News

PHOENIX – Following the House Rock Flood event that temporarily closed US 89A west of Marble Canyon on Aug. 9, Governor Doug Ducey recently issued a Declaration of Emergency that will allow the Arizona Department of Transportation to seek approximately $2 million in federal emergency funding to cover the initial costs to reopen the highway and the long-term repairs to restore the highway to its original condition.

PHOENIX – Twenty-five, years ago, the last segment of Interstate 10 was completed and it happened in Phoenix.

When the Arizona Department of Transportation opened the “Final Mile” between Third Avenue and Third Street, including the Deck Park Tunnel, it created the nation’s second coast-to-coast interstate, stretching 2,460 miles and across eight states, from Santa Monica, Calif., to Jacksonville, Fla.

PHOENIX – As Arizona continues to build on its reputation as a world-renowned destination for bicyclists, our state has now received approval for its first U.S. bicycle route that will run through Arizona border to border while connecting to a national system of bike routes.

PHOENIX – Three public hearings are scheduled this week to encourage community members to review and comment on the environmental document that outlines a plan for a passenger rail system connecting Arizona’s two major metropolitan areas.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration, has released the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for ADOT’s Passenger Rail Corridor Study: Tucson to Phoenix. While the proposed passenger rail project has no identified funding, this environmental impact statement is a step closer to identifying the cost, impacts and benefits from a rail system serving passengers in Arizona.

PHOENIX – Vacant properties owned by the Arizona Department of Transportation will soon begin to be removed to clear a path for the future Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, which is the last piece to complete the Loop 202 system and provide a direct link between the West Valley and East Valley. Nearly 200 vacant properties owned by the state will be razed in advance of freeway construction, which is set to begin in summer 2016.

PHOENIX – After heavy rainfall on Aug. 9 blanketed miles of US 89A between Marble Canyon and Jacob’s Lake with mud and boulders, the Arizona Department of Transportation has been working swiftly to restore the highway to its previous condition.

The House Rock Flood was caused by approximately one-and-a-half inches of rain in less than 20 minutes, according to the National Weather Service. As a result, crews were busy last week clearing mud and debris that collected on the roadway and in box culverts underneath the roadway to prevent possible damage during future storms.

PHOENIX —The Arizona Department of Transportation is testing wrong-way vehicle detection devices next to three more off-ramps along Phoenix-area freeways as part of an ongoing research effort to reduce the risk of wrong-way crashes.

The detectors, manufactured by TAPCO, Inc., were installed last week along the northbound Interstate 17 exit to State Route 74 (Carefree Highway), the eastbound Interstate 10 exit at Ray Road and the northbound Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) off-ramp at Thunderbird Road.

PHOENIX – Technology is being implemented to enhance the Arizona Department of Transportation’s weight and equipment safety inspection process for commercial motor vehicles. ADOT Enforcement and Compliance Division enforcement services officers are utilizing Truck Screening Systems Technology to check for weight, permit and registration compliance at three rest areas located along Arizona’s Interstate highways.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is taking an active role in curbing identity theft and fraud by implementing facial recognition technology in the application process for state-issued credentials.

An applicant for a new or duplicate driver license or state ID card at an ADOT Motor Vehicle Division or Authorized Third Party office will have their photo taken at the beginning of the process. Facial recognition during the “Photo First” review process occurs seamlessly and without delay as the customer continues through the application process.

PHOENIX – As the summer monsoon season continues to bring thunderstorms and an increased risk of dust storms, the Arizona Department of Transportation is bolstering its efforts to warn motorists about the dangers of dust storms with a new partnership with OUTFRONT Media’s digital billboards in the Phoenix metro area.

Fourteen digital billboards, boldly stating “Don’t Drive Into A Dust Storm” in uppercase letters, are now posted prominently near two of the busiest freeways in the Phoenix metro area – Interstate 10 and Interstate 17.

PHOENIX — While the Arizona Department of Transportation completed interim repairs to the Hell Canyon Bridge in 2013, the agency moved forward with plans to design a new bridge along State Route 89 in Yavapai County that would ultimately replace the aging and narrow bridge that does not meet today’s design standards. Two years later, ADOT will start construction on Tuesday, July 14 on a modernized bridge that will replace the current bridge when completed.

PHOENIX – While the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration have not yet had an opportunity to review in detail the legal action filed against the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, the agencies are confident that any legal challenges will find that the law was followed in coming to a decision to construct this long-planned freeway.

PHOENIX — For the past two decades, the Arizona Department of Transportation has made the US 93 corridor a priority, by methodically turning what was once a two-lane rural roadway into a modern four-lane divided highway along the primary travel route for Phoenix motorists headed to Las Vegas and a vital corridor for trade and commerce.

PHOENIX – While the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration have not yet had an opportunity to review in detail the legal action filed against the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, the agencies are confident that any legal challenges will find that the law was followed in coming to a decision to construct this long-planned freeway.

PHOENIX — A little more than six months after the Arizona Department of Transportation eased some weight restrictions on several highways in the White Mountains region to aid forest recovery efforts, more than 67 million pounds of timber has been removed to reduce the risk of future wildfires.

PHOENIX – As part of the process of moving toward the 2016 start of construction for the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, Arizona Department of Transportation crews will begin the preliminarily geotechnical investigation in early May, assessing the condition of soil, rock and depth of groundwater along the freeway alignment.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has been recognized for its environmental protection efforts while rebuilding the San Pedro Bridge through a sensitive conservation area on State Route 90 east of Sierra Vista.

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation’s annual Globe Awards this month highlighted ADOT’s work to protect the natural environment during a nearly two-year reconstruction.

PHOENIX — At approximately 4:15 p.m. today, US 89 south of Page was reopened to traffic for the first time following a Feb. 20, 2013, landslide that caused catastrophic damage to the roadway, requiring a 23-mile closure between the junction of State Route 98 in Page and US 89A near Bitter Springs.

PHOENIX – As planning for the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor advances, Arizona Department of Transportation Director John Halikowski today expressed appreciation for the efforts of U.S. Senator John McCain and U.S. Senator Jeff Flake for their work to introduce the Intermountain West Corridor Development Act of 2015 to Congress.