Accommodating existing traffic is a key priority when ADOT builds a freeway …

Depending on the project, that can mean working out a construction schedule that takes rush hours into account or hiring extra crews to flag and direct traffic through the site.

But, on the Loop 303 project in the West Valley drivers will notice a new construction bypass that (amazingly) was built in around 43 hours this past weekend. The bypass will be in place for the next 10 months and not only will it allow for a more efficient way to haul dirt, but it’s also going to help drivers avoid the construction zone!

Building the bypass

Crews shut down the intersection at Greenway Road and the Loop 303 at 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9.

Roughly 8,000 cubic yards of dirt was hauled in from other parts of the project site to build up the road. That dirt was placed Friday night in eight-inch layers and was compacted until it was the right height for the bypass (see video above!). After that, the road was paved and striped on Saturday.

Prior to the weekend work, crews had built everything they could up until the point where the bypass would cross “live” traffic and require the closure. That required even more dirt – about 40,000 cubic yards.

Crews not only had to build the bypass, but also installed temporary concrete barriers, fencing, sidewalk and a traffic signal.

The traffic signal went in Saturday morning after the power was shut off to the “old” signal. The signal pole’s electric meter and pedestal were set to the new location and power was turned on. ADOT wired the signal Sunday morning and installed a common video detection device that will help with signal timing.

After some finishing touches, the bypass was ready and opened to traffic by about 5:15 Sunday evening – 12 hours ahead of schedule!

If you’ve been following along in the blog, you know that we’ve been chronicling ADOT’s reconstruction of the Mescal/J-Six bridge in southern Arizona since it was severely damaged when two semi trucks collided underneath it back in March. Completion of the fast-tracked bridge reconstruction is slated for later this month.

Last week, crews installed 35,000-50,000 pound girders and our video team wanted to explore a creative way to take you behind the scenes of what goes into placing a 25-ton piece of concrete.

To get the perfect shot, they looked to a GoPro® Hero. GoPros are tiny (1.6” x 2.4” x 1.2”, 3.3 oz) HD cameras that let photographers get some incredible shots they never would have been able to otherwise.

Conditions weren’t exactly ideal (check out our Facebook page for pictures of the tarantula and other creepy crawlers that joined their shoot and the extreme weather that loomed in the distance), but they couldn’t miss a chance to secure a GoPro to one of those massive girders! (You might want to sit down before watching this one…it may make you a little dizzy.)

If you live and drive the Loop 101 in the West and North Valley you probably noticed the first stretch of HOV lanes on the eastbound Loop 101 recently opened. These new lanes already have helped to ease congestion in the North Valley, especially during the morning commute.

You may have also noticed that the westbound HOV lanes appear to be done as well, but are not opened. ADOT has not decided to taunt you – these lanes aren’t open yet for a reason.

A little background on the project...

The Loop 101 HOV lane project will add 30 miles of HOV lanes along Loop 101 from I-10 to SR 51.

ADOT already has added HOV lanes to Loop 101 in the East Valley between SR 51 and Loop 202  during the past three years. The completion of final 30 miles in the West Valley will give drivers more than 60 miles of uninterrupted HOV access!

Why the westbound lanes aren't open yet...

When the first stretch of HOV lanes on the current project was opened it was because the new HOV lanes did not come to an end, but rather connected to the existing lanes east of SR 51. This enabled ADOT to open the first few miles of the new HOV lanes on the eastbound Loop 101.

So, although it appears as though the westbound Loop 101 HOV lanes between SR 51 and 7th Avenue (as well as other areas along the westbound Loop 101) will soon be ready to open, ADOT will not open these lanes until the rest of the project is completed.

We do not want to open a smaller stretch of HOV lanes that will simply come to an end and cause traffic to merge unnecessarily, just for the sake of opening lanes. We would rather hold off and open the lanes when they are completed so that traffic is not forced to merge where the smaller sections of HOV lanes end.

However, we have opened auxiliary lanes on both the east and westbound Loop 101 between Cave Creek Road and SR 51. These lanes help to improve the flow of traffic along this very busy section of the Loop 101 where traffic is merging either onto or from SR 51. Since opening, there is a noticeable difference along this section of the Loop 101.

The good news is this project is more than 80 percent complete. By November, all 30 miles of new HOV lanes will be open along the Loop 101 allowing motorists to enjoy a much easier ride in both the West and North Valley!

Last week we gave you an update on how the new Mescal/J-Six bridge is coming along...

You might also remember that the night the damaged bridge was taken down, the old Marsh Station bridge was also demolished just a few miles away. It was a huge project that required completely shutting down I-10 for the night.

Check out the video above for a quick look at the work involved with tearing down two bridges in less than 10 hours.

Think back to 1984. You might recall that the United States hosted the summer Olympics in Los Angeles and Michael Jackson’s Thriller snagged eight Grammy Awards. It’s also when the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) identified the need for a West Valley regional connector freeway later to be dubbed Loop 303.

After years of scoping, study, assessment, public input and design the Loop 303 is taking shape in the West Valley. In May, a four-lane section between Interstate 17 and Happy Valley Parkway opened; and, just last week, preliminary construction work began on the next leg in Surprise, between Mountain View Boulevard (just south of U.S. 60/Grand Avenue) and Peoria Avenue.

Many who live and work in the northwest valley have been eagerly waiting for ADOT to “turn dirt” on this six-mile segment of new highway. Right now, crews are establishing water sources so they can pre-wet the ground before excavation; surveying the alignment so utilities can be relocated; and clearing the work zone of weeds and debris. In the weeks to come, the area will become an active work zone, with construction occurring on the roadway and on new bridges throughout the six-mile area simultaneously.

This phase of the Loop 303 Improvement Project is scheduled to last about two years and will transform the existing, two-lane roadway into a modern urban freeway. By fall 2013, it will include three lanes in each direction with a median, auxiliary lanes and signalized traffic interchanges at Bell, Greenway, Waddell and Cactus Roads.

No doubt, there will be impacts to area traffic while this work is underway. ADOT will provide information about possible lane restrictions, road closures or detours in advance. In addition to traffic information, ADOT is committed to providing information about other possible impacts to the surrounding community, and provides simple ways for residents and businesses to stay informed:

• Visit our Projects page and sign up to receive email updates. ADOT sends email alerts to subscribers weekly or as needed.
• Questions or comments? Call the toll-free ADOT Project Hotline at 855.712.8530.

The new Mescal Road/J-Six interchange is taking shape!

The Cochise County bridge will soon reunite two communities that were unexpectedly disconnected after trucks collided beneath the old overpass in March.

After a fast-paced pre-construction process, work to rebuild the bridge began in early July. Just one month in, the hard-working crews from Vastco Inc. have constructed the bridge columns next to the eastbound lanes and erected shoring on those new columns to pour a new pier cap, and completed the pier caps atop the other columns that survived the fiery crash.

All this is in preparation for the setting of 35 new bridge girders, which are scheduled to make their appearance on the scene later this month!

Rebar that will tie into a new pier cap pokes skyward from four new columns next to the eastbound lanes of I-10 at the project to replace the overpass.

Folks driving past this project on I-10 can expect two overnight closures – with traffic exiting on one side of the project and re-entering the interstate on the other side – while those girders are put into place.

Before you know it, a new bridge will mark the return of the short drive residents of Mescal and J-Six Ranch have missed these past several months.

ADOT truly appreciates the support and patience of these communities and looks forward to celebrating the reopening of the Mescal-J-Six bridge this fall!

Our communication team moved offices recently, and when I walked into our new building this morning, this is what I saw…

Having no idea what this wall of giant blue tubes was, I decided to do a little poking around and share what I could find out here on the blog.

Luckily, I didn’t need to go very far to get the answer.

Right next door to where I work is ADOT’s Contracts and Specifications office. There, I talked with support staff, who told me the blue tubes are actually construction plans that are rolled up and ready to go to contractors. These specific plans are for a project that will construct a six-mile stretch of Loop 303 between Mountain View Boulevard and Peoria Avenue (by the way, we’ll have more details on this project in a blog post planned for Aug. 11).

Since that project is so comprehensive, the plans are pretty big – roughly 1,700 pages! Plans for other ADOT projects are housed in the Contracts and Specifications office, too. Not all projects are of this scale, so most of the plans are smaller than what’s pictured above.

The Loop 303 project has already been awarded to a contractor and work is under way, but most of the plans in the office are for projects that recently have been advertised by ADOT for bids.

Plans are printed before a project is advertised for bids. Construction companies interested in working with ADOT to build that project will purchase these plans to help them put together a detailed bid, or estimate. Based on the bids, projects are awarded by the State Transportation Board. The company awarded the project and ADOT staff members working on the project get whatever plans are remaining.

(Just a note … not all projects follow this timeline. Some projects utilize alternate methods of delivery such as construction-manager-at-risk or design-build.)

Project plans contain anything and everything a contractor would need to know, from basic project information – what needs to be built and where – to the more technical standard drawings and project-related specifics. Depending on the type of project, plans might also include information on the number of lanes, drainage, landscaping, bridges and signals.

So, there you have it! Who would have thought the mystery of “blue tubes” would lead to so much information?

The wait is over!

After more than three years since work first started, West Valley motorists now have a new and improved drive on I-10 as it stretches through Buckeye, Goodyear, Avondale and Tolleson.

Construction was completed in a series of projects that were all part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan. ADOT worked with MAG and local communities in finalizing funding for the work, part of which included American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 funds or federal stimulus funds.

Work to improve this 13-mile section of freeway began in February 2008 and just finished up earlier this month. The goal was to enhance safety and commute times while also making economic development accessible and appealing along the corridor.

Take a look at what was involved with the three I-10 widening projects …

I-10 widening between Loop 101 and Sarival Avenue: $81 million project included the addition of two new “left or inside” lanes in both directions – including High Occupancy Vehicle lanes. Work started in February 2008 and was completed in December 2009.

I-10 additional widening between Dysert Road and Sarival Avenue: $31 million project included adding new “right or outside” lanes plus widening bridges in this area. Work started in November 2009.

I-10 widening between Sarival Avenue and Verrado Way: $22 million stimulus-funded project included adding new third lanes in each direction. Work began in September 2009 and traffic is now using the new lanes.

Now that construction is done, I-10 will have increased freeway capacity, better traffic flow and improved access! 

ADOT started construction earlier this year on the project that’s aimed at improving SR 260 between mileposts 269 and 272, just west of the Christopher Creek Campground. This portion is known as the Doubtful Canyon section and sits roughly 20 miles east of Payson.

The plan is to reconstruct the existing two-lane undivided roadway into a four-lane divided highway. As we showed yesterday, work is well under way.

Once construction is finished, additional improvements will include:

• Six concrete bridges
• Improved drainage
• Additional fencing to protect elk and other wildlife
• Rubberized asphalt pavement to minimize noise and create a smoother ride for motorists
• New signage, striping and guardrails

The Doubtful Canyon project is scheduled for completion in fall 2012 and is part of a larger effort to widen the highway from Star Valley all the way to the Mogollon Rim. Three other sections of SR 260 have already been widened. The Little Green Valley segment is under construction now and should be finished this fall.  

Travelers may have noticed some traffic restrictions in this area. These are necessary to complete this project, but ADOT makes every effort to lessen the impact.

“There are times when there’s going to be traffic delays and as ADOT we understand that and we try to minimize delay times,” says ADOT Senior Resident Engineer Tom Goodman in the video above. “But safety is really our biggest concern on any construction project … so we just ask that motorists be considerate of the work we have out here and obey the reduced speed limits and be patient. It will be all done and then it will be a nice highway to drive on.”

For more information, check out the SR 260 Doubtful Canyon widening project Web page.

Some terrain is so rough and rocky that even heavy-duty machinery can’t break through.

That was the case last Thursday when ADOT crews used more than 7,000 lbs. of explosives to remove roughly 8,000 cubic yards of material along SR 260, about 20 miles east of Payson.

And, they’re not done, yet…

ADOT is working to widen the three-mile stretch of two-lane undivided roadway into a four-lane, divided highway. By the time this project finishes next fall, roughly one million cubic yards of dirt and rocks will have been removed.

Crews are using bulldozers and excavators where they can, but blasting is the only way to get through some the rockier spots.

For the blast in the video above, 179 holes were drilled and then filled with the 7,354 lbs of Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil, a type of explosive commonly used on projects like this. The blasts are set off with a charge from a wire detonated from a safe distance.

More blasting will be necessary for this project.

Check back for another video with additional details on this project and the improvements planned and even more explosive footage of the blast.