We want to hear from you!

Public involvement is the key to designing a roadway that improves traffic flow and enhances safety. As ADOT works with the Federal Highway Administration and the Regional Transportation Authority to widen Oracle Road (SR 77) from Tangerine Road to the Pinal County line, our ears are open to comments, questions and concerns.

Proposed improvements include widening Oracle Road from two lanes to three lanes in each direction. This work will tie into the recently widened section of the highway from Calle Concordia to Tangerine Road.

Other proposed improvements include:

• 10-foot-wide shoulders (7-foot-wide with curb in Catalina) for cyclists
• Rubberized asphalt
• Raised center medians and left-turn lanes in the Catalina area
• Traffic signal improvements
• Drainage improvements
• Replacing shared-use path on the east side of Oracle Road from Wilds Road to Mainsail Boulevard
• Retaining walls and noise walls (if required by environmental study)
• Three wildlife crossing structures to allow wildlife to migrate safely between the Santa Catalina and Tortolita mountains, without crossing the roadway at street level. (The crossing structures are made possible through the RTA and are planned to coincide with the ADOT project).

So, how can you get your voice heard? Visit the project page to email your comments or find out more information on SR 77. Public comments are an important part of the project!

With the number of road construction projects happening around the Valley right now, chances are you’ve driven through an active construction zone or two recently.

Maybe you’ve noticed the lane lines in some of these construction zones look a little different. A little … temporary?

That’s because they probably are.

Before work can even begin on some projects, travel lanes must be re-configured in the work zone so motorists can drive around construction and on through to their destination. This is a temporary shift, but necessary for a productive and safe work zone.

Work is complete on this section of the Loop 202 (Santan) Freeway in Chandler near Alma School Road. The pavement "scars" are gone.

Shifting the configuration of the travel lanes is a two-step process.

First, ADOT crews grind out the existing lane lines. Next, workers use a temporary-tape product to re-stripe the roadway into its temporary configuration for construction.

The grinding process can leave behind a pavement “scar,” which can appear to some motorists as a lane line, especially when the sun hits the pavement at certain angles. Some drivers might even observe two visible sets of lane markings because they are seeing the pavement scars and the temporary-tape lane lines.

When crews shift the travel lanes back to their original configuration, crews remove the temporary-tape lane markings and will put permanent tape lane lines where they belong. Removing the temporary tape lane lines does not leave behind scars on the pavement.

The process ADOT uses to mark temporary lane configurations is not uncommon during construction and is compliant with state and federal standards. Extensive signage is always posted to notify drivers that they are in an active construction zone that requires driving with a heightened sense of caution and obeying posted speed limits.

Few situations are as stressful as hitting traffic on your way to the airport … especially if you’re holding on to that non-refundable ticket for a trip out of town.

But, with more than 100,000 passengers arriving at and departing from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport each day, there’s bound to be some congestion every once in a while.

That’s why ADOT is working on reconstructing the State Route 143/Sky Harbor Boulevard Traffic Interchange to improve access to and from the airport.

This project includes the addition of southbound auxiliary lanes, which allow motorists the ability to merge or continue to the next exit, as well as new interchange ramps and signage.

The two new ramps are being constructed on SR 143 to help commuters get directly in and out of the airport … that direct access should cut a few minutes off drivers’ commutes!

A third ramp will connect commuters traveling on westbound Sky Harbor Blvd. directly onto southbound SR 143 … this should help ease the traffic congestion at the intersection of Sky Harbor Blvd. and SR 143 by allowing drivers to bypass the intersection all together and gain quicker access to I-10.

The project also includes the reconstruction of a ramp on the east side of SR 143 to make for a safer and smoother roadway.

Valley residents and motorists passing through the area can also look forward to new directional signage and enhanced landscaping once the project is complete.

Work started in mid-January and should be finished by summer 2012. Travel impacts will include lane restrictions and closures of SR-143, Sky Harbor Boulevard and adjacent on- and off-ramps. ADOT continues to partner with Valley cities and the airport to minimize this impact.

In less than a year, spectacular ramps and bridges have risen from bare ground in the southeast Valley. By this fall, they’ll link 12 miles of new high occupancy vehicle lanes on the Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) with Interstate 10 and the Loop 101 (Price Freeway) in Chandler -- see the project's progress in the slide show above.

On the other side of the Valley, crews are adding new HOV lanes - and improving three bridges - on the Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) from I-10 near Avondale to I-17 in north Phoenix. In just six months, they have built and paved 18 miles of the 30-mile project and are eyeing completion by this fall.

Both of these projects are utilizing the “design-build” (D/B) method of delivery – and proving that D/B can yield big results in a relatively small amount of time. That’s why D/B is one of the “alternative delivery methods” that ADOT uses for freeway projects when doing so makes sense.

The D/B concept involves pairing a design team with a construction team to create one, synergistic entity that delivers a freeway project from beginning to end.

This differs from the more traditional “design-bid-build concept” where one firm designs a project that is then put out to bid and awarded to a construction company to build.

Contractors that bid on ADOT’s D/B projects must not only meet quality standards, but also demonstrate their capability to complete the project on time and on budget at a much faster and dynamic pace.

Because D/B projects are schedule-driven, they can make driving through the work zone a bit more challenging. The faster pace means doing more – and more complicated – work in a shorter amount of time. For motorists, it can mean numerous restrictions or detours while the project is underway.

The flip side? The same restrictions or detours occur, but are spread out over a longer period of time for a project that takes longer to complete and probably costs more.

The D/B method can save time and money by overlapping the design and construction phases. Other benefits include improved design efficiency through on-going constructability reviews and better management of the project schedule. Because the design firm and construction company typically form a joint venture to deliver the freeway project, ADOT also benefits from having a single point for contractual responsibility if challenges arise.

With so many benefits, why doesn’t ADOT use D/B for all of its projects? Simply put, not all freeway projects are good candidates. The best project candidates do not require significant right-of-way acquisition or extensive, complicated relocation of existing utilities. In addition, ADOT believes that D/B is most advantageous when transportation improvements are immediately needed to improve safety and reduce high traffic volume or chronic congestion.

So the next time you’re maneuvering through a sea of orange cones on the Loop 101 in Peoria or find yourself on a detour route because the Loop 202 is closed in Chandler, remember that ADOT is working to make your everyday commute safer and more efficient – and saving time and taxpayer dollars at the same time!

‘Why are the cones and barricades still up, but no one is working?!?!?’

If you’ve ever driven by an empty freeway work zone, you might have wondered this yourself.

But, despite how things may appear, there still is a risk to the traveling public, which means those barricades are very necessary.

And, just because workers aren’t present, doesn’t mean work has stopped. Often, there is a cure time for work that has just been completed. Rubberized asphalt, for instance, needs to set four to six hours before a car can drive on it to prevent it from being damaged.

Likewise, if a project involves removing or pumping underground water from a job site (in order to drill for a pier column for example) this process must take place prior to crews starting their work above ground. While this type of “unseen” work is happening, barricades, cones and concrete barriers will remain in place to keep the public safe and the project on schedule.

In addition to the “behind the scenes” work, motorists also may be unaware of dangerous work zone conditions such as open trenches, heavy equipment, or unsafe roadway conditions. Each scenario requires barricades, cones and barriers to remain in place even when workers aren’t present and during non-working hours to protect motorists.

Even after hours, ADOT had an obligation to ensure the public’s safety by keeping people and cars out of the work zone! For more on work zone safety and to learn some tips on how to maneuver through a work site, visit our 'Slow Down, Arizona!' web page.

Talk about a quick turnaround … it’s been just three months since a fiery crash destroyed the Mescal Road/J-Six Ranch Road bridge in Cochise County and already ADOT has approved a contract to rebuild and reopen the bridge this fall.

Considering the process can normally take up to two years, it is clear this project is critical to the nearby communities.

You might remember that the bridge suffered heavy damage back on March 15 after two semi-trucks collided underneath it. The damage from the resulting fire was so severe that the bridge was demolished by ADOT a few weeks later on April 8.

But, with the bridge gone, so is the link between the communities of Mescal and J-Six Ranch, and that is why the replacement project is on a fast track.

In fact, construction is expected to begin early next month at the site located on I-10 at milepost 297, west of Benson.

The project includes replacement of four columns, retrofit of abutments, installation of new precast concrete girders, construction of the concrete roadway, placement of approach slabs, painting of the existing and new portion of the bridge, pavement marking and other related work.

Federal Highway Administration emergency relief funds, a shortened time frame for designing the replacement bridge and a quick construction bid process all have helped move the project ahead at a rapid pace.

Drivers in the area should know that detours have been in place since March 15, when fire damage to the concrete piers and steel girders required closure of the bridge, which was originally built in 1958. The adjacent pedestrian bridge was not damaged by the fire.

The bridges over Pinewood Boulevard in Munds Park have been carrying Interstate-17 traffic for the past 53 years and now it’s time for some well-deserved reconstruction!

ADOT has already begun the project that will rebuild the bridges and ramps on I-17 at Munds Park, an area just south of Flagstaff . Work started last month and is scheduled to wrap up by fall 2012.

When the job is finished, motorists will have two new bridges each measuring 100-feet long (they’re now just 25 feet). The bridges will also be wider to accommodate an eventual third lane planned for I-17. A new sidewalk on Pinewood Boulevard is going in, too. It will allow pedestrians to cross safely underneath I-17 (see above video).

This update is necessary because there is more traffic now then when the bridges were built in 1958. Back then there was no development in Munds Park . The bridges are just inadequate for today’s traffic.

Drivers should expect some slowing of traffic due to this project – especially over busy holiday weekends. It is expected that delays at peak holiday travel times could reach up to 45 minutes … so please plan accordingly.

Project Timeline

April 2011 - Oct. 2011: The northbound bridge will be demolished, then reconstructed and I-17 will be repaved through the work zone. Because the northbound bridge is closed, motorists traveling northbound on I-17 will be directed to a detour that crosses over the median and utilizes southbound lanes. All on and off ramps will remain open.

April 2012 - Oct. 2012: The southbound bridge will be demolished, then reconstructed and I-17 will be repaved through the work zone. While this work is being done, the southbound bridge will be closed and motorists will be detoured over to the northbound lanes of I-17.

Who says constructing a freeway through a beautiful desert expanse has to spoil the view? 

Once the new stretch of Loop 303 opens this month, motorists will see for themselves that great care was taken by ADOT and its project partners to keep the scene as pristine and seemingly untouched as possible.

Native desert plants that lived in the path of the new freeway were not just pulled up and thrown away – they were uprooted, cared for during freeway construction and then replanted alongside the new road.

Crews began by taking an inventory of all the plants surrounding the 14-mile stretch of highway. There were saguaros, barrel cacti, several other cactus varieties, ocotillo, mesquite, ironwood and palo verde trees to contend with.

Landscapers decided which plants to salvage based on a variety of factors, including the plant’s species, size, health and aesthetic qualities. The saguaros and some of the other cacti are designated by law as protected, which means they cannot be allowed to succumb to construction projects.

A total of about 6,900 cacti and nearly 1,000 trees were tagged, dug up in such a way to preserve their roots and carefully replanted in three nurseries located on the construction site – the nearby location was good for the plants because they were already used to the site’s soil conditions.

Special care was taken to help keep the plants comfortable in their new, temporary home. Gravity-fed water systems were set up in the nurseries to ensure the plants thrived.

To assist in the transition back to their permanent spots along the 303, contractors saved the top layer of native soil from the roadbed and applied it to the slopes where a majority of the replanting occurred.

The forethought paid off...so far, there has been a 90 percent survival rate for all the plants.

Outside contractors will care for the plants for the next two years. During that time, there also will be a temporary watering system in place alongside the freeway.

After the two years are up, the irrigation system will be taken out and the plants should be ready to make it on their own. The cost savings associated with this project include not having to install granite mulch, new plants and underground irrigation pipes and controls.

ADOT’s Chief Landscape Architect LeRoy Brady says he’d like to issue a challenge to people to watch as the vegetation stabilizes and adds to the area aesthetically.

He says that in addition to the replanting, all medians and roadsides have been hydro-seeded with 20 different species of plants – that means the area will continue to change, develop and grow more beautiful over time!

The countdown is on!

It won’t be long before drivers in the West Valley get to experience the newest section of Loop 303, otherwise known as the Bob Stump Memorial Parkway.

Stretching between Happy Valley Parkway and Interstate-17, the 14-mile segment opens this month and represents just the start of improvements slated for Loop 303. Later this week we’ll delve deeper into what the future holds for this freeway, but for now, we want to focus on one of the steps involved in the detailed process of building a road … today we’re talking about concrete!

This four-lane segment of the 303 contains almost 800,000 square yards of concrete pavement in just the roadway alone. But instead of purchasing and hauling concrete from an outside source, contractors on this project mixed their own on site using three portable concrete plants.

Portable plants are a huge time and money saver. They require only one person to operate (typically a few people will assist in loading material), and once the plants are fired up, they produce roughly 300 cubic yards of concrete an hour. According to one estimate, mixing on site saves about 20 percent over what it would cost to purchase from a commercial plant.

And not only did they mix the concrete at the project site, but some of the material that went into the actual concrete and roadway base (the layer of material between the dirt on the ground and the concrete) was mined on site, too. ADOT’s contractor was able to crush and use 500,000 tons of rock for the roadway base. By recycling materials on site, more than 37,000 truck trips were eliminated.

But how do they make the concrete? Well, if you can imagine mixing a giant cake, you can visualize how concrete is made.

First the contractor has the components – cement, flyash, aggregate and water – delivered and placed in stockpiles around the plant. The material is then loaded onto a conveyor belt and weighed by a computer before being placed in the mixer.

In just a minute and a half the concrete is ready to be loaded onto a transport vehicle and then placed on the roadway.