By Steve Elliott / ADOT Communications

We hope you're following our progress on a $41.9 million interchange that will dramatically improve traffic at Bell Road and Grand Avenue (US 60) in Surprise.

Previous posts have alerted you to the need to plan your route during a full closure of Bell at Grand that will allow us to reopen the roadway by November, shown you a nifty animation of how the interchange will work and shared the city of Surprise's awe-inspiring drone video of the work zone.

Today we're sharing an ADOT video taking you deeper into this project, including the benefits and how we worked with businesses and others in the community to plan an overpass and interchange as well as a project schedule that benefit everyone.

Please give the video a look. Something great is coming at Bell and Grand, and we're making steady progress toward completing it.

When we last checked in on the Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) project, crews were adding travel lanes, widening bridges and wrapping up the placement of rubberized asphalt…

Now, as many East Valley drivers can tell you, the project is pretty much finished!

“Since April, we’ve completed all of the widening of the roadway and the bridges and the new asphalt rubber is down,” said Transportation Engineering Specialist Craig Regulski. “Now, we’re just finishing up the final striping and getting the freeway management system up and running – basically, we’re finishing up the electrical work. All travel lanes are open, but there are still restrictions on some ramps.”

More about the project

Crews started working in October 2014 on the project that added one general purpose lane in each direction along Loop 202 between Loop 101 (Price Freeway) and Gilbert Road. The project also added a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane in both directions between Gilbert and Broadway roads. In all, this project has added lanes along nearly 20 miles of the Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway).

Besides the addition of new lanes and rubberized asphalt, this project also included the construction of both retaining and sound walls, drainage improvements, updating the existing overhead freeway signs, the installation of a new median freeway lighting system, and landscaping.

This project was built utilizing the design-build method of delivery, which involves pairing the design team with the construction team. This team then both designs and constructs the project.

Attention motorists who travel regularly on US 60 between Globe and Phoenix: a series of upcoming improvement projects will impact traffic on the highway this summer...

ADOT  is investing nearly $65 million in four critical projects in Pinal/Gila counties that will start this year and build upon efforts to upgrade the US 60 corridor, which is a major transportation route connecting the Phoenix metropolitan area and the communities of Florence Junction, Superior, Globe, Miami, San Carlos and Show Low.

Here’s a look at the planned improvements:

• The first project along US 60 will start in June, when ADOT will build a new westbound climbing lane and widen shoulders along a 13-mile stretch of US 60 from the Oak Flat area to the town of Miami (mileposts 229-242). This $13 million safety improvement project will make it easier for motorists to pass large trucks and slow-moving vehicles whose speed drops because of the sustained grades along this stretch of highway from Devil’s Canyon to the Oak Flat area (mileposts 230-232). When this project starts, blasting operations will require intermittent full closures of the highway.
• Later in the summer, ADOT will convert the last remaining two-lane roadway segment on US 60 between Phoenix and Superior into a modern, four-lane divided highway. The $45 million US 60 Silver King/Superior Streets project just west of Superior (mileposts 222-227) is expected to take two years to complete and will include improving the urban section of highway in Superior. The five-mile-long widening improvements will improve traffic flow and enhance safety on US 60.
• East of Superior at milepost 228, ADOT will replace the antiquated lighting in the US 60 Queen Creek Tunnel with a new light-emitting diode (LED) lighting system. This will be the first tunnel in Arizona to have this LED technology. The new lighting system will improve visibility within the tunnel, which was originally built in 1952, by using an adaptive control system that will adjust the lighting level based upon ambient light and weather conditions outside the tunnel. ADOT expects to replace the lighting system beginning this summer, which will require new conduit and wiring in the quarter-mile-long tunnel. The total project cost is estimated to be $3.8 million.
• The final project on US 60 is a $3 million rock mitigation project along mileposts 228-229, where crews will remove loose boulders along this very rocky and steep section of highway adjacent to the Queen Creek Tunnel.

Motorists are urged to slow down in the work zone and plan ahead to allow for extra travel time once construction starts. ADOT will work to minimize the traffic impacts by scheduling work hours on overlapping projects at different times of the day as much as possible. A detailed schedule of traffic restrictions will be released to the public prior to the start of construction.

And remember, while ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, there’s always a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule. To stay up to date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information System at az511.gov or call 511.

Loop 101 is being widened from Shea Boulevard to Loop 202, and within that span, there are several bridges that get additional lanes. However, one of those bridges – the one at 90th Street – required a little more work than the others.

For one thing, it’s curved. That means precast girders, ones that are prebuilt offsite, weren’t an available option for the lane additions. So, crews had to build the components at the project location, which required falsework (we’ve blogged about falsework before, but if you need a refresher: falsework gives temporary support to a structure until it can carry its own weight).

That falsework, which is what crews constructed the additional Loop 101 lane on top of, hangs lower than the final height of the bridge and had to be built high enough to give adequate clearance to the traffic traveling below on 90th Street.

Still with us?

To recap, the necessary falsework meant that crews had to build the new lane a few feet above its eventual resting spot and, as you can see in the video above, when the lane construction was finished, they had to lower it into place.

That covers why the lane was lowered, now let’s look at how it all got done.

ADOT Transportation Engineering Specialist David Locher explains that lowering the new lane was accomplished with the help of four jacks – each rated at 250 tons.

“We use very strong jacks,” he said. “We just lifted the lane ever so slightly so that we could remove some of the timbers (part of the falsework) at a time.”

Locher said that the road was lowered in three-inch increments until it was in place about 13 hours later.

In the coming months, crews will pour concrete to connect the new lanes to the existing bridge. After that, they’ll build the roadway deck on top.

One more thing…

ADOT is expanding Loop 101 on both the southbound and northbound sides, but you might notice in the video above that only the northbound side of the freeway had to be lowered.

Wondering why?

Locher explains that the southbound side was actually high enough to clear traffic because it is built on a banked curve. The slight incline gave crews the space they needed to build the additional southbound lane without having to elevate the falsework.

For more on this project, check out these previous posts. You’ll also find project photos on ADOT’s Flickr site.

ADOT’s Construction Academy is a pre-apprenticeship training program that gives individuals a great start in the construction industry…

Hosted by ADOT’s Business Engagement and Compliance Office, the academy is open to veterans, minorities and women interested in a career with the construction industry.

The three-week program is funded with federal grant money and is free to participants, who get to experience a variety of trades. The program includes introductory courses in the transportation construction industry that are taught by experts. Some of these courses include heavy equipment, highway electrical, materials, traffic technology and highway survey. Program participants graduate with a Traffic Control Flagger Certification, along with OSHA 10 training.

There is also a focus on life skills, resume-building and interview help. At the end of the three weeks, Academy participants have the opportunity to attend an onsite career fair to gain jobs and possible apprenticeships. Preparing people for the workforce is the one of the academy’s main objectives, says OJT/Workforce Development Manager Olga Diaz.

The landslide-damaged stretch of US 89 has come a long way in the past two years...

You might remember that an early morning landslide on Feb. 20, 2013 caused a section of the roadway to buckle near Page – back then, the road looked like this.

Before crews could even begin repairing the road, ADOT provided immediate emergency access in the area and kicked off an extensive geotechnical investigation. ADOT also paved US 89T (formerly Navajo Route 20) to serve as the detour for motorists driving to and from Page. In addition, there were environmental, utility and right-of-way processes to complete. Around that time, a long-term repair solution was identified.

Work did get started last summer and has included moving about 1 million cubic yards of rock and dirt. Crews have removed the material to construct a downslope buttress to stabilize the area.

Now, 24 months after the landslide, progress is clearly visible, as you can see in the video above.

So, what’s left to do?

Not all that much, considering how big of a project this has been.

“We’ve entered the final phase of the project,” says ADOT Senior Resident Engineer Steve Monroe. “We’re now starting to actually rebuild the road itself. They’ll bring in some aggregate base, put several layers of that down, wet it down, compact it, wet it down, compact it, get that all in place. After that, we can start paving. When that’s finished, then there will be a half-inch of friction course, just another layer of asphalt that goes on. Then we can come back do the final striping, put in the recessed pavement markers, the rumble strip and then we’ll have it opened up to traffic before the summer tourist season.”

Find the latest on the project, by visiting some of our previous posts. Don’t forget to stay tuned ... we’ll continue to share US 89 details here and we look forward to blogging about the grand reopening.

We’re only a month in, but 2015 is already looking like it’ll be a big year for ADOT...

Several new and existing projects are in the works – below is a list of highlights from this recent ADOT news release. All of the projects will be funded with federal and state highway funds, which are collected through gas and vehicle license taxes. In the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas, voters have approved supplemental tax revenue that enables more transportation projects to move forward in their respective regions.
 

Phoenix-Area Projects for 2015

Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway
ADOT expects to release the Record of Decision for the long-proposed South Mountain Freeway this spring and work toward selecting a contractor for the proposed $1.9 billion project. The 22-mile-long freeway would run east and west along Pecos Road and then turn north between 55th and 63rd avenues, connecting with I-10 on each end. The South Mountain Freeway is also part of the Regional Transportation Plan funding passed by Maricopa County voters in 2004 through Proposition 400.

Loop 101 and Loop 202 Widening Projects in East Valley

Loop 101 construction

Much of the focus on freeway improvements in the metro Phoenix area will remain on projects that broke ground in 2014 and are due for completion in 2016. The $73 million Loop 101 widening project between Shea Boulevard and Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) in the Scottsdale area is adding an additional lane in each direction along 11 miles of the Pima Freeway, as well as merge lanes between most major interchanges. The $109 million project to widen the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway between Loop 101 in Tempe and Broadway Road in east Mesa also will advance, with new general purpose lanes being added between Loop 101 and Gilbert Road, along with HOV lanes between Gilbert Road and Broadway Road.

Interstate 10/Loop 303 Interchange
Among the new freeway projects scheduled to start this year is the “south half” of the Interstate 10/Loop 303 Interchange, which will complete all ramp connections between the two freeways in Goodyear. Work is expected to start this fall. The north half of the interchange opened last August and, combined with a widened Loop 303 north of I-10, has been embraced by West Valley communities as much-needed infrastructure to help drive economic development in the region.

Additional Loop 303 Improvements in Northwest Valley
Farther north along Loop 303, ADOT will launch a project to add an interchange at El Mirage Road by this spring. The new interchange will be built at the same time that crews are improving Loop 303 into a six-lane freeway between Grand Avenue (US 60) and Happy Valley Parkway in Peoria. A third project already underway is creating improved connections at the Loop 303/Grand Avenue interchange. All three projects are scheduled for completion in 2016.

US 60 Improvements in Surprise
Also in Surprise, a project to build a Bell Road bridge over Grand Avenue (US 60) and new ramps connecting the two roadways is scheduled to start late in the year, after a design-build contracting team is selected by ADOT.

Tucson-Area Projects for 2015

Interstate 19 Traffic Interchange Reconstruction (Ajo Way)
In 2015, ADOT will begin work to replace the existing Interstate 19 traffic interchange at State Route 86, also known as Ajo Way, with a single-point urban interchange. The modern interchange will feature a single set of traffic signals, rather than signals at multiple locations. The $86 million project is expected to improve traffic flow and enhance safety for motorists traveling through Tucson’s southwest side. Construction is expected to continue through 2017 and will also include widening I-19 from Ajo Way to Irvington Road and widening SR 86 to three lanes in each direction between 16th Avenue and Holiday Isle.

State Route 77 Widening (Tangerine Road to Pinal County Line)
After starting work in summer 2014, ADOT will continue efforts to upgrade a six-mile section of SR 77 (Oracle Road) between Tangerine Road and the Pinal county line from two lanes to three lanes in each direction. Along with widening the roadway, planned improvements include raised medians, traffic signal and drainage improvements, wildlife crossings, sound walls and multiuse paths. The $33.9 million project is slated to take two years to complete.

State Route 86 Widening (Valencia to Kinney Roads)
In 2015, ADOT is expected to begin construction on expanding SR 86 (Ajo Highway) in each direction from Valencia to Kinney roads in Pima County, 10 miles west of downtown Tucson. This seven-mile-long, $55 million project in Pima County will enhance safety and improve traffic flow on the highway, which serves as a regional transportation route between Tucson and south-central Arizona. SR 86 provides access to the Tohono O'odham Nation and is widely used to reach the popular tourist destination in Mexico called Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point.

Statewide Projects for 2015

Northern Arizona
US 93 Widening (State Route 71 to State Route 89 and Antelope Wash sections)
ADOT will continue long-standing efforts to transform the heavily traveled corridor between Phoenix and Las Vegas into a modern four-lane divided highway throughout the entire 200-mile stretch with two US 93 widening projects this year. After beginning last year, ADOT will complete upgrading a three-mile segment of US 93 (Antelope Wash), located approximately 20 miles north of Wikieup (mileposts 101-104) this summer. A second US 93 widening project (State Route 71 to State Route 89), just north of Wickenburg (mileposts 185-190), is expected to break ground this spring.

State Route 89A Spot Widening (Vista Overlook to JW Powell)
This $22.5 million project is slated to improve safety and traffic flow by widening the roadway and constructing passing lanes entering and exiting Oak Creek Canyon through an eight-mile stretch from the popular tourist destination Vista Overlook to the JW Powell interchange, three miles south of Flagstaff. Design of the project is nearly complete and ADOT hopes to start construction this year.

Interstate 40 Pavement Improvements (various projects)
ADOT has several major resurfacing projects in the works along the nearly 360-mile-long I-40, which is one of Arizona’s Key Commerce Corridors, as it stretches from California to the New Mexico state line, Three major pavement preservation projects are set to take place in 2015. This spring will complete final paving on the Rattlesnake Wash to US 93 (mileposts 57-72) section east of Kingman after the project began last summer. Later this year, ADOT will start two new resurfacing projects east of Flagstaff, including the Navajo county line to Minnetonka (milepost 250-259) and Walnut Canyon to Twin Arrows (milepost 214-218) segments.

US 89 Landslide Repairs (near Bitter Springs)
ADOT is scheduled to reopen US 89 south of Page after the highway was closed on Feb. 20, 2013 after a landslide caused serious damage to the highway near the Echo Cliffs. Major work on the repairs began on Aug. 11, 2014 as crews began excavating nearly one million cubic yards of rock near the highway to build a buttress, which will stabilize and reinforce the mountain slope that carries the roadway. The $25 million repair project remains on target to reopen to traffic this spring, in advance of this summer’s tourism season in Page and Lake Powell.

Southern Arizona
US 60 Widening (Silver King/Superior Streets)
This spring, ADOT is expected to start a project to convert the last remaining two-lane roadway segment on US 60 between Phoenix and Superior into a modern, four-lane divided highway. The $45 million project (mileposts 222-227), which will also include improving the urban section of highway in Superior, is expected to take two years to complete.

US 95 Fortuna Wash Bridge
This $13.5 million project is part of a larger corridor improvement project for US 95, the north and south corridor between Yuma and Quartzsite. US 95 is also the main route to the Yuma Proving Ground, which is one of the largest employers in Yuma County and one of the Army’s busiest training sites in the U.S. This project includes a bridge over Fortuna Wash, which often floods during heavy rains. This project is scheduled to begin in the spring.

US 95 San Luis Street Improvements
This $11 million project includes reconfiguring San Luis Port of Entry traffic off US 95 in San Luis to facilitate business along Main Street. The project, which began in October 2014, will help the circulation of traffic, enhance pedestrian safety and improve access to downtown businesses near the U.S.-Mexico international border. Work will be completed this year.

Major Studies

Interstate 11

Interstate 11

ADOT’s Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study continues to move forward. This year, work will begin on an Environmental Impact Statement which will allow ADOT to begin an environmental study in the area between Nogales and Wickenburg, part of the proposed Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor. The $15 million Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement is expected to take three years to complete, once work gets underway later this year. Interstate 11, which will connect Arizona to the entire Intermountain West, is one of our state’s Key Commerce Corridors. I-11 is being planned as a multimodal freight corridor and a manufacturing belt that will drive trade, commerce, job growth and economic development while facilitating strong connections to other major markets.

Passenger Rail
The next major step for ADOT’s Passenger Rail Corridor Study: Tucson to Phoenix is to publish the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for public review. Three public hearings will be held later this year in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties to allow community members to comment on the recommendations of the study. Following the public review process, the final recommendations and environmental considerations will be issued on the Final Environmental Impact Statement for federal approval. ADOT is currently evaluating three final rail alternatives. The Passenger Rail Corridor Study is expected to be completed later this year. ADOT’s mission is to evaluate and implement modes of transportation to provide a well-balanced, flexible transportation system that moves people and commerce throughout Arizona.

Work is progressing on the Loop 101 widening project we first told you about in August (and then again in September).

As northeast Valley drivers have surely noticed, crews are currently working to widen bridges within the project area and build retaining walls and sound walls.

The $73 million project will widen 11 miles of Loop 101 between Shea Boulevard and Loop 202 (Red Mountain) with the addition of one new lane in each direction. A second new northbound Loop 101 lane also will be constructed between the Loop 202 interchange and McDowell Road. Other project features include the addition of new merge lanes between interchanges, new lighting and signs, new landscaping (including the use of hundreds of salvaged cacti and other plants), wider freeway bridges and realigned on- and off-ramps and a new layer of rubberized asphalt.

Why we build new lanes when we do

You might be wondering why we’re building the new lanes now, as opposed to years ago when the Loop 101 was first constructed. We get that question a lot from people who say building everything all at once would prevent the restrictions, closures and traffic that can come along with new construction.

You can find a great answer in this blog post from 2011. But in a nutshell, we can tell you that it’s just not feasible to construct freeways for future needs all at one time. The main reason has to do with funding. The money for projects is not available all at one time. As a result, we build and improve freeways in phases, using the funding that is available when the project is scheduled to begin. In Maricopa County, that funding comes from the voter-approved, 20-year extension of the half-cent sales tax (2006-2026). Revenue is programmed for freeway projects identified in the Maricopa Association of Government’s Regional Transportation Plan, a long-term blueprint for transportation improvements across the Valley.

What drivers should know

There will be no closures during the upcoming holiday and any lane restrictions will be limited to overnight hours. Drivers can also rest assured that no construction-related closures are planned during a number of upcoming events in the area (including the Super Bowl and Spring Training). For more on this project’s timeline, check out this blog post.

Finally, and most importantly, drivers need to be aware that they’re driving through a work zone and must obey the lower speed limit that has been posted.

“It’s 55 MPH,” says ADOT Public Information Officer Doug Nintzel in the video above. “It’s there for (driver) safety. It’s there for the safety of our workers.”

A couple of improvement projects happening right now on the Loop 101 and the Loop 202 are seemingly similar, but each has their own distinct timeline...

Work on the Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) got started this month and the plans call for a majority of the project (Country Club Drive to Broadway Road) to be finished by summer 2015. The portion of the project that stretches from Loop 101 to Country Club Drive will wrap up in December 2015. Crews will come back the following spring to place rubberized asphalt.

Over on the Loop 101, a widening project that kicked off in August is scheduled for completion by late 2016.

How can that be, you might ask? (Actually, one of our readers did ask, which is what spurred the idea for this post. We get some really great questions here on the ADOT Blog!)

While the projects might sound comparable – they both include lane additions, signage, lighting, etc – they actually have many differences.

One of the major differences has to do with the project delivery methods being used.  

The Loop 101 effort is a “Design-Bid-Build” project, which means that ADOT (or a consulting engineer working for the department) designs the project, solicits bids and then awards a contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder to build the project.

The Loop 202 work is a being completed as a “Design-Build” project. We’ve blogged about this method before, but in case you don’t have time to read that post right now, just know that the Design-Build concept involves pairing a design team with a construction team to create one, synergistic entity that delivers a freeway project from beginning to end. While there are advantages to using the Design-Build method (it’s faster), it’s not a great fit for all projects.

Delivery methods aren’t the only differences between the projects on the Loops 101 and 202. Project restrictions also factor into the two timelines.

The Loop 101 is located in a busy corridor in the Phoenix area. In addition to the daily traffic (173,000 cars per day!), the Loop 101 is also the only connection to Scottsdale from the east side of the Valley. That means the Loop 101 project has many restrictions on when the roads can and cannot be closed. The project has 27 restrictions that spell out when the contractor cannot have any closures (some examples include the days leading up to the Super Bowl and Spring Training).

Loop 202 is also used by many motorists, but not as many as the segment being improved on Loop 101. There are also fewer big events in the area. These two conditions allow crews to work on this project more days out of the year.

One more difference between the two projects has to do with how each is being widened.

The Loop 101 project is being widened to the outside, meaning that lanes are being added to the outside edge of the freeway. This is a more time-consuming process than adding lanes to the inside.

It takes longer because the work is impacting the ramps that are used to get people on and off the roadway. Because of this, the project has restrictions on how it can be built so traffic can have access to Loop 101 at all times.

“Anytime we close the cross road to build the bridge, the ramps and the ramps on adjacent streets are utilized as a detours. This means that when we are building a bridge we cannot have any closures on the adjacent roads or ramps,” says Loop 101 Project Manager Dan Haskins. “To build the project we have had to analyze what closures we want to take and make sure that no work is taking place that will cause any restrictions to the cross street or to access the Loop 101.”

Attention East Valley motorists: ADOT’s newest freeway widening project in the Phoenix area has started this week along Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway*) in Mesa.

Scheduled for completion by spring 2016, the $109-million project will add one regular traffic lane in each direction along Loop 202 between Loop 101 (Price Freeway) and Gilbert Road. Crews will also be extending the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes between Gilbert and Broadway roads.

In all, this project will add lanes along nearly 20 miles of the Red Mountain Freeway.

Besides the addition of new lanes, this project also includes bridge widening, construction of retaining walls and sound walls, drainage improvements and installation of updated signs, freeway lighting and landscaping. A new layer of rubberized asphalt is in the plans, too.

Here’s what drivers will need to know

The current existing number of travel lanes will be maintained during weekday rush hours, with most restrictions limited to nighttime hours and weekends.

Full closures of sections of Loop 202 are scheduled over the next two weekends to allow crews to set up work zones by shifting traffic lanes and placing temporary concrete barrier walls:

• Westbound Loop 202 will be closed between McDowell Road and Country Club Drive from 10 p.m. Friday (Oct. 24) to 5 a.m. Monday (Oct. 27) for work zone setup. Westbound freeway traffic will detour along McKellips Road. Drivers are encouraged to consider other alternate routes, including westbound US 60 (Superstition Freeway).
• The following weekend, eastbound Loop 202 is scheduled to be closed between Country Club Drive and Power Road from 10 p.m. Friday (Oct. 31) to 5 a.m. Monday (Nov. 3) for work zone setup. Eastbound freeway traffic will detour along McKellips Road. Drivers also should consider other alternate routes, including eastbound US 60.

Crews have also been performing preliminary work during overnight hours this week (Oct. 20-23) along Loop 202 between Broadway and Brown roads in east Mesa. The freeway remains open with lane restrictions during the overnight work.

* Having a hard time knowing your Red Mountain from your Santan or your Price from your Pima?? Check out this blog post and map for some help understanding all the Valley freeway names.