News

PHOENIX ‒ Arizona Department of Transportation engineers in Phoenix will get real-time information on the conditions of four interstate bridges in remote northwestern Arizona thanks to technology funded by a $768,000 Federal Highway Administration grant.

To enhance safety and efficiency, ADOT will use the Accelerated Innovation Deployment Demonstration grant to add structural health monitoring systems to the Interstate 15 bridges, embedding sensors on the superstructures that record, analyze and share data.

PHOENIX – Utility relocation work will require lane restrictions at times along Bell Road near Grand Avenue over the next several weeks, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The utility relocations are being done at the start of a $41.9 million project to construct a new interchange that will place Bell Road on a bridge traveling over Grand Avenue and the parallel BNSF Railway tracks.

PHOENIX – Warm clothing and blankets? Check.

Plenty of gas in the tank, fully charged cellphone, drinking water? Check, check, check.

Please add this to your safety checklist when heading to play in the snow: Don’t park along highways. Use only designated parking areas.

Highway shoulders are for emergencies, and parking on them to play in the snow is hazardous in several ways:

PHOENIX – In today’s fast-paced world, a reliable transportation system is vital, as people and commerce move through a statewide network to get to where they’re going. To keep pace, the transportation needs of tomorrow take planning and investment to ensure that Arizona stays competitive and meets the needs of a growing state.

PHOENIX ‒ With a contractor selected, the Arizona Department of Transportation is moving forward with a $41.9 million project to relieve traffic congestion at US 60/Grand Avenue and Bell Road in Surprise.

On Friday, the Arizona State Transportation Board approved Coffman Specialties Inc.’s proposal to design and build a Bell Road bridge, creating an interchange that will allow continuous traffic flow on Grand Avenue. The project is part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan.

PHOENIX ‒ Several projects that are underway or planned during 2016 will significantly upgrade US 60 from Superior to Globe.

PHOENIX – Recent snowstorms combined with the long holiday weekend means winter recreation areas along US 180 near Flagstaff are expected to see heavy traffic, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

PHOENIX – As traffic demands continue to grow across the state, the Arizona Department of Transportation is becoming more efficient and innovative in operating and sustaining a transportation system that touches the lives of nearly every Arizonan.

In streamlining its overall structure, ADOT is shifting several core functions into the Transportation Systems Management and Operations Division (TSMO). The move allows ADOT to better manage current infrastructure while looking ahead to the use of emerging technologies that can enhance the mobility of people and products.

PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and Keep Arizona Beautiful (KAZB) staff will conduct an “Environmental Resources Roadshow,” where attendees will learn about ways to improve the environment.

Wickenburg:
Thursday, Jan. 28, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Wickenburg Council Chambers
155 N. Tegner St.

TUCSON – A project to improve traffic flow at Interstate 19/State Route 86 (Ajo Way) interchange will begin this spring in southwest Tucson, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Some utility work associated with the project will begin next week and lane restrictions along SR 86 are expected.

ADOT will reconstruct the existing “partial cloverleaf” interchange and replace it with a single-point urban traffic interchange that is designed to move large volumes of traffic safely and efficiently.

PHOENIX – With back-to-back winter storms packing rain and snow, the Arizona Department of Transportation offers drivers real-time information on highways.

AZ511.gov has the latest on conditions, restrictions and closures, as well as roadside camera images from around the state. ADOT’s Twitter feed (@ArizonaDOT) helps drivers choose routes and decide if they should delay trips due to weather.

Another option: Call 511 before heading out the door.

PHOENIX ‒ Every winter, snowplows play an essential public safety role by clearing snow and ice on Arizona roadways. But when motorists fail to give plows enough room and aren’t careful when traveling near these oversized vehicles, it creates a hazard and makes it more difficult for operators to perform what’s already a challenging job.

PHOENIX – With weather updates important to traffic flow and the safety of motorists, an innovative partnership between the Arizona Department of Transportation and Arizona State University will provide real-time forecasts to those managing our highways.

Beginning in January, a meteorology graduate student from ASU’s School of Geographical Sciences & Urban Planning will work as an intern in ADOT’s Traffic Operations Center, helping crews respond rapidly to winter storms and other weather challenges to clear highways and potentially prevent closures.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has selected a preferred developer for the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, which remains on track for construction to begin in summer 2016 as the largest-ever highway project in the state.

This is the first highway public-private partnership in Arizona. While the South Mountain Freeway will not be a toll road, the public-private partnership will allow ADOT to construct the project at an accelerated pace and at a lower cost.

PHOENIX – The designation of two high priority Arizona transportation corridors in the five-year transportation bill approved by Congress represents a step forward for the planned Interstate 11 and the Sonoran Corridor in Tucson and the promise of both to boost Arizona’s economy, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

PHOENIX ‒ With five more miles of US 93 expanded to four-lane divided highway north of Wickenburg, the Arizona Department of Transportation is another step closer to its goal of transforming the 200 miles to Hoover Dam into a modern thoroughfare.

Nine months of work concluded in late November just outside Wickenburg, from milepost 185 to 190 and between state routes 71 and 89.

PHOENIX – After completing a comprehensive study of wrong-way driving crashes on state highways and how technology may help reduce the threat, the Arizona Department of Transportation is planning a prototype project to use existing highway sensors to detect wrong-way vehicles and to alert authorities and other motorists.

PHOENIX – Responding to a widely circulated media report that has been corrected, the Arizona Department of Transportation notes that there has been no significant change to the timeline for the South Mountain Freeway project, which is still projected to open to traffic in 2020.

On behalf of the project sponsors, the U.S. Department of Justice on Oct. 20 submitted a request to U.S. District Court for a three-week extension to allow time to complete the administrative record as part of the legal action against the freeway project.

PHOENIX ‒ The Arizona Department of Transportation has been selected to receive a $15 million federal grant toward the construction of a railroad overpass on State Route 347, the only direct route between the city of Maricopa and metro Phoenix.

The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Transportation is for a $55 million project intended to enhance safety and alleviate traffic backups at the SR 347 Union Pacific Railroad crossing in Maricopa.

PHOENIX – A long-discussed plan for a proposed passenger rail system linking Tucson and Phoenix has many more hurdles to clear, starting with where the money would come from. An important first step, however, is sharing your opinion on it.

The Arizona Department of Transportation is seeking public comment on an environmental report detailing three alternatives for passenger rail, including a recommended route.

The deadline for comments is Friday, Oct. 30.