News

PHOENIX – Members of the public have until Friday, Jan. 8, to share comments about the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Sonoran Corridor that would connect Interstate 19 and Interstate 10 south of the Tucson International Airport.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation continues to make the trucking industry a priority during the public health emergency.

PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General detectives and analysts have reviewed approximately 3,000 used and wholesale dealer license holders in an effort to discover potential activity such as dealers that have very little to no recent vehicle sales or have sales they are not licensed to make.

ADOT detectives are contacting license holders to ensure they are not misusing dealer plates or selling vehicles outside of the limits of their licenses, an illegal practice known as curbstoning.

PHOENIX – As part of a continued statewide effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and protect the most vulnerable, Governor Doug Ducey has issued an Executive Order deferring renewals of standard driver licenses with an expiration date between March 1, 2020, and Feb. 28, 2021, by one year from their original expiration date. 

PHOENIX – Motorists on State Route 366 (Swift Trail) near Safford should expect intermittent delays starting Monday, Jan. 4, to repair damage from the 2017 Frye Fire on Mount Graham.

The work is scheduled for up to two years on SR 366 between mileposts 118 and 140. Key elements of the project include:

PHOENIX – Perhaps you’ve seen the acrophobia-inducing public service announcements on TV? Maybe heard the rattlesnake’s rattle and hiss while listening to Pandora? Or saw one man distracting a one-ton bull in social media posts, all in the name of preventing distracted driving?

Three months after the Arizona Department of Transportation launched its distracted driving awareness campaign “Distracted Drivers Terrify Me,” aimed at reducing the number of people engaging in distracting behaviors while driving, the public outreach effort is still going strong.

For Immediate Release: Dec. 21, 2020
Contact: ADOT Public Information Office
[email protected]

South Mountain Freeway marks first anniversary
State’s largest freeway construction project opened in December 2019

PHOENIX – Just one year ago the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway opened to great fanfare, with a grand opening ceremony led by Governor Doug Ducey and other Arizona leaders a few days before it was opened to traffic on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019.

PHOENIX –  Faced with the delicate balance of keeping people safe and the economy going during the pandemic, Governor Doug Ducey and the Arizona Department of Transportation made moves to assist the trucking industry to keep the supply of essentials like groceries and medical supplies flowing to Arizona communities.

In April, ADOT issued new rules that temporarily allowed commercial vehicles providing direct assistance to COVID-19 relief efforts to operate with a gross weight up to 90,000 pounds without an overweight permit. The normal limit is 80,000 pounds.

PHOENIX – Despite the obvious challenges 2020 presented to everyone, the year has been an important one for innovations from the Arizona Department of Transportation when it comes to service-oriented projects designed to make travel across the state safer and more efficient.

Those innovations came in all areas of Arizona and across every facet of ADOT’s business, including major projects, the Motor Vehicle Division, the Enforcement and Compliance Division and safety improvements.

PHOENIX – When commercial truckers purchase their permits for driving through Arizona online ahead of time or use a cashless method at the port of entry, they spend less time making payments and get on their way faster.

That’s one reason the Arizona Department of Transportation successfully implemented a pilot program to move to a fully-cashless permitting system. Now, after working with trucking companies that pay with cash to ensure they have enough time to convert to a cashless system, ADOT’s ports of entry intend to go fully cashless on Jan. 1, 2021.

PHOENIX – While 2020 presented many challenges, the Arizona Department of Transportation continued to serve drivers in northern Arizona by using different methods, including the innovative bridge slide, to improve bridges to keep cross-country commerce flowing and increase the mobility of local traffic.

PHOENIX – Several major bridge and intersection replacement projects in southern Arizona presented a big challenge for the Arizona Department of Transportation in 2020: How to replace existing structures or entire interchanges without closing highways on projects that last up to two years.

The agency applied several innovative approaches to do just that, keeping passenger vehicles and commerce moving while minimizing potentially disruptive restrictions and closures.

PHOENIX – At the Arizona Department of Transportation, 2020 saw the creation of a terrifying distracted driving awareness campaign, a tragic reminder of the need to drive safely in work zones and the adaptive nature of traffic safety professionals.

For National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in October, ADOT launched its “Distracted Drivers Terrify Me” public awareness campaign. The campaign features regular people doing jobs most of us find frightening. What’s the only thing that terrifies the venomous snake handler? Distracted drivers, of course.

PHOENIX – A transportation agency cannot stop hazardous dust storms from blowing across highways, but in 2020 the Arizona Department of Transportation pioneered a first-ever in the nation detection and warning system that now provides quick and reliable information to help motorists slow down for safety during storms.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is installing three new traffic signals on State Route 87 near Sacaton to enhance safety and to better manage traffic in an area where traffic volumes have nearly tripled in the past two decades.

Working with the Gila River Indian Community, ADOT is adding the signals at Sacaton Road, SR 187/Olberg Road and at Gilbert Road.

PHOENIX – Motorists who use the Interstate 10/Houghton Road interchange in Tucson should expect overnight delays for about two weeks starting Monday, Dec. 14, as crews place girders for the new Houghton Road bridge.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has finished converting three miles of US 93 north of Wikieup to a four-lane divided highway increasing safety and traffic capacity.

The upgrade to a four-lane divided highway improves traffic flow, supports the movement of freight and enhances safety through this heavily traveled corridor.

This project connects two sections of highway that had already been widened. This provides a continuous stretch of divided four-lane highway from milepost 108, about 15 miles south of I-40, and milepost 121 near Wikieup.

PHOENIX – The Donor Network of Arizona recognized two ADOT Motor Vehicle Division employees recently for their efforts promoting organ donation.

The Donor Network of Arizona honored Maddie Kinder, an MVD IT program manager, and Josh Lamey, MVD office manager at Apache Junction and Globe locations, among the organization’s 2020 Donation Champions.

PHOENIX – Need to make an in-office appointment at the MVD? Don’t pick up the phone, go online and pick the location and time that works best for you.

Customers can now go to the web and schedule an in-office appointment for any service at Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division offices. Previously, in-office appointments could be scheduled online for a selection of transactions.

PHOENIX - The Federal Highway Administration and the Arizona Department of Transportation are proposing a renewal of the state's participation in the State Assumption of Responsibility for Categorical Exclusion for environmental impact planning purposes.