News

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.

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation, in partnership with the city of Maricopa, the Union Pacific Railroad and the Federal Highway Administration, has received federal approval for the proposed bridge project on State Route 347 over the railroad crossing, clearing the way for the project to move forward when funding is available.

On March 18, the Federal Highway Administration issued a Finding of No Significant Impact after reviewing the Final Environmental Assessment, the definitive decision-making document federally required for the project.

PHOENIX – The Valley’s Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, proposed by regional planners since the 1980s, has received final approval from the Federal Highway Administration, paving the way for the Arizona Department of Transportation to move the project forward.

The Record of Decision, signed March 5 by the Federal Highway Administration, grants the final approval necessary for ADOT to begin the process of acquiring right of way, complete the design and begin construction of the 22-mile-long freeway to serve the metro Phoenix region.

PHOENIX – How do you capture the past 90 years in words and pictures? It’s not an easy task to encapsulate the best of the best in a single issue of a magazine.

The Enforcement and Compliance Division of the Arizona Department of Transportation is more visibly known for its Enforcement Services, the unit that helps to ensure that commercial vehicles adhere to federal and state regulations. One of the primary goals is to improve Arizona’s ability to move people, goods and services in a safe, efficient manner through the use of education, enforcement and technology.

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation launched a new project this week to widen US 93, the primary travel route for Phoenix drivers headed to Las Vegas, and efforts continue on another ongoing widening project to further a decades-long commitment to convert the rural two-lane roadway to a modern, four-lane divided highway in northwest Arizona.

PHOENIX — Six months after extensive earthwork started on removing nearly one million cubic yards of rock material as part of the repairs of the US 89 landslide-damaged highway south of Page, the Arizona Department of Transportation is moving onto the final phase of the project to restore the highway.

The roadway suffered serious damage following a landslide on the early morning of Feb. 20, 2013 and has remained closed after a 500-foot section of roadway buckled in Echo Cliffs, two miles north of the US 89/US 89A junction near the community of Bitter Springs.

PHOENIX — When fans are making their way along Loop 101 to the NFL's Super Bowl in Glendale on Sunday, the Arizona Department of Transportation will use upgraded technology to help keep drivers informed while the agency tracks traffic conditions on the primary freeway route to University of Phoenix Stadium.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation will host a public meeting at Fowler Elementary School in West Phoenix on Wednesday evening, Jan. 21, to provide community members with information and receive comments about the planned State Route 30 transportation corridor.

Four potential alignments for State Route 30, along with a “no-build option,” are being studied by ADOT on behalf of the Maricopa Association of Governments, which serves as the Phoenix area’s freeway planning agency.

PHOENIX – Based on an order from U.S. District Court, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division will begin processing driver license and identification card applications for recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals on Monday, Dec. 22. Consequently, people visiting Motor Vehicle Division offices for service may experience increased time to complete their business.

PHOENIX – In a move to ensure that the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study continues to move forward, the State Transportation Board approved the next step in the process and the funding to make it happen.

PHOENIX – With the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration issuing an addendum – called an Errata – to the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed South Mountain Freeway, the comment period has been extended to Dec. 29 for final comments before a Record of Decision is issued in 2015.

PHOENIX — In an effort to promote a healthy forest, improve commerce and protect the state’s infrastructure following the devastating Wallow Fire, the Arizona Department of Transportation has partnered with the Arizona State Forestry Division and the Eastern Arizona Counties Organization to launch the “Healthy Forest Initiative.”

PHOENIX – As part of the public review period for the South Mountain Freeway Final Environmental Impact Statement, it was noted that 10 comments submitted in 2013 on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement were inadvertently not relayed to the study team for incorporation into the Final Environmental Impact Statement, which was released Sept. 26.