if something like that were to occur, the transportation system is critical. It allows supplies to get to where they need, it allows people to get evacuated and so it’s important that we’re there, that we respond and we do it quickly.”

You can find more preparedness information on the Arizona Emergency Information Network website at www.azein.gov.

We’ve been blogging about #KnowSnow all week long, but we knew we couldn’t wrap things up without sharing this video…

If you’re a long-time reader, it might seem familiar. We originally posted it on the blog two years ago (time flies!). It does such a good job of showcasing ADOT’s winter storm management efforts that we thought it’d be worth a replay.

You can see that a portion of the video focuses on deicers and since we didn’t really call attention to them in this original 2011 blog post, we wanted to take time today to explain how ADOT uses these materials.

Deicing Agents

ADOT is fully stocked with deicing agents and ready for the winter season that’s upon us. These materials include a liquid magnesium chloride and a granular product called Ice Slicer.

Magnesium chloride is a naturally occurring salt mineral – this liquid is commonly used ahead of a storm.

Ice Slicer is a naturally occurring complex chloride which consists of sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium chlorides. Ice Slicer does melt the snow and ice, but it is mainly used to prevent the bond between ice and the road. This is important, because if the snow and ice don’t freeze to the road, they can be more easily plowed off the highway.

ADOT Flagstaff District Maintenance Engineer Chuck Gillick does a better job of explaining it in the video above.

“We load it into our plow trucks and spread it on the highway. What salt really does is change the freezing point of the snow,” says Gillick. “We try to use it so (the snow and ice) doesn’t bond with the roadway surface. It tends to lower that freezing point and makes (the snow) liquid for a longer period of time and that helps us get it off the road quicker.”

For more on ADOT’s winter storm management efforts, visit our “Know Snow” Web page.

“The safest location for drivers would be to try to stay behind a plow at a safe distance. ... If you’re behind a plow, you’re going to get from point A to point B.”

That's the message ADOT snowplow drivers want you to remember when driving in the snow this season.

Snowplow operators have a serious job to do and it’s important that everyone else on the road gives them the room they need to do it safely. That means staying at least four car lengths behind a plow (if you think you’re too close to a snowplow, you probably are). You also shouldn't try to pass these vehicles … just stay back and let them clear the road. Snowplows are large, heavy vehicles that need room to operate.

Ready for the winter

Winter safety is a year-round focus for ADOT. In preparation for this year’s winter storm season, more than 450 ADOT employees and snowplow operators attended a Winter Readiness Academy in Flagstaff this summer. The training workshop included instruction from industry experts and some of own ADOT’s in-house experts.

Several hours in the classroom, snowplow simulators and on-the-job training are also required of any ADOT employee before becoming a certified snowplow operator.

“The work that they do is difficult and dangerous. They work long shifts and so it’s important that they be well trained and prepared to do that task,” says Assistant State Engineer Lonnie Hendrix of ADOT’s 450 plow operators.

Learn more about winter driving and snowplows, by visiting our “Know Snow” Web page.

Whether it’s a traffic jam, crash, flood, or even a produce spill – if it happens on the state’s highway system, you can bet ADOT’s Traffic Operations Center is already working to ease the impact it will have on drivers.

The Traffic Operations Center (referred to around here as the TOC), is ADOT’s state-of-the-art electronic data hub. Open 24 hours a day, the TOC is where ADOT staff keeps an eye on traffic conditions around the state.

But they’re not just watching…

Everyone at the TOC is actively working to help make your commute as smooth and safe as possible. They're also letting motorists know what to expect on the road.

“We have many ways to let the public know about what’s going on, on the roadways. We use our Twitter site as well as AZ 511,” says ADOT Public Information Officer Caroline Carpenter in the video above, adding that the ADOT website and Facebook page are also options for learning about road closures and alternate routes. “And, if you’re driving we have nearly 200 overhead messaging boards across the state that will give you all of the information as to what’s happening on the roadways ahead of you.”

Strong partnership

If there’s a crash or other type of incident on the state’s roads, the staff at the TOC will work closely with the Arizona Department of Public Safety until traffic is moving again.

DPS Officer Carrick Cook explains in the video how that partnership is valuable to drivers.

“The people that work at the TOC are a great asset and without their help, people would be stuck in these crashes for a very long time … we rely heavily on them and we appreciate everything they do,” said Cook.

A few more facts about the TOC

• The TOC monitors more than 250 traffic cameras throughout the state.
• There are 40 reconfigurable 55-inch flat-panel displays that line a wall in the TOC.
• Traffic cameras are only for monitoring traffic flow. ADOT does NOT record the video (we get asked about this from time to time … and, in case you ever wondered, the cameras aren’t used for speed enforcement).
• The dynamic message signs used by TOC staff to warn drivers of what’s ahead are also used for weather advisories and Amber Alerts.

For more on the TOC, see our blog post about its recent high-tech overhaul. You can also read about how ADOT enhanced its online traffic camera images earlier this year and learn how ADOT calculates those freeway travel times.

Earlier this week, it was announced that US 89T – the newly paved, shorter US 89 detour route – is now fully open without restrictions.

While we’re excited about that update (as drivers in the area surely are, too), we also want to inform you about what’s happening on US 89 as ADOT works to restore the landslide-damaged route…

As you can see in the video above, ADOT must complete environmental surveys of the entire project area prior to any sort of construction (we told you last month about the surveys for permits required under the Clean Water Act).

Right now, ADOT is evaluating the project area to see if there are any archaeologically significant sites in the right of way.

You may remember from this 2012 blog post that if these types of evaluations indicate a project may have an adverse effect on an historic property or site, efforts are made to avoid the area all together.

What are they looking for?

ADOT Historic Preservation Specialist David Zimmerman explains that his team is searching for anything that seems like people made it – pottery shards, stone materials and rock alignments are a few of the things they’re seeking out.

“The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 mandates that a federal agency has to take account of its effects on historic properties,” says Zimmerman in the video above. “In other words, where could your project potentially damage historic properties, be they archaeological sites, historic buildings and, in the case of tribes particularly, what they call traditional cultural properties.”