There’s a chance for snow in parts of the state today and tomorrow, which means ADOT’s snowplow drivers are getting ready for the storm ahead…

Now, while the rest of us may prep for wintry weather by finding a blanket and a warm mug of cocoa, ADOT’s snowplow drivers have a much bigger agenda.

They’re charged with keeping the state’s roads clear and safe, but many motorists may not realize the effort it takes. That’s why today’s video is so great, because it shows us a day in the life of a snowplow driver.

And, what a long day it is!

“Our shift runs from midnight until noon … if it’s snowing, we’re out here all night long,” says snowplow driver Joe Chavez.

Respect the plow!

As these snowplow drivers do their job, they need the cooperation of other motorists. Here are a few tips to remember if you’re driving near a plow:

• Never pass a snowplow! Slow down and be patient.
• Stay at least four car lengths behind snowplows and equipment. Plowed snow can create a cloud that reduces visibility, and spreaders on trucks throw salt or sand that can damage your vehicle.
• Watch for snowplows operating in multiple travel lanes or in tandem.
• If approaching an oncoming snowplow, slow down and give the plow extra room.

Get more driving tips and find useful information over on our “Know Snow” Web page. You can also check out our previous blog posts and videos for even more about how ADOT prepares for the snowy season.

Who says safety messages have to be humorless or uninteresting?

Not us and certainly not anyone out there who has taken part in Haboob Haiku: Year Two!

Not only have you turned in some really inspired poetry that’s fun to read, but you’ve helped us spread the important “Pull Aside, Stay Alive” message for a second year in a row.

Safety is of course the main reason why we #HaboobHaiku, but as we stated last year, we hope that by building public awareness through social media you’ll continue to help us spread our messages when a dust storm (or any road closure/emergency) hits.

We’ll remind you one more time that you can find dust storm safety tips, videos and more on our website, PullAsideStayAlive.org.

OK ... now on to those haikus!

We read all of them and narrowed it down to our favorites. Today, we’re asking you to help us choose this year’s top #HaboobHaiku.

Voting ends Wednesday, June 26. We’ll announce the winner next Friday (like last year, we don’t have any prizes to offer – the winner will just have major bragging rights)!

*After you've selected your favorite #HaboobHaiku in the survey below, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the poll and click, "Done.

Thank you for voting! This survey is now closed.

We’re loving all the Haboob Haikus that have been rolling in this week…

Like last year, this poetry challenge with the funny name has helped us accomplish an important goal, which is to get people talking about the danger of driving in dust storms. Because we cannot forget that dust storms can pose very real risks to motorists in this state – just take a look at the video above for proof.

Need more proof? According to the most recent Crash Facts report, in 2012 there were 98 crashes that occurred during “blowing sand, soil, dirt.”

It’s too many, but at least that number is down from 2011 when there were 193 crashes.

While we’re not taking credit for the reduction (the statistic really varies year to year), we do hope that making people aware of dust storm safety means more drivers will continue to pull aside and stay alive.

So, here’s where we’re going to (once again) remind you of what to do if you encounter a dust storm. We hope you remember these tips – and share them with people you know – as we head into Arizona’s monsoon season (you can even head over to PullAsideStayAlive.org and print a few copies to post at work and keep in your glove box!).

• Avoid driving into or through a dust storm.
• If you encounter a dust storm, check traffic immediately around your vehicle (front, back and to the side) and begin slowing down.
• Do not wait until poor visibility makes it difficult to safely pull off the roadway — do it as soon as possible. Completely exit the highway if you can.
• Do not stop in a travel lane or in the emergency lane; look for a safe place to pull completely off the paved portion of the roadway.
• Stop the vehicle in a position ensuring it is a safe distance from the main roadway and away from where other vehicles may travel.
• Turn off all vehicle lights, including your emergency flashers.
• Set your emergency brake and take your foot off the brake.
• Stay in the vehicle with your seat belts buckled and wait for the storm to pass.
• Drivers of high-profile vehicles should be especially aware of changing weather conditions and travel at reduced speeds.
• A driver’s alertness and safe driving ability are always the top factors in preventing crashes.

For even more on dust storm safety, please visit PullAsideStayAlive.org.

Last year, ADOT launched its very first “Haboob Haiku” challenge in an effort to spread the word about dust storm safety and the response was pretty amazing.

That’s actually a huge understatement ... Not only did we receive over 600 original haikus (some even by phone and snail mail), but #HaboobHaiku yielded stories in media outlets all over the world (they even wrote about it in New Zealand!).

New York Daily News Books may have put it best…@NYNDNews: “This is sorta awesome: Arizona fighting dust storms with haiku.” Or maybe it was @BlazingLily: “#HaboobHaiku just might be the best hashtag ever!”

We agree, @BlazingLily, so we’re bringing it back!

Haboob Haiku: Year Two

Today, as part of ADOT’s ongoing efforts to share the important messages related to dust storm safety, we are once again asking you to channel your inner poet by writing a haboob haiku and sharing it over on Twitter (don’t forget to #haboobhaiku and mention @ArizonaDOT) or on our Facebook page or even here in the comments.

Be sure to visit PullAsideStayAlive.org for a look at our videos and driving tips – while you’re there, you might just find some ideas for your own haiku.

After all, safety is the point of #HaboobHaiku. The haikus are designed to reinforce ADOT’s public safety message urging drivers to avoid driving into or through a dust storm at all costs. Drivers are instead encouraged to pull off the roadway and wait out a dust storm rather than trying to drive with reduced or zero visibility.

How to Haiku

Haiku is a type of poetry that conforms to a certain syllable structure. They’re traditionally written in three lines – the first line consists of five syllables, the second line has seven and the third ends with five.

Usually these poems can be on any subject, but for #HaboobHaiku, we want you to focus on monsoons, dust storms and our safety message: Pull Aside, Stay Alive.

Some inspiration to get things started

Before you rush off to Tweet us your latest haiku, take a look at some of the favorites from last year...

• You’re not a Jedi / This is not Tatooine, Luke / Pull over now, man
• Dust blows, swirls and grows / Roadways become danger zones / Pull over, lights off
• Wham, bam, dust storm jam / Can’t see? Don’t drive, pull over / Lights out ‘til all clear

We can’t wait to see what you come up with for Haboob Haiku: Year Two!

It’s that time of year again…

Temperatures are dropping across the state and some areas have already seen snow.

The start of the winter season means motorists traveling through Arizona’s high country need to be aware of ADOT’s annual road closures.

A handful of state routes across the state are closed annually due to the significant amount of snowfall and most are reopened in the spring.

• State Route 67 between Jacob Lake (US 89A) and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (31 miles) will close on Dec. 4.  
• State Route 473 to Hawley Lake is the first of three highways in the White Mountains that will shut down this winter, beginning on Thursday, Nov. 15. 
• State Route 261 between Big Lake and the State Route 260 junction is scheduled to close on Dec. 17. 
• State Route 273 between Sunrise Park and Big Lake will close Dec. 17. The four-mile long portion of SR 273 between SR 260 and Sunrise Park will remain open to provide access to the ski area. 
• A portion of State Route 366 that leads to Mount Graham near Safford will close on Thursday, Nov. 15. ADOT may need to close the scenic highway, also known as “Swift Trail,” at lower elevations as necessary to allow for snow removal. 

Drivers should know that roads are subject to close earlier if heavy snowfall in the area occurs prior to the closure date.

Before heading out on the road, call 511 or visit www.az511.gov for the latest highway conditions around the state. The website features images along state highways that give drivers a glimpse of weather conditions in various regions.

At ADOT we always want to give drivers a warning of what’s coming up on the road ahead...

Whether it’s an impending freeway closure or a new type of traffic signal, we try our very best to get the word out ahead of time so motorists know what to expect.

But, sometimes something will impact our roads (and the ability to drive them) quickly and without much notice, making it all the more difficult to get the message out.

Dust storms absolutely fall under this category.

As you can see in the video above, these weather phenomena arrive suddenly and bring a blinding dust that can quickly reduce visibility to near zero. They make driving conditions hazardous and can cause crashes that may involve chain collisions and massive pileups on highways.

Ultimately, dust storms are an act of nature. While we don’t get much advance notice that they’re on the way, we can at least learn about these storms and know what to do when we encounter one.

Which brings us to this week’s theme: Pull Aside • Stay Alive.

You’ll hear that a lot from us over the next few days as we devote the entire week to monsoon and dust storm awareness.

That’s right ... this whole week will be focused on staying safe during the monsoon and dust storm season. We’ve got a lot planned for you here on the blog and on our Facebook and Twitter pages, too, so you’ll want to stay tuned!

But, first up, we’ve got some tips for drivers. Motorists play an important role in their own safety and the safety of others when operating vehicles during a dust storm ... here’s what to do when encountering a low- or no-visibility dust storm:

• Avoid driving into or through a dust storm. 
• Do not wait until poor visibility makes it difficult to safely pull off the roadway -- do it as soon as possible. Completely exit the highway if you can.
• If you encounter a dust storm, check traffic immediately around your vehicle (front, back and to the side) and begin slowing down.
• Do not stop in a travel lane or in the emergency lane; look for a safe place to pull completely off the paved portion of the roadway.
• Stop the vehicle in a position ensuring it is a safe distance from the main roadway and away from where other vehicles may travel.
• Turn off all vehicle lights, including your emergency flashers.
• Set your emergency brake and take your foot off the brake.
• Stay in the vehicle with your seatbelts buckled and wait for the storm to pass.
• Drivers of high-profile vehicles should be especially aware of changing weather conditions and travel at reduced speeds.
• A driver’s alertness and safe driving ability is still the No. 1 factor to prevent crashes.

Last week we received a blog comment requesting an update on the I-17 bridges that span over Pinewood Boulevard in Munds Park. We thought it was a great suggestion and figured a blog post was in order!

But, first a little refresher …

You might remember we blogged about the bridges back in May. That’s when the first phase of construction was in full-swing and crews were working on the northbound bridge.

We told you then that this project is going to update the bridges initially built in 1958 … back when there wasn’t much development in the area. When the job is finished this fall, there will be two new bridges that will be long enough to accommodate today’s traffic levels and wide enough for a future third lane in each direction on I-17. The project also includes a new sidewalk on Pinewood Boulevard that will allow pedestrians to cross safely underneath I-17.

Where we’re at today

I-17 traffic over the new bridge.

The northbound bridge is complete and the project is in winter shutdown except for some electrical work being done.

Work on the southbound bridge will begin when the weather warms sufficiently in the spring.

When construction resumes, the southbound bridge will be demolished, then reconstructed and I-17 will be repaved through the work zone.

While this work is being done, the southbound bridge will be closed and motorists will be detoured over to the northbound lanes of I-17.

The official start of winter is approaching, but the cold weather is already here!

Over the past few weeks, we’ve told you how ADOT prepares for the snowy conditions common this time of year in Arizona’s high country.

Getting the snowplows ready, along with plenty of deicer ready, along with closing down certain low-traffic/heavy snow routes are vital steps, but there’s an additional action ADOT takes each year as the temperatures start to dip …

Every winter ADOT has to suspend work on projects in the state’s high country. This is necessary because it is too cold to pour concrete or place asphalt pavement (rubberized asphalt is especially sensitive to temperature variations).

But that doesn’t mean our crews just drop what they’re doing!

Work is stopped at a logical point and the work zone is generally left in a condition that doesn’t impede traffic. Drivers may notice some barricades and should be aware as they’re driving through project sites.

And as for the actual crews…ADOT workers who manage or inspect the projects either switch gears to next-year’s planning or are reassigned to maintenance for the season.

Here’s a list of projects that have either already been suspended for the winter, or will be stopped in the next week or so:

• SR 64 roadway and streetscape improvements in Tusayan
• I-17 Munds Park traffic interchange
• US 93 repaving north of Kingman (top layer of rubberized asphalt will be finished in the spring)
• US 93 repaving south of Wikieup
• SR 260 passing lanes between Overgaard and Show Low
• US 60 repaving between Springerville and the New Mexico state line
• I-40 repaving through Holbrook
• SR 87 repaving north of I-40

Snow-covered, icy highways get swift attention from ADOT crews each winter, but some routes face factors so severe, that completely closing the road down for a few months is the best option.

A handful of state routes are annually shut down because they’re located in areas where HEAVY snowfall is common. These routes typically see little traffic – so it makes sense for ADOT to use its resources to keep more heavily traveled highways open.

When ADOT closes a road for the winter, maintenance crews will set up barricades at the closure points and then drive the roads to make sure no vehicles are in the closed sections.

So far, a few routes have already been closed, or are scheduled to close within a few weeks …

A portion of SR 366, also known as “The Swift Trail,” was closed on Nov. 15. This is the scenic highway that leads to Mount Graham – the closure begins at the end of the paved highway, just beyond the turnoff to Shannon Campground. ADOT may need to close the highway at lower elevations as necessary to allow for snow removal (this highway is too narrow to allow traffic to pass the snowplow). The Swift Trail should open up again in mind-April, unless conditions require it to be closed longer.

SR 67 – between Jacob Lake (US 89A) and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon – closed on Nov. 28. This portion of the route won’t be cleared of snow during the winter since the visitor accommodations at the North Rim are closed. Expect this road to re-open around mid-May.

SR 473 to Hawley Lake is slated to close Nov. 30.

SR 261 – between Big Lake and five miles south of SR 260 – is scheduled to close on Dec. 19.

A five-mile segment of SR 261 from the junction of SR 260 south toward Big Lake may be left open until Jan. 16, depending on the amount of snowfall.

SR 273 between Sunrise Park and Big Lake will close Dec. 19. The segment of SR 273 between SR 260 and Sunrise Park will remain open to provide access to the ski area.

It’s important for motorists to drive with caution as they encounter winter conditions. Check out ADOT’s “Know Snow” web page for maps and tools to assist you this season. You can also stay up-to-date with the latest highway conditions by visiting az511.gov or by calling 511.