News

Drivers in northern Arizona should prepare for traffic shifts and lane restrictions on Interstate 40 at Exit 191 in west Flagstaff as crews continue project work to replace a bridge, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. 

This location is approximately three miles west of the I-40 interchange with Interstate 17. 

GLOBE – Full overnight closures are scheduled on US 60 between Miami and Superior Wednesday, July 21, and Wednesday, July 28, as part of the Pinto Creek Bridge replacement project.

The Arizona Department of Transportation will close the highway between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. on July 21-22 and July 28-29 while crews pour the concrete deck on the new bridge. While the highway is scheduled to reopen at 4 a.m. the following Thursday mornings, drivers may encounter alternating lane restrictions and flaggers directing traffic if work extends past that hour.

The Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for the 280-mile Interstate 11 study corridor – stretching from Nogales to Wickenburg – is now available for public review. 

After five years of study, technical analysis and input from communities and stakeholders, this publication of the I-11 Final Tier 1 EIS marks a milestone for the proposed corridor.

The Final Tier 1 EIS, including a Preliminary Section 4(f) Evaluation, is available at i11study.com/Arizona/index.asp.

Late Thursday, motorists began using the new bridges that carry traffic over I-10 and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. Drivers should expect ongoing temporary lane restrictions as crews continue work on the reestablished connection across I-10.

The ramps connecting I-10 to Ruthrauff Road and El Camino del Cerro remain closed and are expected to open in the next several months. Later this summer, westbound I-10 traffic will shift from its temporary configuration to the newly reconstructed westbound lanes.

TUCSON – After starting a two-year project this spring to improve a 10-mile section of State Route 77/Oracle Road in the Tucson area, the Arizona Department of Transportation will begin the first pavement replacement work the week of July 18.

The paving will begin on the northern section of the project, between Magee Road and Calle Concordia, with most of the work occurring overnight to minimize construction impacts of the $34 million project.

The “Valley Oop” slam by Deandre Ayton. The gritty leadership of Chris Paul. The single-minded focus of Devin Booker. The exceptional coaching. All are setting up great moments for Arizona sports fans right now. But even though the NBA Finals are still in progress, there already is a winner: the charitable causes supported by the club through the sale of Phoenix Suns specialty license plates. 

PHOENIX – Motorists who cross Interstate 10 on Houghton Road are now traveling on a newly completed bridge as the Arizona Department of Transportation reaches a significant milestone in reconstructing an interchange that serves a rapidly growing area of Tucson.

FLAGSTAFF – Drivers along Interstate 40 through Flagstaff should be aware of around-the-clock lane restrictions while the Arizona Department of Transportation continues projects to improve the much-traveled highway.

Crews continue to work on replacing pavement on 10 miles of I-40 from the I-17 interchange east to Walnut Canyon Road. Eastbound I-40 is currently narrowed to one lane between I-17 and Butler Avenue through the evening of Friday, July 16.

Next week, eastbound I-40 will be narrowed to one lane between Butler Avenue and Country Club Drive. 

PHOENIX – A section of US 191 south of Willcox reopened Wednesday morning following more than a week of work to repair soil erosion that damaged the highway.

ADOT crews completed repairs early today, allowing traffic to flow again on US 191 between Birch Road at milepost 53.1 and Dragoon Road at milepost 55.7. The highway closed Monday, July 5, when maintenance crews discovered cracks following heavy rainfall in the area. Traffic was detoured onto local roads during the closure.

PHOENIX – This monsoon season could prove to be especially disruptive to travel plans after a series of major wildfires has made burn areas susceptible to flooding. That can leave highways covered with mud and other hazardous debris.

Anytime drivers are traveling this summer, the Arizona Department of Transportation is urging drivers to expect the unexpected, including unscheduled closures, near recent burn areas and to take extra precautions.

PHOENIX – Motorists should plan for an extended closure of US 191 south of Willcox while crews with the Arizona Department of Transportation work to repair soil erosion under the roadway.

CHINO VALLEY, AZ – The Arizona Department of Transportation has started a project to improve traffic flow at the intersection of SR 89 and Road 1 North in Chino Valley.

The project will add a right-turn lane on northbound SR 89 to eastbound Road 1 North, add left turn lanes on Road 1 North, and install a new traffic signal and detection sensors.

PHOENIX – Earning an instruction permit and a first driver license are definitely instagrammable moments for teen drivers.

The Arizona Department of Transportation doesn’t want those celebratory events to turn into a nightmare, and reminds freshly-minted drivers to keep their IDs hidden from potential identity thieves.

PHOENIX – Is a road test in your future? Maybe you know someone seeking their first driver license?

This can feel like a daunting process, but there’s good news because the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division is offering tips and reminders to help the road test run smoothly. ADOT’s No. 1 piece of advice? Practice, practice, practice.

PHOENIX – With more people hitting the road during the peak summer travel season, the Arizona Department of Transportation is urging motorists to be prepared for the unexpected and have an extra awareness for safety and security.  

Some motorists upset with road closures due to multiple fires burning in Arizona are taking their frustrations out on ADOT personnel staffing the roadblocks.

ADOT does not decide which roads to close. Closures are determined by fire incident commanders who work in conjunction with law enforcement and ADOT, and motorists may face legal penalties for attempting to get around a barrier or other method used to shut down a road.

PHOENIX – Following a temporary halt in license plate production because of an aluminum supply-chain issue, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division is again producing and delivering license plates to Arizonans in the normal timeframe.

License plate production crews worked weekends and double shifts to quickly eliminate the backlog and minimize delays for customers. Customers with questions can visit an MVD office or call MVD at 602-255-0072.

PHOENIX – Four corridors for passenger and freight traffic will be expanded and improved under the Arizona Department of Transportation’s five-year construction program approved Friday by the State Transportation Board.

PHOENIX – Across Arizona, schools have released students for the summer. But some teens have a test in their future, one they might even be looking forward to: the written driver Instruction Permit test.

FLAGSTAFF – The Arizona Department of Transportation completed the installation of the new Rio de Flag bridge along Historic Route 66 in front of Flagstaff City Hall allowing the road to reopen to traffic Thursday afternoon ahead of schedule.

During the week-long closure, crews demolished the old bridge and installed the new bridge using precast bridge elements. Fabricating the bridge components ahead of time as opposed to building them in place allows the work to go more quickly, reducing the time needed to replace the bridge and impacts to traffic.