PHOENIX – Preparing for construction of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, Arizona Department of Transportation crews with drills and backhoes will begin assessing the condition of soil and rock as well as the depth of groundwater along the freeway alignment.

The work, which is scheduled to begin Tuesday and continue for several months, will help engineers plan the freeway’s pavement, bridges, walls and drainage structures.

Understanding the soil, including its type, density, moisture content and strength, is essential prior to building any roadway. For the 45 bridges that will be built for the South Mountain Freeway, the answers will help engineers determine how deep concrete foundations should be. Finding clay rather than hard rock in an area could require engineers to use thicker pavement, build a support base or replace the soil altogether.

Workers will drill holes, called borings, and dig test pits up to 10 feet deep along the roadway alignment, and at all future bridge and retaining wall locations. Materials collected will be analyzed to create a profile of what lies beneath much of the 22-mile corridor.

This initial work will occur only during the day, and it won’t affect traffic. There may be traffic impacts later along Pecos Road, and ADOT will send out traffic advisories in advance of that work.

There are expected to be 720 borings to depths of 5 to 175 feet. In all, there will be about 29,000 feet of drilling and 800 feet of backhoe pit excavation.

Crews have already begun marking locations for testing after receiving environmental clearance and working with Arizona 811 to ensure there are no conflicts beneath the surface, such as water, gas and electrical utility lines.

None of the current work will occur within South Mountain Park.

The South Mountain Freeway, which will run east and west along Pecos Road and then north and south near 59th Avenue, connecting with Interstate 10 on each end, is expected to open by late 2019. The freeway will provide a long-planned direct link between the East Valley and West Valley and a much-needed alternative to Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix. Approved twice by Maricopa County voters, the South Mountain Freeway will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system.

With construction scheduled to begin this summer, ADOT is conducting preliminary engineering, addressing cultural resources in the right of way, acquiring and preparing properties, and relocating utilities. ADOT received final federal clearance to move forward with the project in spring 2015.

For more information, visit azdot.gov/SouthMountainFreeway.

PHOENIX – Just in time for the Memorial Day weekend, the San Simon rest areas near the New Mexico state line on eastbound and westbound Interstate 10 have reopened.

The rest areas, which serve more than 430,000 drivers each year, had been closed since March 2015 for much-needed repairs, including the drilling of a new well.

Digging the well deep enough to reach enough good water is the reason the rest area was closed beyond its scheduled December opening, said Bobby Wheeler, rest area manager with the Arizona Department of Transportation.

“To reach water that can supply the eastbound and westbound rest areas, we had to drill more than 1,000 feet,” he said.

In addition to improving the water and septic systems, the project included upgrades to buildings in both rest areas and ensuring that all structures at the site comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

About 12,000 vehicles a day drive along I-10 at San Simon, about three miles west of the New Mexico state line.

A second rest area on I-10 in southeastern Arizona, Texas Canyon, is expected to reopen before the Fourth of July holiday. Texas Canyon, about 20 miles east of Benson at milepost 320, has been closed for repairs since December.

PHOENIX – As Arizonans venture out for Memorial Day weekend, state transportation officials remind drivers to avoid all distractions while on the road – getting out and about and home safely – and make use of Arizona’s “Safe Phone Zones.”

Through a 2014 sponsorship with GEICO Insurance, Arizona has designated 14 rest area locations as “Safe Phone Zones,” where drivers can safely and conveniently use their phones and other mobile devices for calling, texting, navigating and accessing mobile apps.

June 10 marks the second anniversary of “Safe Phone Zones” in the state, and Arizona Department of Transportation Director John S. Halikowski said drivers need to be cautious on Arizona’s roads this holiday season.

“Distractions when driving can be deadly,” Halikowski said. “Tragedy can strike in the split second it takes to glance at a text, look at a map or take a bite of a burger. Arizona is a state of great beauty, so take a few minutes and pull into an ADOT rest area to stretch, look out at the mountains and catch up on your texts. It might be a lifesaving decision.”

Highway signs identifying the facilities as “Safe Phone Zones” and carrying the sponsor logo are placed in advance of the rest areas, reminding motorists to pull off in order to use their cellphones and tablets – safely.

“People are connected to their mobile devices today more than ever, and an unfortunate side effect of that is the rise in accidents attributed to distracted driving,” said Ted Ward, GEICO vice president of marketing. “We believe ‘Safe Phone Zones’ reflect GEICO’s commitment to protecting drivers by offering them a safe place off the roadways where they can check emails, make calls and view texts. We are proud to expand our support of this sponsorship in 2016 to help make the highways safe for all drivers.”

For more information on Safe Phone Zones and Transportation Safety in Arizona, visit azdot.gov/safephonezone.

PHOENIX – With six public meetings scheduled in June and an opportunity for the public to contribute in other ways, Arizonans can help shape the next step in planning for the proposed Interstate 11 as the Arizona Department of Transportation moves ahead on a three-year environmental study for a corridor stretching from Nogales to Wickenburg.

Planned as much more than a highway, I-11 is envisioned as a multimodal corridor connecting Arizona with regional and international markets while opening up new opportunities for mobility, trade, job growth and economic competitiveness.

ADOT has opened a 45-day comment period allowing Arizonans to provide input on the I-11 study area, a process known as public scoping. It’s an opportunity to ask questions and share comments about topics such as potential locations for the I-11 corridor, environmental considerations, impact on wildlife habitats or cultural resources, and possible opportunities for other transportation modes, such as rail, that may be considered.

“The progress on the Interstate 11 study shows ADOT’s commitment to establish a key border-to-border corridor and a trade route with Mexico that will continue our state’s efforts to boost commerce, job growth and economic development,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “We have the support of partner agencies throughout the study corridor who realize the benefits that I-11 can bring in terms of competitiveness, regional and global connections, and business opportunities through this new freight and travel route.”

The recommended I-11 corridor would likely follow US 93 from the Hoover Dam bypass bridge south to Wickenburg. The 280-mile corridor that is the focus of the current environmental study begins in Wickenburg and runs west of the Phoenix metropolitan area and then south to the Tucson area and then Nogales.

Publishing a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register, as required under the National Environmental Policy Act, kicks off the formal environmental study process, as ADOT works to prepare a Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement to select an I-11 corridor alternative between Nogales and Wickenburg.

Six public meetings are scheduled in the study area: 

Wednesday, June 8

Dorothy Powell Senior Adult Center – Dining Room
405 E. Sixth St.
Casa Grande

Wednesday, June 15

Buckeye Community Center – Multipurpose Room
201 E. Centre Ave.
Buckeye

Tuesday, June 21

Nogales High School – Cafeteria
1905 N. Apache Blvd.
Nogales

Wednesday, June 22

Arizona Riverpark Inn
777 W. Cushing St.
Tucson

Thursday, June 23

Marana Middle School – Gymnasium
11285 W. Grier Rd.
Marana

Wednesday, June 29

Wickenburg Community Center
160 N. Valentine St.
Wickenburg

All meetings run from 4 to 6:30 p.m., with presentations beginning at approximately 4:15 p.m. The same information will be presented at each meeting.

Those interested in commenting on the study but are unable to attend a public meeting are encouraged to visit the study website at i11study.com/Arizona and complete an online survey. All feedback, questions and comments will be considered part of the study, are entered into the project record and will help shape the proposed I-11 corridor.

In March, ADOT, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, launched the three-year study. Until now, a process called pre-scoping has included meetings with federal, state and local governments, resource agencies and planning organizations within the study corridor.

The first step in the study is developing an Alternatives Selection Report to assess a wide range of corridor alternatives and options, along with opportunities and constraints. A Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement will evaluate in greater detail a smaller number of corridor alternatives, including segments that may advance as independent improvements or projects. There will be a no-build alterative as well.

Input from the public, communities and other stakeholders will contribute to these two reports, as well as a Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement that will list a selected corridor alternative.

In November 2014, the Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation completed a two-year feasibility study as the first step in the Interstate 11 process. In December 2015, Congress formally designated Interstate 11 from north to south in Arizona through the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act. While the designation doesn’t include funding, it does make the corridor eligible for federal funding in the future.

During the next three years, the public, communities and other stakeholders will have opportunities to comment through regular meetings, community events and other forums. Right now, comments can be sent to:

• Online survey: i11study.com/Arizona
• Email: [email protected]
• Toll-free bilingual telephone hotline: 1.844.544.8049
• Mail:

                 Interstate 11 Tier 1 EIS Study Team
                 c/o ADOT Communications
                1655 W. Jackson St., Mail Drop 126F
                Phoenix, AZ 85007

For more information about the I-11 study, visit i11study.com/Arizona.  

PHOENIX – Those using US 60 to make an early start to, or a late return from, the eastern Arizona mountains over the holiday weekend can make travel plans without worrying about scheduled road closures.

Arizona Department of Transportation crews won’t close the roadway east of Superior for blasting on Thursday, May 26, or Tuesday, May 31.

Blasting to make room for a westbound passing lane from Devil’s Canyon to Oak Flat and other improvements will resume on Thursday, June 2, and continue on Tuesdays and Thursdays through June.

When completed, this $8.8 million safety improvement project will make it easier for motorists to pass large trucks and slow-moving vehicles on the sustained grades along this stretch of US 60.

Other improvements include wider shoulders in the Devil’s Canyon area, improvements to the Waterfall Canyon bridge and drainage improvements just west of Miami.

PHOENIX – Along the 22-mile corridor where the South Mountain Freeway will be built over the next few years, archaeologists are working to gather and recover items and information from the past that may have cultural or historic significance.

At one point along the freeway footprint, archaeologists are systematically digging 5-foot-deep trenches looking for signs that ancient people lived or farmed there. At other sites, archaeologists have found pottery pieces and 19th-century shotgun shells, among other items, and also documented historic petroglyphs.

Whether they contain evidence of those who inhabited this area in prehistoric times, artifacts from farms important to the area’s heritage or even an abandoned railroad, these sites must be managed according to federal and state historic preservation laws before freeway construction begins this summer.

Since the start of the study phase in 2001, ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration have been carrying out cultural resource studies and consulting tribal leaders, tribal historic preservation officers, state historic preservation offices, land managers and other stakeholders.

“Protecting and preserving cultural resources is the law, but it’s also the right and respectful thing to do,” said Linda Davis, who leads ADOT’s Historic Preservation Team.

By law, some of this work must remain confidential while it is happening, and sometimes a site will be fenced and monitored by security for safety reasons and to protect what ADOT’s research and field surveys suggest may be found there.

Federal and state regulations require ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration to identify and address any potential environmental impacts that could affect cultural or historic resources, air and water quality, wildlife, noise levels, hazardous waste and more before proceeding with any construction project.

This makes the agency one of the largest sponsors of archaeological research in Arizona. As part of its environmental planning process, the agency considers the effects of transportation projects on sensitive cultural resources by consulting with Native American communities, conducting research and limiting impacts from highway construction as much as possible.

When a site is determined to have historic or cultural significance, ADOT’s Historic Preservation Team develops a plan, in consultation with tribal leaders, tribal historic preservation officers, state historic preservation offices, land managers and other stakeholders to minimize harm from construction. At a site where construction will occur, archaeologists will gather items and information, a process referred to as data recovery.

Work at prehistoric and historic sites may include thorough documentation or excavation and extraction, analysis and preservation of artifacts, which can include sending the identified artifacts to an accredited repository, such as the Arizona State Museum, Museum of Northern Arizona, Pueblo Grande Museum or Huhugam Heritage Center. Historic structures are also documented.

“Building any transportation facility has consequences, including cultural and environmental impacts that ADOT is committed to minimizing as much as possible,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “In fulfilling its environmental commitments, including how it handles cultural resources, ADOT has to strike a balance between the need for a modern transportation network and protecting Arizona’s cultural heritage.”

The South Mountain Freeway, which will run east and west along Pecos Road and then north and south near 59th Avenue, connecting with Interstate 10 on each end, is expected to open by late 2019. The freeway will provide a long-planned direct link between the East Valley and West Valley and a much-needed alternative to Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix. Approved twice by Maricopa County voters, the South Mountain Freeway will complete the metropolitan area loop freeway system.

Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2016. Preliminary engineering, including geotechnical and utility work, and property acquisition and preparation, have been underway since spring 2015 after ADOT received final federal clearance to move forward.

For more information, visit azdot.gov/SouthMountainFreeway.

PHOENIX ‒ When a section of freeway settles a bit, taking a high-tech approach to the repair work allows the Arizona Department of Transportation to give the roadway a lift without digging up the pavement.

That’s now the case along the Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) in the Scottsdale area, where ADOT is injecting a foam that hardens as it expands to stabilize the soil and lift the pavement. Crews have removed a minor roadway dip without the disruption of digging up and replacing part of the freeway.

The foam injections are being done as part of the ongoing ADOT project to widen and improve Loop 101 between Shea Boulevard and Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway). Repairing the depression in the freeway’s northbound lanes near McDonald Drive is one of the project team’s last work items before completing the addition of a new layer of smooth rubberized asphalt in that area.

“This is certainly less disruptive than digging up the freeway to do reconstruction work,” said Steve Boschen, director of ADOT’s Infrastructure Delivery and Operations Division. “It is a high-tech fix when it comes to long-term ground settlement beneath a freeway. Expansion foam isn’t the answer in all cases, but we’ve had some great success in offsetting the effects of ground settlement.”

Over time, ADOT and contractors have used the expansion foam at other freeway locations where the ground and pavement have settled. It has been used a number of times to lift concrete slabs on either end of freeway bridges. As the foam is injected beneath the freeway, it hardens as it expands and lifts the pavement while stabilizing the soil to guard against future settlement.

“It’s already made a noticeable difference with the dip that drivers may have noticed as they traveled northbound on Loop 101 near the Arizona Canal crossing north of McDonald Drive,” said Dan Haskins, ADOT's resident engineer on the Loop 101 widening project. “We’re able to work during overnight hours with lane closures. The contractor drills very small holes in the freeway pavement. Crews are then able to run narrow hoses to a depth underground where open space in the soil can be filled with the expansion foam. In this case we’re going as far as 30 feet beneath the freeway.”

Before the foam injection is scheduled, ADOT geotechnical staff members have the job of examining the area where the ground beneath the freeway has settled to determine if the use of the foam is the recommended course of action. More advanced soil testing is then done using equipment to map the ground where settling has occurred. That helps give crews the information they need to inject the foam and stabilize the soil.

The Loop 101 widening project between Shea Boulevard and Loop 202 is adding new outside lanes and other improvements along an 11-mile stretch of the freeway. In addition to the current soil-stabilization work near the McDonald Drive interchange, crews are adding a new top layer of smooth rubberized asphalt along the freeway in a series of weekend closures. The entire project is scheduled for completion by this fall.

PHOENIX – Nearly 8,000 more trucks, 400,000 more passenger vehicles and 900,000 more people entering the U.S. in 2015 through Arizona’s international ports of entry speak to numbers critical to this state’s economy: 

• $30 billion in imports and exports passing through Arizona’s ports during the year, including much of the produce consumed in the U.S. during the winter.
• $16.8 billion in Arizona exports to Mexico during 2015.
• 100,000 Arizona jobs supported by trade with Mexico.
• $7.8 million spent daily by those visiting Arizona from Mexico.

“The impact of our ports of entry is far reaching,” said Governor Doug Ducey. “The increase in cross-border traffic is another example of Arizona’s flourishing business climate and growing opportunities for economic development.”

 

U.S. Department of Transportation figures for northbound traffic at Arizona ports of entry showed commercial trucks up 2.1 percent (388,657 total), passenger vehicles up 4.5 percent (8.9 million total) and people visiting Arizona up 4.1 percent (23.8 million total).

U.S. DOT data show that traffic has increased steadily through the years at ports of entry in Nogales, San Luis, Douglas, Lukeville, Naco and Sasabe: 

“This amount of cross-border traffic and the continual upward trend in volume means we must continue to make smart investments at the border and ensure that our ports of entry have the necessary staffing and resources to operate effectively, efficiently and safely,” said John Halikowski, director of the Arizona Department of Transportation. “ADOT is working to improve transportation infrastructure at the border, along with traffic flows, with projects slated for State Route 189 and Interstate 19, and ongoing efforts to study how to build Interstate 11 from Nogales to the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge.”

David Farca, president of the Arizona-Mexico Commission, noted that the figures don’t reflect the fact that ports handle southbound traffic as well.

“In reality, our ports of entry processed close to 800,000 trucks, 17 million cars, 48 million people and 1,600 trains,” Farca said. “The ports of entry that connect Arizona to Mexico are of great significance to our economy.”

Arizona also sees considerable sales tax revenue from people who pass through ports of entry to shop, not only in the border communities but the Tucson and Phoenix areas as well.

“A vibrant business relationship with Mexico is key to the growth of Arizona’s economy,” said Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “Our region shares many assets and strengths in areas such as advanced manufacturing, aerospace, optics, agriculture and much more. Continuing to link resources and leverage assets such as infrastructure and transportation will diversify our economy and enhance our region’s overall competitive position.”

ADOT, the Arizona Commerce Authority, the Arizona-Mexico Commission and the Arizona Office of Tourism promote trade and quality infrastructure as members of the Transportation and Trade Corridor Alliance. The group, which also includes community leaders in transportation and international trade, was created in 2012 to help boost economic development and create jobs.

PHOENIX – The first public information workshop for the master plan study for the Grand Canyon National Park Airport, owned and operated by the Arizona Department of Transportation, will take place on May 25 in Tusayan.

The public will be able to review data collected by the study team regarding aviation forecasts and how it relates to current airport facility capabilities. Members of the community will also be able to provide comments and input on the study.

The meeting will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. at Tusayan Town Hall, 845 Mustang Drive.

Airport master plans are required by the Federal Aviation Administration. The update for Grand Canyon National Park Airport will evaluate the facility’s capabilities and role, forecast future aviation demand and plan facility improvements to meet that demand over the next 20 years.

In addition to public meetings, comments and questions were collected online, by phone at 1.800.574.6334 or by mail to Grand Canyon Airport Master Plan Study, c/o Coffman Associates, 4835 E. Cactus Road, Ste. 235, Scottsdale, AZ 85254.

SURPRISE ‒ As a $41.9 million overpass and interchange rises at Bell Road and Grand Avenue (US 60), Bell Road  traffic on the east side of the project area is shifting to the south lanes as crews start work on a new intersection and road at 134th Avenue.

The intersection will eventually replace one a block to the west at 134th Drive and Bell Road, and in the coming weeks crews also will be creating a road from this new intersection to 134th Drive north of Bell, maintaining convenient access to businesses there.

It’s another sign of progress on a project designed to alleviate traffic congestion and another a step toward reopening Bell Road by November.

Crews have connected rows of columns on the east side of the project with support beams, known as caps, that will hold girders to carry the overpass and interchange over Grand Avenue and the BNSF Railway tracks. On the west side of Grand Avenue, two complete rows of columns have been completed.

In addition to building and connecting bridge columns, work scheduled in the next week includes: completing a sewer main on Bell Road east of 134th Drive; preparing to pave and form the curb and gutters to build the east side of Grand Avenue; and relocating and installing utilities.

A full closure that began April 1 between 134th Drive and West Point Parkway is allowing faster construction that will have Bell Road open for the holiday shopping season.

The primary detour route is along Dysart, Greenway and Litchfield roads. Please obey all traffic signs and posted speed limits, and also note that additional law enforcement is on patrol.

Access to businesses next to the project area will be maintained throughout the project.