Category Archives: Arizona Department of Transportation

Surprise MVD office to temporarily close for interior renovation

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PHOENIX — Tomorrow the Surprise Motor Vehicle Division office will close for interior renovation, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. The remodeling project will almost triple the customer waiting area capacity, offering customers more efficient and comfortable service at the office.

Currently, because of maximum occupancy guidelines, only 68 customers can be inside at one time, leaving many who visit the Surprise office to wait outside before receiving a number. After the renovation is finished, the office will hold a maximum of 188 customers.

“This renovation is an example of the Motor Vehicle Division’s ongoing commitment to efficient customer service,” said Motor Vehicle Division Operations Director Chuck Saillant. “Our updated offices, self-service kiosks, ServiceArizona website and Authorized Third Party providers provide customers with a variety of quality service options.”

The project is scheduled to last a few months, with the office anticipated to reopen sometime this summer.

Besides increasing the capacity of the customer waiting area, the project will include expanding the number of customer service windows, upgrading the air conditioning system, upgrading the restrooms and enhancing the look of the customer waiting area.

“We are very excited for this remodeling project,” said Surprise MVD Office Manager Tricia Hervey. “The renovation will allow us to better serve our customers in the Surprise and Northwest Valley areas in an expanded, more modern facility.”

While the Surprise MVD office is closed, customers may visit either the Glendale MVD office at 16380 N. 59th Ave. (59th Avenue south of Bell Road) or the Phoenix-Northwest MVD office at 20626 N. 26th Ave. (north of Loop 101). Customers may also choose to visit one of MVD’s Authorized Third Party providers.

MVD is in the process of placing a ServiceArizona self-service kiosk at the Surprise City Court for public use. Customers can also access more than 20 MVD services online through ServiceArizona.com.

Safety improvement project scheduled on SR 87 north of Strawberry next week

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The Arizona Department of Transportation will remove dead trees from the right-of-way along a nine-mile segment of State Route 87 next week in both directions (mileposts 276 to 284), approximately six miles north of Strawberry.

Work will begin on Monday, April 13 through Thursday, April 16 between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. each day.

Drivers can expect delays of up to 15 minutes to allow a safe work zone for maintenance crews to remove fallen trees from the roadway. Flaggers will guide traffic through the work zone.

In the interest of safety, motorists are urged not to stop in the tree-cutting areas to pick up wood.

ADOT advises drivers to proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

Special event requires brief closures of US 60 and US 93 in Wickenburg

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Due to a special event, the junction of US 60 and US 93 at the south roundabout in downtown Wickenburg will close briefly from 11:30 a.m. to noon Monday, April 13 and again from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, April 17.

The closures will allow more than 200 horses and riders participating in the 69th annual Desert Caballeros trail ride to cross US 60 the highway safely.

What to expect during the closures:

  • Eastbound US 60 will be closed at milepost 110 prior to Tegner Street.
  • Westbound US 60 will be closed at milepost 110 prior to the Hassayampa River Bridge.
  • Traffic destined for northbound US 93 will be stopped at the westbound US 60 closure.
  • Southbound US 93 will be closed at the south roundabout prior to milepost 200.
  • The Wickenburg Police Department will enforce the closures and provide traffic control.
  • Drivers will need to wait for horses to pass through, no alternate routes suggested

Road construction starting on US 180 west of St. Johns

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The Arizona Department of Transportation will begin an improvement project on Wednesday, April 22 to resurface eight miles of US 180 west of St. Johns (milepost 338-347).

The $3.6 million project will include removing and replacing the existing asphalt, removing and replacing the approach slabs at the Little Colorado Bridge and other related work. The work is anticipated to be completed by October.

Work hours will be from sunrise to sunset Monday through Friday. Flaggers and pilot cars will be used to guide vehicles through the work zone and drivers should anticipate delays of up to 30 minutes. A traffic signal will also be used to regulate traffic across the bridge in alternating directions. There will be narrow traffic lanes, wide load restrictions and a reduced speed limit through the work zone.

Drivers are asked to use caution and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

Special event requires brief closures of US 60 at Vulture Mine Road on Saturday

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WICKENBURG — Due to a special event, the intersection of US 60 and Vulture Mine Road in Wickenburg will be restricted intermittently between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 11 to allow marathon runners to safely cross the roadway.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. To stay up-to-date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at www.az511.gov or call 5-1-1.

Traffic shifted tomorrow on SR 87 north of Sunflower

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PHOENIX — Drivers traveling between Phoenix and Payson this month on State Route 87 north of Sunflower will be shifted onto the northbound lanes starting Thursday, April 9 between mileposts 223 and 229. Delays of up to 25 minutes are possible.

Traffic in both directions will use the northbound lanes which will become a two-lane roadway through the work zone and a 10-foot width restriction will be in place through April 24.

For the past few weeks, crews have been working 24-hour days, six days a week (Monday through Saturday) to ensure the project will be done before the Memorial Day weekend.

Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead and allow extra time to reach their destinations and proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel. The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage.

The $6.2 million safety improvement project, which began in October, approximately seven miles south of the State Route 188 junction, includes the reconstruction of an existing curve at milepost 227, as well as building a new northbound truck escape ramp at milepost 228.

Work scheduled on southbound I-17 near McGuireville Rest Area this week

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Work continues at the McGuireville rest area on Interstate 17 approximately two miles south of the State Route 179 junction (mileposts 294 to 299). Crews are working on southbound I-17 today through Friday, April 6 through April 10.

Work hours are 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day with the addition of two overnight schedules which will be tonight, April 6 and Wednesday, April 8 between 2 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Drivers southbound will be restricted to one lane through the work zone during work hours. The southbound McGuireville rest area will be closed this Friday between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. The northbound rest area will remain open. Minimal delays expected.

Maintenance work on the runaway truck ramp on I-17 south of Camp Verde this week

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Landscape maintenance is scheduled on the northbound truck escape ramp this week on a four-mile segment (mileposts 282 to 286) of Interstate 17, approximately five miles south of Camp Verde. Work hours are Monday through Thursday, April 6 through April 9, between 6:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day.

I-17 northbound will be narrowed to one lane and the runaway truck ramp will be closed during work hours. Drivers can expect minimal delays.

The speed limit through the work zones will be reduced to 45 mph during work hours.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule.

ADOT receives Employer of the Year award

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation has been honored for its support and advancement of women in transportation. The department received the Employer of the Year award from the Phoenix Chapter of the Women’s Transportation Seminar at the organization’s annual scholarships and awards ceremony.

In an industry typically dominated by men, ADOT was recognized for its upward movement and promotion of women, along with its workforce development program, which supports, engages and empowers employees, recognizing the fundamental contributions of both women and men, which are necessary to achieve a high-performing organization.

“I am proud to lead an agency that recognizes the talents of so many dedicated and hard-working individuals, both women and men, who make a difference every day as we work together to provide a safe, efficient and reliable transportation system for the people of Arizona,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski, who accepted the award Saturday night with a team of top ADOT managers alongside him.

“There is strength in numbers, and the women of ADOT have done an outstanding job not only in the field of transportation, but in supporting each other through leadership and mentoring. This environment is part of the overall culture at ADOT, one that fosters success as an individual and success as an entire agency.”

One of ADOT’s most successful programs is the Women Information Network, or WIN. This program, which is led by a group of female supervisors and managers, provides opportunities for all female employees at ADOT when it comes to networking, discussion and mentoring, in order to identify and implement advancement and leadership opportunities within the agency. WIN provides a variety of events throughout the year for female employees through brown-bag lunch programs with relevant topics, an ongoing mentoring program, and education encouragement for working women.

“WTS celebrates ADOT’s initiative to provide women with workforce enhancement and management opportunities,” said Susan Tierney, president of the WTS Metropolitan Phoenix Chapter. “ADOT leadership clearly recognizes that providing opportunities for women to learn and thrive in the workplace is a rock-solid strategy.”

US 89 south of Page repaired and open to traffic

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us89_timelapse_above_slide_julythrunov2014PHOENIX — At approximately 4:15 p.m. on March 27, 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.

In order to reopen the US 89 roadway today, the Arizona Department of Transportation completed an extensive $25 million repair, which included removing approximately one million cubic yards of rock material to realign a 1,500-foot section of roadway and construct a downslope rock buttress at the base of the Echo Cliffs to stabilize the area.

School buses from the Page Unified School District were the first vehicles to pass through the newly rebuilt roadway.

For more than two years, community members – including school children – of Bitter Springs, Marble Canyon and Cedar Ridge have used alternate routes, including the Temporary US 89 route that was opened in August 2013, to and from the Page and Lake Powell areas following the US 89 landslide.

“This is great news for those living and working in the area,” said city of Page Mayor Bill Diak. “It will shorten the commute of our school children that live below the closure by some 94 miles a day. For many of the river-related businesses, this means that their days just became more profitable. For the city of Page this means we will get our main access back. Life is good in Page and now even easier to get to. Come and enjoy!”

US 89T, which had served as the primary detour route to connect to the Page and Lake Powell areas following a $35 million project to upgrade Navajo Route 20, is expected to be relinquished to the Navajo Nation on April 17 when the State Transportation Board convenes in Phoenix. The 44-mile route was mostly a dirt road before being paved during a three-month-long project in summer 2013.

Prior to starting the US 89 landslide repair in summer 2014, ADOT had to clear several significant hurdles to keep the project moving forward. After an extensive geotechnical assessment identified the necessary repairs in July 2013, ADOT retained an engineering firm through an innovative construction delivery method (Construction Manager at Risk), which allowed the contractor to work directly with the design team and develop plans for the eventual repair. ADOT and the team also finalized all federally required environmental reviews that included cultural, biological and water quality measures, and completed plans for the required right-of-way easements with the Navajo Nation.

“The damage to the roadway looked like a scene out of a Hollywood movie and unfortunately a quick fix was not possible,” said ADOT Intermodal Transportation Division Director Steve Boschen. “From day one, we were committed to restoring mobility to the area as soon as possible with the paving of N20 (US 89T), but the real fix is now here with today’s opening.

“Reopening US 89 was the last step and with the commitment from our valued partners, including the Navajo Nation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Navajo Division of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, and our contractors FNF Construction and Kleinfelder, we were able to expedite the US 89 repairs and reopen as soon as possible despite many challenges along the way.”

The US 89 landslide repair project is eligible for reimbursement through the Federal Highway Administration’s emergency relief program, which provides funding to state and local agencies for the repair or reconstruction of highways, roads and bridges that are damaged in natural disasters and catastrophic failures.