PHOENIX – The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Arizona Department of Transportation are proposing to renew an agreement through which ADOT assumes FHWA’s authority for environmental reviews and determinations for certain types of projects.

A draft Memorandum of Understanding that would continue this agreement, known as Categorical Exclusion assignment, has been posted to the Federal Register and is available for comment until Oct. 30.

The agreement, established in 2018 and renewed in 2021, involves federal-aid projects found to have no significant environmental impacts. It allows ADOT to determine whether a project is categorically excluded from preparation of a more extensive environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement based on anticipated environmental impacts. Arizona is among eight states, including California and Utah, that currently have this authority.  

Congress established the program to help streamline environmental reviews for federal-aid highway projects. States must still comply with all requirements of the National Environmental Protection Act of 1969 (NEPA) and other federal environmental laws, regulations, executive orders and policies on all federal-aid highway projects their transportation departments administer.

You can learn more about Categorical Exclusion assignment, review the draft Memorandum of Understanding, and find out how to submit comments to FHWA at azdot.gov/CE-Assignment.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation’s 4.5-mile State Route 24 extension that improved access in the southeast Valley has received a regional Best Projects Award from a leading industry publication.

Engineering News-Record magazine honored SR 24: Gateway to the Southeast Valley in the Highways/Bridges category among projects in Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada. 

ADOT’s project created a four-lane expressway that opened in August 2022 between Ellsworth Road and Ironwood Drive along the Maricopa/Pinal county line. The segment provides a new east-west route to help ease traffic in a growing area that includes parts of Mesa and Queen Creek.

Designed by Stanley Consultants and constructed by FNF Construction, the project was completed on time and within budget, in collaboration with the Maricopa Association of Governments, Maricopa County and the Town of Queen Creek.

The highway was constructed initially as an interim expressway with two lanes in each direction, setting the stage for eventual expansion to a freeway with three general purpose lanes in each direction plus an HOV lane.

Completed in two years, the expressway features intersections at Williams Field Road, Signal Butte Road, Meridian Road and Ironwood Drive, with on- and off-ramp connections at Ellsworth Road.

Winning projects will be honored in Engineering News-Record’s Oct. 30 issue and at a luncheon in Phoenix on Oct. 31. They also are considered for the magazine’s Best of the Best Awards to be presented next spring.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is advising motorists to plan ahead and expect delays as southbound State Route 143 will be closed between Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) and Interstate 10 from 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, to 4 a.m. Monday, Oct. 2, for overhead sign removal and a traffic shift. At the same time, the following ramps will be closed:

• The ramps from Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) to southbound SR 143
• The westbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) off-ramp at Sky Harbor Boulevard
• The southbound SR 143 on-ramps at Washington Street, Sky Harbor Boulevard and University Drive.

Southbound SR 143 detour for westbound Loop 202 drivers: Use westbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) to eastbound I-10 to access destinations south of the closure.

Southbound SR 143 detour for eastbound Loop 202 drivers: Use eastbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) to southbound Loop 101 (Price Freeway) to westbound US 60 to access destinations south of the closure.

East Valley airport access: From Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway), use southbound 44th Street. 

Additionally: The westbound I-10 ramp to northbound SR 143 will be closed from 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, to 4 a.m. Monday, Oct. 2 for a traffic shift. Northbound SR 143 detour: Use westbound I-10 to eastbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) to access SR 143. Airport Access: Drivers should use westbound I-10 to 24th Street or Buckeye Road to access the airport. 

Please note: 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. 

PHOENIX – What a difference a year makes. If you’ve recently driven along Interstate 17 north of the Phoenix metro area, you’ve seen the flurry of construction activity, along with the distinct progress, as the I-17 Improvement Project moves toward a safer and more efficient corridor for all travelers. 

Today marks one year since major construction work began to add new general purpose lanes and flex lanes along the 23 miles from Anthem Way to Sunset Point. In addition to the new lanes, 10 bridges will be widened and two others will be replaced. Once complete in 2025, this major design-build project will help alleviate congestion and improve safety and traffic flow along a Key Commerce Corridor that is crucial to the state’s travel, tourism and economic development opportunities. 

The last 12 months have been largely dedicated to controlled rock blasting and earthwork, and this work will continue into 2024. The rock blasting is necessary to make way for the 15 miles of widening from Anthem Way to Black Canyon City, along with the eight miles of flex lanes, which will be constructed next to the existing southbound lanes from Black Canyon City to Sunset Point. The flex lanes, or reversible lanes, are a new feature for Arizona’s highway system and are designed to reduce congestion on I-17 during peak travel times. See this link for more information and an animated video.

Throughout the earthwork and excavation operations, a total of 1.7 million cubic yards of material is being removed from the mountainsides, then hauled to another area of the project to be reincorporated into the new roadway. A large portion of the blasted material is crushed to be used as aggregate base for the new roadway, and all the excavated material will go back into the project. The construction team is using everything that is removed.

Paving work in the southern section between Anthem Way and Table Mesa Road is one area where the crushed material is already being used as aggregate base. The paving began this summer and will continue into 2024. The paving process takes more than a year to complete because it requires four different layers, along with the appropriate weather conditions. Crews start with the subgrade, followed by aggregate base, then asphalt pavement, and finally, the top layer of asphalt (the “friction course”), which is the layer that motorists drive on. 

This major construction happens all while keeping I-17 open during the weekdays, weekends and holidays. Lane closures and restrictions only occur during weeknight overnight hours to minimize impacts to the traveling public who rely on this corridor. However, the majority of the work still happens during the day as crews work in the median or on the sides of the highway. 

As a reminder to drivers, ADOT lowered the speed limit to 65 mph along the entire 23-mile construction zone between Anthem Way and Sunset Point to enhance safety and reduce crashes due to excessive speed. The Arizona Department of Public Safety is partnering with ADOT to enforce the reduced speed limit. Both agencies strongly urge drivers to slow down, pay attention in the work zone, and watch for construction workers, vehicles and equipment. 

For more information about the I-17 Improvement Project, visit improvingi17.com.

PHOENIX – Community engagement and facility upgrades helped make Colorado City Municipal Airport the state’s Airport of the Year for 2023. The airport is owned and operated by the Town of Colorado City. 

The Arizona Department of Transportation’s Aeronautics Group cited the northern Arizona airport’s community outreach, including an expanded Fly-in and Airshow attended by 1,400 people, Facebook and Instagram promotion of events, a new logo submitted by a member of the public and school tours attended by more than 300 area students. 

In addition, the airport spruced up its grounds, added environmentally friendly landscaping around the terminal, installed new perimeter fencing, developed plans for 13 new hangars and upgraded vending machines in its terminal to accept credit cards and Apple Pay. Many of the airport’s upgrades were volunteer efforts. 

This is the second time Colorado City Municipal Airport has been named the state’s Airport of the Year. The first was in 1992. It is one of 67 airports across Arizona that are publicly owned and publicly operated.

ADOT’s Aeronautics Group works to disperse grant funding to eligible capital improvement projects at state airports.

PHOENIX – An Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division office opened on the Human Services Campus near downtown Phoenix issued state IDs to 780 people in August, its first full month of operations. 

MVD’s partnership with the Homeless ID Project enables clients experiencing instability or homelessness to get replacement driver licenses or state IDs without having to find transportation several miles to the nearest MVD office. State-issued IDs are essential for obtaining services and employment. 

Staffed 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday by an MVD representative, this office can be converted to a TeleMVD office in which customers can conduct many transactions with representatives located elsewhere.

The MVD presence complements the efforts of the Homeless ID Project, which during 2022 provided 12,143 documents, including 8,000 state-issued IDs and 4,000 replacement copies of birth certificates from all 50 states, on the Human Services Campus and in outreach programs across Maricopa and Pima counties. 

PHOENIX – Arizonans did their part on the recent National Cleanup Day by picking up 214 bags of litter along state highways through the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Adopt a Highway volunteer program. 

Fifteen groups with 123 volunteers answered the call to participate in this special event on Saturday, Sept.16. Some of those groups have adopted highway miles through Adopt a Highway, while others joined in for the day. 

One of those groups was the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, which had seven volunteers fill 13 bags with litter along Oracle Road (State Route 77) on the north side of Oro Valley. 

“It feels good just cleaning up native habitat along the highway and making sure that all the native vegetation has space to grow and that people have a nice place to bike,” said Jonni Zeman, the group’s program and communications coordinator. “It’s great to just be here making a difference, even if it’s small.”

ADOT’s Tucson North Motor Vehicle Division office had 12 team members pick up 16 bags of litter along Oracle Road between Ina and Orange Grove roads, while two other team members delivered drinks and collected bags. The office has adopted this segment and will hold cleanups throughout the year.

“It’s just a way for us to connect to the community and be part of it,” said Jessica Robeson, an MVD customer service representative. 

Other state highways where volunteers participated in National Cleanup Day were Interstate 19, State Route 260 and US 60. 

This event complements the work of more than 6,000 Adopt a Highway volunteers who help keep state highways looking grand throughout the year. In 2022 alone, these volunteers filled more than 12,500 bags of litter while contributing time and effort worth more than $600,000. 

And there’s room for plenty more. Civic-minded individuals, families, religious groups and others may receive two-year permits to clean up roadside litter on highway segments, largely in rural areas, that are deemed safe for volunteers. You’ll see their names on signs identifying their adopted miles. 

For more information and to join our Adopt a Highway family, please visit azdot.gov/AdoptAHighway.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has released the Final 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan that provides a blueprint and vision for the state’s transportation system over the next 25 years. 

The plan, which is not project-specific, sets transportation investment priorities for ADOT and partner agencies based on anticipated future revenues and costs for improvements.

ADOT will present the final plan for consideration and action at the State Transportation Board’s Oct. 20 meeting in Yuma.

A broad cross-section of Arizonans, nearly 10,000 in all, took surveys, attended public meetings and shared comments through the public involvement process. Their input made it clear that ADOT’s top priority should be fixing roads and preserving and maintaining existing infrastructure, along with prioritizing highway projects that address growth and improve highways in rural areas. 

The final plan includes a projection of $69 billion in transportation revenues, including state, federal and regional funds, between 2026 and 2050, including funding from the new federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It also points to anticipated transportation needs totaling $231 billion over that same 25-year period.

The plan, which is updated every five years with input from the public, is available for review at ADOT2050plan.com. 

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has launched a public survey to gather input about the speed limit along a stretch of Interstate 17 in Phoenix, in accordance with a new state law.

ADOT has commissioned an independent study to determine an appropriate speed limit for I-17 between the I-10 “Split” interchange near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Peoria Avenue. The speed limit for that part of I-17 is currently 55 mph. 

You can take part in the online survey from now through Saturday, Sept. 30, at https://tinyurl.com/I-17speedlimits; by email at [email protected]); and by phone at 1.855.712.8530. Comments also can be mailed to: I-17 Speed Limit Study, ADOT Community Relations, 1655 W. Jackson St., MD 126F, Phoenix, AZ 85007.

The speed study follows passage of legislation (SB 1102) that calls for a minimum speed limit of 65 mph on any interstate highway in counties with a population of 3 million or more people.

SB 1102 also stipulates that a lower speed limit can be set if certain conditions are met, including:

• A lower limit is deemed necessary based on an independent engineering study or roadway assessment.
• The overall system capacity and mobility along the freeway will not be reduced.
• An opportunity for public input is provided.

The I-17 speed limit study is scheduled for completion in mid-October.

 PHOENIX – An Arizona Department of Transportation project that stretches for eleven miles in both directions through the busiest section of Interstate 10 in the Phoenix area has received a national award.

The Transportation Research Board (TRB)  named ADOT’s I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project Ready to Rubble event as the winner of its 17th annual competition call for the “Communicating Concepts with the Public” category. The TRB provides national leadership in transportation improvements and innovation. Its annual “Communicating Concepts with the Public” award recognizes fresh and creative methods for communicating technical transportation issues with the public.

The I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project’s Ready to Rubble event took place in April of 2023 and consisted of preparing the community for a full weekend closure of I-10 in both directions so that crews could take down three bridges over the freeway. The event also focused on the following goals; educating the public about the bridge removal process; engaging the public and project stakeholders in the project process and establishing ADOT as the state’s premier engineering firm. 

ADOT Project Manager, Amy Ritz says, “We are honored and excited that our project team is receiving this prestigious award. The reconstruction of I-10 in the Broadway Curve area impacts thousands of people who drive through the project area every day. The project team has been intentional and innovative when it comes to involving and informing the public about the project and major milestones. The Ready To Rubble event is just one great example of this work.”

The event involved providing on-site tours during the bridge removal for community stakeholders and engineering students; inviting members of the media to see the construction activity; and providing a virtual experience for the public by posting images and video on social media throughout the bridge removal process.

ADOT Community Outreach Project Manager, Marcy McMacken adds, “The Ready to Rubble event allowed us to literally take stakeholders, students, media and members of the public behind the barricades and to give them an opportunity to participate in the construction process in a way that was unique and memorable. We are grateful to the TRB for recognizing the impact of this effort.”

More on the I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project Ready to Rubble event can be found here.

ADOT and project team members will be recognized at the Transportation Research Board’s 17th annual meeting that takes place in early 2024 in Washington D.C.

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