News

PHOENIX – Big changes are in store for the Interstate 10 traffic interchange at 59th Avenue in west Phoenix. Built in 1984, it’s being reconstructed to eventually link to the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway when it opens to traffic in late 2019.

Motorists who regularly travel I-10 between the West Valley and downtown Phoenix have already noticed an ever-changing landscape.

PHOENIX – The first traffic restrictions required for the installation of a first-in-the-nation pilot wrong-way vehicle detection and warning system are scheduled this weekend at the Interstate 17 interchange at Indian School Road in Phoenix.

Preliminary work started in the past week on the Arizona Department of Transportation’s $3.7 million thermal-camera based project designed to immediately alert ADOT and the Department of Public Safety if a wrong-way vehicle is detected along a 15-mile stretch of I-17.

PHOENIX – Since the Arizona Department of Transportation began using facial recognition technology and training in 2015 to protect Arizonans from identity theft, detectives have brought more than 100 cases to court.

It’s a process that begins when a person applies for or renews a driver license or ID card at a Motor Vehicle Division office or Authorized Third Party business, and it is a seamless part of the customer’s visit.

PHOENIX – A Mesa resident who allegedly used the identity of his deceased brother to collect nearly $300,000 in Social Security benefits has been charged with forgery and fraud schemes thanks to Arizona Department of Transportation detectives’ use of facial recognition training and technology.

After being alerted by the facial recognition system, ADOT’s Office of Inspector General found that Frank Becht, 89, had for the past 28 years been using the name, date of birth and Social Security number of his brother, Kenneth Becht, who died in 1989.

PHOENIX – A popular smartphone messaging app is helping to make Arizona roads safer for motorists and truck drivers while reducing congestion at the international border and boosting Arizona’s economy.

As part of a first-of-its-kind safety certification program for truck drivers and trucking firms in Mexico, the Arizona Department of Transportation is using WhatsApp to help qualified drivers and mechanics know whether their trucks meet Arizona safety requirements before heading to the border.

PHOENIX – Creating the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway’s interchange with Interstate 10 in west Phoenix is no small feat of engineering, starting with the need to have supports for flyover ramps to straddle existing lanes of traffic.

PHOENIX – Organ donation saves lives and registering to become a donor is as simple as checking a box at the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division.

Jaimy Burdine of Buckeye was a donor who ultimately impacted many more lives.

On April 5, 2015, Jaimy and her son and mother, Vikki, kicked off the day by going on a horse cart ride. However, the peaceful ride turned into tragedy when the horse was startled and began to run uncontrollably.

PHOENIX – Starting this week, the timing of ramp-meter signals along southbound State Route 51 (Piestewa Freeway) are being adjusted to respond to the flow of morning rush-hour traffic, expanding an Arizona Department of Transportation program that began last fall along the freeway’s northbound on-ramps.

PHOENIX – Drivers heading eastbound on Interstate 40 toward Williams and Flagstaff will use one of the westbound lanes for five miles starting Monday, Aug. 7, while Arizona Department of Transportation crews begin rebuilding the eastbound section of highway.

The project, occurring between mileposts 156 and 161, will rebuild the roadway from the ground up, including laying a new foundation. This work will be a long-term fix for the winter-weather damage this stretch has seen through the years.

PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Transportation officers seized $29,000 hidden in a small cooler when a truck driver and passenger arrived at an Interstate 40 port of entry near New Mexico with no registration, no trailer and a suspicious story.

The officers, whose primary duty is making sure commercial vehicles operate safely and legally in Arizona, found the money Tuesday, Aug. 1, after the truck driver and his passenger gave permission to search the cab for paperwork that would help identify the truck.

PHOENIX – The E-Verify process just got more secure for Arizona employers.

The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division has signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that makes it possible for DHS to verify the validity of driver’s license and ID cards against the MVD database. 

PHOENIX ‒ State Route 366 on Mount Graham in southeastern Arizona is closed until further notice because of safety concerns associated with flash floods and debris flows caused by the recent Frye Fire.

The road, also known as Swift Trail Parkway, is closed at Ladybug Saddle near milepost 31. The area is about 20 miles south of Safford.

The Noon Creek Picnic Area and Angle Orchard remain open to the public.

Drivers may encounter ADOT and US Forest Service crews working along the open section of SR 366. Delays as long as 30 minutes are possible.

Governor Doug Ducey has issued an emergency declaration in response to flooding along State Route 88 that caused highway damage between mileposts 201 and 214. The declaration seeks assistance from the Federal Highway Administration to make repairs to the roadway.

The affected stretch of SR 88 between Apache Junction and Canyon Lake is open, but motorists should drive with care and watch for traffic cones next to storm-damaged areas along the highway.

Learn more here:

PHOENIX – Construction of a first-in-the-nation system to detect wrong-way vehicles and alert law enforcement and other drivers is scheduled to begin in early August following State Transportation Board approval of the contract for installation.

PHOENIX – Thirty-one individuals seeking a hand up obtained entry-level positions as flaggers on construction projects, paying $13 to $19 per hour, thanks to free training provided by the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Those who took part in the flagger-certification program held this summer are the latest cohort in the Construction Academy Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program offered by ADOT’s On-The-Job-Training Supportive Services Program, part of the agency’s Business Engagement and Compliance Office.

PHOENIX – A Tempe resident who allegedly stole the identity of a baby killed 35 years ago has been arrested thanks to Arizona Department of Transportation detectives’ use of facial recognition training and technology.

Acting on a tip from the Social Security Administration, ADOT’s Office of Inspector General found that Jeremiah Ash, 35, had for the past several years been using the name, date of birth and Social Security number of Michael Anthony Lewis II, who was 10 months old when he was killed in Oceanside, California.

PHOENIX – Arizona’s specialty license plates come in many different colors, but one color they have in common is green – as in dollars.

In the most recent fiscal year ending June 30, sales of these plates generated more than $9.8 million for charitable causes and public programs. In the previous fiscal year, that figure totaled just under $9.4 million.

PHOENIX – With the city of Phoenix set to open its Chandler Boulevard extension between 27th and 19th avenues at 8:30 a.m. Friday, July 28, Pecos Road west of 17th Avenue will close permanently for construction of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway.

Westbound Pecos Road traffic will divert north at 17th Avenue, and the Chandler Boulevard extension will provide access to and from the Foothills Reserve Community, which motorists now reach via Pecos Road.

PHOENIX ‒ The Mohawk Rest Area has reopened on Interstate 8, giving drivers a new place to stop and rest, stretch their legs and exercise their pets on the drive across the desert between Yuma and Gila Bend.

The Arizona Department of Transportation rest area, located near the Mohawk Pass at milepost 56, includes all new facilities, including new restrooms as well as new plumbing, electrical systems and parking areas. The $4.6 million project also included making the rest area compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is part of every rest area renovation.

PHOENIX – To construct Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway in the Ahwatukee Foothills, crews have been using heavy equipment since April to excavate a hillside near Desert Foothills Parkway.