News

PHOENIX – Months before construction begins on reconstruction of Interstate 10 through the Broadway Curve, the Arizona Department of Transportation is identifying native plants to preserve along an 11-mile section of the freeway.

PHOENIX – Ongoing efforts to create safe highway and street work zones for drivers, construction crews and maintenance workers have received an important boost – the awarding of a federal grant to a coalition of transportation agencies in the Phoenix region.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is busy installing new street lights along US 160 just east of Tuba City improving the safety of the road by increasing visibility at night.

The $700,000 project is adding 43 light poles extending the existing roadway lighting nearly 2 miles.

Street lighting improves visibility and safety while driving at night. According to a 2014 case study by the Federal Highway Administration, street lighting at rural intersections can reduce overall nighttime crashes by up to 40% and nighttime injury crashes by up to 25%.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is starting a project to replace the Interstate 40 bridges over Business 40, which connects the interstate to Historic Route 66 in west Flagstaff. 

PHOENIX – Beyond important safety tips, there’s one piece of information all Arizonans who own an off-highway vehicle (OHV) should know.

Always renew your OHV decal prior to completing the registration renewal transaction with MVD. Doing this could save some owners of OHVs –  all-terrain vehicles, like quads and side-by-sides – a significant amount of money if the vehicle will be used only for off-highway use.

PHOENIX – The restrooms at the Texas Canyon Rest Area on Interstate 10 at milepost 320 have reopened after crews made an emergency repair to the water line, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The rest area’s other facilities such as parking, pet areas and ramadas remained open while repairs were made.

The rest area is located 70 miles east of Tucson. 

For more rest area locations, visit azdot.gov/restareas.

PHOENIX – While work is underway to reconstruct Bridge No. 1 along Interstate 15, access to the Virgin River that passes under the bridge will be closed for public safety beginning March 8.

The Arizona Department of Transportation will be replacing the abutment foundations of the bridge as part of the project. With heavy equipment and work taking place beneath the bridge, the public will not be able to access or utilize the river or adjacent lands at this location during the construction project.

PHOENIX –  Motorists traveling US 60 between Superior and Globe will see the new Pinto Creek Bridge come into shape in the coming months as crews begin placing girders that will form the structure’s deck.

The work started Monday, March 1, and requires lane restrictions and delays of up to 15 minutes, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. From now until May, restrictions are scheduled between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. As needed, restrictions will be in place between 7 a.m. noon on Fridays.

PHOENIX – Arizonans can now renew their vehicle registration while shopping at one of the world’s largest retailers.

Through CheckFreePay® from Fiserv, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division has made it possible for customers to renew vehicle registration with cash or debit at Walmart stores.

PHOENIX – Renewing a standard Arizona driver license and a commercial driver license can now be completed with a few clicks on a website.

As Governor Doug Ducey’s Executive Order on deferring standard driver license expiration dates ends on Feb. 28, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division is giving many Arizonans the ability to renew their driver license online. Previously, renewals could only be processed during an office visit.

PHOENIX – When many school children started staying home when the pandemic hit last year, the Arizona Department of Transportation launched a new outreach campaign called “ADOT Kids,” which seeks to educate children on transportation through videos, games and activities geared for them.

PHOENIX – Drivers can expect delays along an 11-mile stretch State Route 87 between Payson and Pine this week while Arizona Department of Transportation crews clean up litter that has built up along the highway.

SR 87 will be restricted to one lane with alternating north- and southbound traffic from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, through Thursday, Feb. 25. Drivers should expect delays and intermittent stops while flaggers direct traffic through the work zone between mileposts 255 and 266.

Drivers should slow down, watch for personnel and obey all traffic signs.

PHOENIX — Governor Doug Ducey today announced $230 million in new transportation infrastructure investments that will enhance highway safety and meet the demand of new residents moving to Arizona. 

“Despite the pandemic, Arizona’s economy is strong and families and businesses continue to relocate here in record numbers,” said Governor Ducey. “Now is the right time to use our state and federal dollars to make investments that create jobs, modernize our infrastructure, and improve highway safety."

PHOENIX – Are you in the market for a new-to-you car? Thinking of selling your vehicle in a private-party sale?

Whether you’re a prospective buyer or a seller – or both – the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division wants consumers to know steps they can take to protect themselves when selling or purchasing a used vehicle.

PHOENIX – A forecasted snowstorm and a long weekend is a great excuse to head north for some snowplay. Too often, however, a vehicle full of people heading to play in the snow winds up parked on the shoulder of a state highway or even Interstate 17 rather than pulled safely into a designated parking area well off the road. This creates a hazard for more than just the occupants.

PHOENIX – Motorists traveling US 191 north of Morenci should plan for about 7 weeks of overnight road closures starting Tuesday, Feb. 16, for repairs to a rock tunnel.

The closures are scheduled each Monday through Saturday night between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. During those hours, no vehicles will be allowed to pass through an area just north of Morenci between mileposts 169 and 171.

PHOENIX – A new feature added to the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Traveler Information 511 website will help commercial vehicle drivers more easily plan their route through the state.

PHOENIX – About 19 miles of Interstate 19 near the communities of Sahuarita and Tubac will be resurfaced in 2021 with a layer of rubberized asphalt, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

One of the most unique publications in the world, the ADOT-published Arizona Highways magazine, is offering student photographers a rare chance to have a nature photo published in an upcoming issue.

The publication, in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy and COX Communications, is sponsoring the 2021 Adventures in Nature Student Photo Contest, which is open to Arizona students between the ages of 13 and 18. 

PHOENIX – In order to increase safety and mobility in highway work zones, the Arizona Department of Transportation is studying a “smart work zone” at an existing I-40 bridge project located between Flagstaff and Winslow.

A smart work zone is a traffic management system that can be controlled remotely through computer networks, portable message boards and sensor technology to provide motorists with real-time traffic information as they approach construction work zones. This project utilizes a dynamic merge system, which is a specific type of smart work zone.