PRESCOTT – Work is scheduled to get underway next week on a project that will widen one mile of State Route 69 in Prescott, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. 

ADOT, in partnership with the Central Yavapai Metropolitan Planning Organization, is constructing a third travel lane in each direction and a raised center median between Prescott Lakes Parkway and Frontier Village (mileposts 294-295).

The $9.8 million project will also install a raised center median between Yavpe Connector and Heather Heights near the junction with SR 89.

This project, which is expected to take approximately nine months to complete, also will:

• construct curbs and gutters;
• install new pipe culverts and storm drains;
• remove and install a traffic signal; and
• install signage and striping.

When construction gets underway on Monday, July 8, work will initially occur along the shoulders during the day with minimal impacts to the traveling public. Two travel lanes will be maintained during daytime hours. In addition, SR 69 will be narrowed to one lane in each direction between Prescott Lakes Parkway and Heather Heights from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday evenings through Thursday mornings. 

Business access will be maintained throughout the project, though there may be brief restrictions when work takes place in front of driveways and side streets. There will be no restrictions on weekends and state holidays. 

To learn more about this project and to subscribe for updates, please visit azdot.gov/SR69widening.

PHOENIX – Work is scheduled to get underway Thursday, July 11, on a free-flowing interchange connecting US 93 and Interstate 40 in Kingman.

The $106 million project is planned to eliminate delays that can occur for passenger and truck traffic on the main route between Las Vegas and Arizona. While traffic now must stop at a traffic signal where Beale Street intersects with I-40, a system-to-system interchange will feature ramps that allow traffic to flow freely.

Those new ramps will create one new mile of highway between I-40 and US 93, running northwest of the existing interchange at I-40 and Beale Street. Other project features include:

• Widening more than one mile of I-40 in both directions between the new interchange and Stockton Hill Road
• Adding a merge lane on US 93 northbound
• Widening and/or rehabilitating four bridges on I-40
• Building sound walls along a portion of I-40 to the west of Stockton Hill Road
• Constructing drainage features

For more information on the Kingman interchange project and to subscribe for updates, please visit azdot.gov/WestKingmanTI. Visitors to the webpage can also watch a flyover video simulation of what the project will look like upon completion.

This project is among several underway or planned to improve US 93, which travels 200 miles between Wickenburg and the Nevada line at Hoover Dam. In addition to constructing the Kingman interchange, ADOT's long-term vision calls for a four-lane divided highway through the entire 200 miles between Wickenburg and Nevada. Since 1999, ADOT has completed 19 projects to modernize US 93 between Wickenburg and I-40. 

A current US 93 project near Wickenburg is now more than halfway done as work continues to transform a 5-mile section of two-lane roadway into a four-lane divided highway. Work on the Wickenburg-area project is expected to continue through this year, with lane restrictions limited to overnight hours to minimize traffic impacts. More information is available at azdot.gov/US93Wickenburg. 

ADOT’s Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program for 2025-2029 has these additional projects scheduled to convert segments US 93 to four-lane divided highway: mileposts 106-109.5. in the Cane Springs area; mileposts 190.5-193.5 in the Vista Royale area northwest of Wickenburg; and mileposts 161.7-166.2 in the area of Big Jim Wash.

For more information on other current and planned improvement projects in northwestern Arizona, please visit the Northwest Regional Improvements US 93 and I-40 webpage.   

PHOENIX – Arizona Highways, the world-renowned magazine highlighting Arizona’s scenery and stories, earned a total of 16 awards for excellence in visuals, writing and production at the recent annual conference of regional magazines from across North America.

The magazine, published by the Arizona Department of Transportation, won three first-place Gold Awards from the nonprofit International Regional Media Association. A panel of magazine industry experts judges its annual awards competition. 

“What a true honor it is to be recognized by our industry peers for the incredible work done by the Arizona Highways team,” Arizona Highways Publisher Kelly Mero said.

Arizona Highways received the following awards:

Gold

• Headline & Dek: Robert Stieve, “Dam Shame”
• Single Photo: Guy Schmickle, “Schnebly Hill Monsoon” 
• Photo Series (35,000 or more circulation): “Flavor of the Months”

Silver

• Website of the Year
• Magazine Photographer of the Year (35,000 or more circulation): Joel Hazelton
• Travel Feature: Morgan Sjogren, “A Long Strange Trip”
• Profiles (35,000 or more circulation): Matt Jaffe, “The Grand Master”
• Column: Robert Stieve, June, October and November 2023
• Illustration: Sam Ward, “Who Shot First?”

Bronze

• Public Issues: Annette McGivney, “In Hot Water”  
• General Feature (35,000 or more circulation): Lawrence W. Cheek, “It’s Looking Up Downtown” 
• Portrait Photo: William Allard, “Henry Gray”
• Overall Art Direction (35,000 or more circulation): August, October and November 2023

Merit

• Historic Feature (35,000 or more circulation): Kathy Montgomery, “What a Place to Call Home”
• Art & Culture Feature: Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi, “According to Custom” 
• Essay: Kelly Vaughn, “Learning on the Fly” 

Founded in 1925, Arizona Highways is dedicated to promoting travel to and through the state of Arizona. In addition to the world-renowned magazine known for spectacular landscape photography, Arizona Highways publishes travel guide books, calendars and other products to promote travel in Arizona. The magazine has subscribers in all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

Learn more at arizonahighways.com and irmamagazines.com.

PHOENIX – Recent lane striping work has improved traffic flow by extending right lanes along Loop 101 (Price Freeway) near US 60 (Superstition Freeway) in Tempe, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Crews have adjusted lane stripes to extend right lanes and promote safer merging conditions along northbound Loop 101 near University Drive and southbound near Broadway Road.

“We wanted to provide the additional traffic capacity while other pavement improvement work is taking place along the Price Freeway,” said David Locher, who manages ADOT’s Operational Traffic and Safety Group. “The timing allowed crews to add new lane markings without leaving behind remnants of old striping.”

ADOT had made similar lane striping adjustments resulting in safety and traffic flow improvements at other freeway locations in the Phoenix area, including westbound US 60 near Dobson Road and the Interstate 10/Loop 101 interchange in the West Valley.

“Our plan for that area along Loop 101 allows the right lanes to continue down to the next major interchange,” said ADOT Regional Traffic Engineer George Williams. “The improved striping is significantly helping with traffic flow. It also means we were able to provide auxiliary lanes with more room for traffic to merge between entrance and exit ramps in the area.

ADOT partners with the Maricopa Association of Governments, the Phoenix area’s metropolitan planning organization, in managing freeway improvement projects. Improvements are often funded via Proposition 400, a dedicated half-cent sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004. 

Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, the az511 app or by calling 511. 

PHOENIX – The State Transportation Board has approved the 2025-2029 Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program, which emphasizes pavement and bridge improvements and expanding several key highways.

The final 2025-2029 Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program is available for review at azdot.gov/FiveYearProgram.

The $8.2 billion program puts a major emphasis on improving highway pavement and bridge infrastructure throughout greater Arizona, which encompasses areas outside of Maricopa and Pima counties. The plan provides more than $2.5 billion for these high-priority improvements during the next five years. This amounts to an average investment of approximately $500 million per year to preserve, rehabilitate and replace pavement and bridges. 

The program provides a total of $800 million over five years for projects that improve highway safety, efficiency and functionality, such as intersection improvements, smart technology, freight mobility and signs, signals and lighting.

It also allocates $780 million for projects that widen highways or improve interchanges across greater Arizona, including:

• Widening and improving US 93 between Wickenburg and I-40 in Kingman, including expanding three segments of the highway from two to four lanes. The US 93 improvements include the ongoing widening project near Wickenburg, along with new projects near Cane Springs, Vista Royale and Big Jim Wash.
• Widening the last two-lane section of State Route 260 in the Lion Springs area between Payson and Heber-Overgaard. This will complete a four-lane divided highway along the entire SR 260 corridor.
• Constructing a new I-40 interchange at Rancho Santa Fe Parkway in Kingman.

In the Maricopa County region, the program features approximately $2 billion in construction projects planned in conjunction with the Maricopa Association of Governments. Those projects include:

• Widening Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Casa Grande. The I-10 Wild Horse Pass Corridor will have four projects, including the construction of the I-10 Bridges Over the Gila River that began this spring.
• Extending Loop 303 between Van Buren Street and Maricopa County 85.
• Providing new HOV ramp connections between I-10 and Loop 101.
• Reconstructing the intersection of Grand Avenue, 35th Avenue and Indian School Road to separate traffic.

In Pima County, in coordination with the Pima Association of Governments, the program includes $849 million toward:

• Improvements to I-10: Kino to Country Club, which includes building a new interchange at I-10 and Country Club Road, reconstructing the interchange at Kino Parkway and  also widening I-10 in the area.
• Reconstructing the I-19 interchange at Irvington Road.

The program also includes over $57 million for airport projects throughout the state.

Funding for the statewide program comes from federal, state and local dollars in addition to money generated by users of transportation services in Arizona, primarily through gasoline and diesel fuel taxes and the Arizona vehicle license tax. Both the Maricopa and Pima County regions have voter-approved sales taxes for transportation that fund expansion projects.

ADOT’s five-year program is developed by working closely with local governments, regional transportation planning organizations and tribal communities to prioritize projects that are ready to build or design. ADOT also receives guidance from the Arizona Division Office of the Federal Highway Administration while developing and implementing the program.

Changes to the five-year program may occur throughout the year and can be viewed at estip.azdot.gov. 

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is seeking public input on a proposed update to its Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan that would add nine state highway segments to a planned network of fast-charging stations. 

The virtual meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 10, on the proposal to add the following to a list that currently includes all interstate freeways, US 89, and portions of US 93 and state routes 64, 87, 95 and 347:

• US 60: Wickenburg to Phoenix
• US 60: Phoenix to Globe
• US 60: Show Low to New Mexico
• US 93: Wickenburg to I-40
• US 95: Quartzsite to San Luis
• US 160: US 89 to Four Corners
• SR 68: US 93 to Bullhead City
• SR 80: Bisbee to Douglas
• SR 90: I-10 to Bisbee

Please visit azdot.gov/EVPlan to register for the virtual meeting and receive your link to attend. Project staff will be available to share information about the new proposed station locations on state highways and answer questions. 

You can provide feedback on the proposed update through Wednesday, July 17, in the following ways:

• Virtual Meeting: Register at azdot.gov/EVmeeting 
• Online Survey: Available at azdot.gov/EVcomments 
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 800.915.4301
• Mail: ADOT EV Plan, 1655 W. Jackson St., MD 126F, Phoenix, AZ 85007

The evolving electric vehicle charging network plan is part of $76.5 million in federal funding Arizona is eligible to receive through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. The program encourages adoption of electric vehicles by building a nationwide network of publicly accessible and reliable fast chargers that will reduce drivers’ concerns about the range of electric vehicles.

The charging stations will be built with 80% federal funding and a 20% private match. No state funding will be used to build the charging station network. ADOT will administer the contracting process with private companies that will operate the stations.

Planning and construction using NEVI funds is slated to start in 2025, but the buildout will take place over several years. This year, ADOT began seeking bids for private entities to build or upgrade the first phase of electric vehicle charging stations along interstate highways. ADOT expects to award contracts for these stations in late summer, with stations slated to be operational in one year from the start of construction

To learn more, please visit AZDOT.gov/EVPlan.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is advising motorists to plan ahead and expect delays as  eastbound Interstate 10 will be closed between State Route 51 and US 60 from 10 p.m. Friday, June 21, to 4 a.m. Monday, June 24, for a traffic shift. At the same time, the following ramps will be closed: 

• The loop ramp from southbound SR 143 to eastbound I-10
• The ramp from southbound Interstate 17 to eastbound I-10 
• The westbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) ramp to eastbound I-10
• The ramps from southbound SR 51 to eastbound I-10
• The high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) ramp from eastbound I-10 to eastbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway)

The following ramps will also be closed from 8 p.m. Friday, June 21, to 4 a.m. Monday, June 24: 

• The eastbound I-10 on-ramps at Third, Seventh and Jefferson streets, Buckeye Road, 24th, 32nd and 40th streets and Broadway Road
• The southbound I-17 on-ramps at Seventh Avenue and Seventh Street
• The southbound SR 51 on-ramp at McDowell Road

Detour: Use eastbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) to southbound Loop 101 (Price Freeway) to westbound US 60 or westbound Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) to access eastbound I-10 beyond the closure. Drivers traveling on southbound I-17 can use westbound I-10 to eastbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway).

West Valley drivers heading  to the Southeast Valley can bypass the closure by using the Loop 202 (South Mountain Freeway). From I-10 and 59th Avenue, travel south and east to connect with eastbound I-10 south of Chandler Boulevard. 

Southbound SR 143 loop ramp to eastbound I-10 closing permanently

The southbound SR 143 ramp to eastbound I-10 will permanently close at 8 p.m. Friday, June 21. Use the eastbound I-10 on-ramp at Broadway or Baseline roads instead. The new flyover ramp is scheduled to open later this year. 

Also: When eastbound  I-10 reopens, drivers can expect a new lane configuration. Crews will remove the lane split between 48th Street and Broadway Road.  

 Please note:  The Arizona Department of The Arizona Department of Transportation advises drivers to use designated detours when there are closures on state highways. Schedules can quickly change because of weather and other unforeseen situations. For the most up-to-date information, we encourage you to download the Interstate 10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project’s free mobile app, TheCurve or visit the Alerts section of the project website before you travel.

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The I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project is identified in the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan, funded by a half-cent sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004 through Proposition 400. MAG identified the need for this project to reduce travel times on I-10 during peak hours; improve airport access; support ridesharing and transit; and prepare the region for future growth projections. Learn more about the major improvements here. 

GLOBE – The Arizona Department of Transportation is advising motorists to plan for lane restrictions and delays for a pavement improvement project on US 60 north of Globe that is scheduled to begin Monday, June 17.

The project will span 8 miles of US 60 from mileposts 278-286 and will involve milling the top layer of existing pavement, then installing a chip seal and micro seal.

Work is expected to take place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 6 a.m. to noon on Fridays. During construction, motorists should prepare for flagging operations to assist them through the work zone.

Paving is expected to be complete in June, followed by a 30-day curing period. At that point, work crews will install rumble strips and permanent striping. The project is expected to be complete in August.

For real-time highway conditions, please visit ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov.

COOLIDGE – The Arizona Department of Transportation is starting a project Wednesday, June 19, to improve safety and traffic flow at the intersection of State Route 87 and Skousen Road in northwest Coolidge.

The project will reconstruct the intersection, which is about a mile west of the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, while adding a traffic signal and lighting.

Construction also includes new lanes. The project will add a lane on SR 87 west of Skousen Road to allow for right turns onto Skousen Road. And both directions of Skousen Road will feature new left-turn lanes for traffic turning onto SR 87.

During construction, motorists should expect temporary traffic signals to control traffic moving through the intersection. One lane of travel will be maintained in each direction throughout the project.

Work is expected to take place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The project is expected to be complete in early 2025.

For more information, please visit azdot.gov/route87-skousen-project.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is advising motorists to plan ahead and expect delays as the southbound State Route 143 will be closed between Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) and Interstate 10, from 10 p.m. Friday, June 14, to 4 a.m. Monday, June 17, for concrete repair and a traffic shift. At the same time, northbound SR 143 between I-10 and University Drive will also be closed.

On Monday, June 17, the new westbound I-10 ramp to northbound SR 143 will open to motorists.   

The following ramps will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday, June 14, to 4 a.m. Monday, June 17:

• The ramps from Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) to southbound SR 143
• The westbound I-10 ramp to northbound SR 143  

The following ramps will be closed from 8 p.m. Friday, June 14 to 4 a.m. Monday, June 17:

• The southbound SR 143 on-ramps at McDowell Road, Washington Street, Sky Harbor Boulevard, and University Drive 
• The northbound SR 143 on-ramp at 48th Street 
• The westbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) off-ramp at Sky Harbor Boulevard

Southbound SR 143 detours

• Westbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway): Use westbound Loop 202 to eastbound I-10 to access destinations south of the closure 
• Eastbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway): Use eastbound Loop 202 to southbound Loop 101 (Price Freeway) to westbound US 60 to access destinations south of the closure

Northbound SR 143 detours

• Eastbound I-10: Use the eastbound I-10 to eastbound US 60 to northbound Loop 101 (Price Freeway) to westbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) to access destinations north of the closure
• Westbound I-10: Use westbound I-10 to eastbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) to access destinations north of the closure 

Airport access: Motorists heading to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on southbound Interstate 17, westbound I-10 and westbound US 60, use westbound I-10 to access the airport entrances at 24th Street or Buckeye Road. East Valley drivers may use the 44th Street entrance from Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway). 

 Please note:  The Arizona Department of The Arizona Department of Transportation advises drivers to use designated detours when there are closures on state highways. Schedules can quickly change because of weather and other unforeseen situations. For the most up-to-date information, we encourage you to download the Interstate 10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project’s free mobile app, TheCurve or visit the Alerts section of the project website before you travel.

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The I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project is identified in the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan, funded by a half-cent sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004 through Proposition 400. MAG identified the need for this project to reduce travel times on I-10 during peak hours; improve airport access; support ridesharing and transit; and prepare the region for future growth projections. Learn more about the major improvements here.