Category Archives: State Government

US 60 east of Superior to close briefly for blasting operations Sept. 29-Oct. 1

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PHOENIX — Motorists traveling along US 60 between Phoenix and Globe next week need to plan ahead or allow extra time as the Arizona Department of Transportation continues blasting work as part of an improvement project to build a new passing lane and widen roadway shoulders east of Superior, approximately 65 miles east of downtown Phoenix.

The construction of the two-mile-long climbing lane from Devil’s Canyon to Oak Flat (mileposts 231-233) will require five separate full closures of US 60 for up to 90 minutes:

  • Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and again from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
  • Thursday, Oct. 1, at 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and again from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Traffic on eastbound US 60 will be stopped east of Superior (milepost 227) and westbound US 60 will be stopped at the Top of the World, west of Miami (milepost 235) until the blasting work is completed and the roadway is reopened after all debris is cleared. Law enforcement officers will be stationed at each closure to assist with traffic control.

Immediately prior to each blast, crews need to set the concrete barrier for that blast and additional delays are possible.

ADOT anticipates the highway will be closed at least once per week for blasting for up to three months. As blasting continues there will be a lesser impact on traffic and delays will be reduced.

Motorists seeking an alternate route can consider state routes 77 and 177, which is approximately 68 miles long. Motorists headed to the White Mountains region, including Show Low and Springerville, can also take State Route 87 through Payson and travel east on State Route 260 as an alternative.

ADOT will work to minimize the traffic impacts as much as possible, including scheduling some nighttime work.

There will be narrow traffic lanes, wide-load restrictions and a reduced speed limit through the work zone. Flaggers and pilot cars will be used at different times throughout the project.

Drivers are asked to use caution, watch for construction equipment and personnel, and allow extra time for your commute.

Pavement work scheduled overnight at Sunset Point tomorrow

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The Arizona Department of Transportation will install new pavement markers at the Sunset Point rest area on Saturday, September 26. Drivers can expect minimal delays and restrictions to the on and off-ramps at Sunset Point on southbound Interstate 17 between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.

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

ADOT MVD wins award for driver license services expansion

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division won an award at the recent American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators International Conference for its expanded offering of driver license services at Authorized Third Party businesses across the state.

The Motor Vehicle Division received a Customer Convenience Award for giving customers more options to obtain a driver license or identification card by expanding the number of Authorized Third Party businesses that offer those credentials.

“One of MVD’s goals is to give communities across Arizona more access to our services,” said Third Party Program Administrator Juan Beltran. “Earlier this year, we rolled out a phased expansion program, and have added three to four businesses in each phase to expand the number of Third Party businesses that offer driver licenses and identification cards.”

There are currently 19 Authorized Third Party businesses around the state that offer driver license services in addition to title and registration services.

ADOT’s goal is to have 23 Authorized Third Party businesses offering driver license and identification card services around the state by next January.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Urban Waters Small Grants program is currently requesting proposals

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Under this announcement, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants for projects that will advance EPA’s water quality and environmental justice goals. Proposed projects will address urban runoff pollution through diverse partnerships that produce multiple community benefits, with emphasis on underserved communities. Note that proposed project activities must take place entirely within one of the Eligible Geographic Areas, as illustrated on the interactive map provided on the Urban Waters Small Grants mapping website at http://www2.epa.gov/urbanwaters/urban-waters-small-grants-mapping

The complexity and widespread impact of urban runoff pollution requires various levels of government and local stakeholders (e.g., community residents, local businesses, etc.) to work together in developing effective and long-term solutions with multiple benefits. EPA supports and empowers communities, especially underserved communities, that are working on solutions to address multiple community needs, and fostering successful collaborative partnerships. Projects should address local water quality issues related to urban runoff pollution; provide additional community benefits; actively engage underserved communities; and foster partnership.

The total estimated funding available for awards under this competition is approximately $1.6 million. EPA expects each award to range from $40,000 to $60,000. EPA Regional Offices will award the cooperative agreements resulting from this announcement. It is anticipated that each EPA Regional Office will award approximately two to three cooperative agreements. Funding is contingent upon Agency funding levels, the quality of proposals received, and other applicable considerations.

Visit the Urban Waters Small Grants website to learn more about the program and how to submit a proposal at http://www2.epa.gov/urbanwaters/urban-waters-small-grants.

Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov. Please be sure to allow 3 weeks for your organization information to be updated in Grants.gov.

Delays starting next Monday on US 60 at Queen Creek Tunnel for rock removal

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The Arizona Department of Transportation will be starting another improvement project on US 60 in the Superior area on Monday Sept. 28. The project will involve removal of loose rock from the embankments around the entrances to the Queen Creek tunnel.

Two other construction projects are currently going on in the Superior area, including the passing lane project at Oak Flat and the Silver King/Superior Streets widening project.

There are currently weekly delays for blasting for the passing lane project, but no major delays for Silver King/Superior Streets project.

Work hours for the Queen Creek tunnel rock removal will be Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Motorists should plan for intermittent 20-minute delays during this time as crews remove loose rock from the embankment and clear the road.

Some of these delays will be done during the scheduled closures for the Oak Flat passing lane blasting. (Blasting schedules for the Oak Flat Passing Lane project may be found at azdot.gov/us60oakflat).

Motorists seeking an alternate route can consider state routes 77 and 177, which is approximately 68 miles long. Motorists headed to the White Mountains region, including Show Low and Springerville, can also take State Route 87 through Payson and travel east on State Route 260 as an alternative.

ADOT is working to minimize the traffic impacts as much as possible, including scheduling some nighttime work. The project is scheduled to be completed in three weeks.

There will be narrow traffic lanes, wide-load restrictions and a reduced speed limit through the work zone. Flaggers and pilot cars will be used at different times throughout the project.

Drivers are asked to use caution, watch for construction equipment and personnel, and allow extra time for your commute.

ADEQ Launches E-Waste Recycling Event Toolkit to Kick Off Pollution Prevention Week

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PHOENIX — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today the agency’s launch of the online ADEQ E-Waste Recycling Event Toolkit (E-waste Toolkit), which includes best practices, marketing materials, contacts, and other educational materials to continue to support and expand Arizona cities’ and town’s efforts to properly recycle their electronic waste now and in the future. Interested public, private and non-profit sector organizations, may access the E-Waste Toolkit (both English and Spanish versions) at http://azdeq.gov/environ/waste/p2/ewastetoolkit/index.html

“ADEQ’s E-Waste Toolkit provides even inexperienced users with a roadmap for success in creating a recycling alternative to disposing used electronics in landfills and with expanding existing community recycling options,” said ADEQ Recycling Coordinator J.B. Shaw. He added, “Using the E-Waste Toolkit, communities can get ready and stay organized to collect tons of e-waste.”

Following two and a half years of development and testing, the web-based E-Waste Toolkit is a continuously improving, public-private collaboration among several parties and was funded by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Border Environment Cooperation Commission. Employees from five border-region municipalities – Nogales, Somerton, Sahuarita, San Luis, and Bisbee – helped refine the content of the E-Waste Toolkit by using it to plan and host their own e-waste collection and recycling events. To date, more than 20 tons of e-waste has been collected and recycled as a direct result of the E-Waste Toolkit testing.

A sixth event to support continuous improvement of the E-Waste Toolkit is being held in Sierra Vista during P2 Week on Sat., Sept. 26. See PDF flier for event details.

Since 2009, the more than one hundred ADEQ-sponsored e-waste events in more than 50 participating Arizona communities have collected and recycled more than 2.7 million pounds of e-waste.

Online launch of the E-Waste Toolkit is just one of the activities ADEQ is undertaking to increase pollution prevention awareness during P2 week. For a complete list of ADEQ P2 educational webinars, activities and resources, please check PDF file HERE.

Repairs to continue on US 89A just west of Marble Canyon

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The Arizona Department of Transportation continues with repairs on US 89A at milepost 551, just west of Marble Canyon, which began Friday with a one-lane restriction in place. A temporary traffic signal will accommodate for alternating travel through the restriction and will be in place continuously until the work is completed by late fall, 2015.

The repair addresses roadway damage caused by the House Rock Flood which occurred last August following an intense weather event in the area.

ADEQ Announces New Search Feature for Public Records

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) announced today it now has available through its website an online search engine allowing faster, more direct access to the agency’s 19 environmental databases containing information such as a facility’s operating permits and compliance history.

Known as MegaSearch, the tool allows customers to enter search criteria such as a facility’s name and address or its unique ADEQ file number to view a list of relevant environmental records and files of interest. Once identified, the files may be selected from the results page and emailed to the ADEQ Records Center for retrieval and viewing. By conducting their own independent research, customers can save time by eliminating the need to wait for results from a traditional records request with the help of Records Center staff.

“MegaSearch helps prospective land and business owners or anyone who wants to see instantly what environmental activity has been reported for a given location,” ADEQ Records Manager Eric Flohr said.

For example, Flohr said if you previously had wanted to know if a nearby gas station had a history of leaking underground storage tanks, you would have contacted ADEQ to submit a research request. Staff would then have accessed these same databases now available online to see what records of activity had occurred at the site. The process could take several days depending on the number of pending research requests, he said.

“Tools like MegaSearch give customers direct and instantaneous access to ADEQ’s vast amounts of environmental data from all over the state, which supports more transparent government for our citizens,” Flohr said.

ADOT: Beware of fraudulent ‘DMV’ websites and misleading

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PHOENIX — Many motor vehicle services can be performed online nowadays. Unfortunately, scam artists, misrepresenting themselves as official motor vehicle division entities, are using the Internet to take a customer’s money and personal information.

The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division wants to alert customers that there are fraudulent websites falsely offering motor vehicle services such as Arizona driver licenses, IDs, and vehicle titles and registration. The fraudulent websites appear in searches with keywords such as MVD or DMV.

ServiceArizona.com is the only authorized website for all Arizona MVD transactions. Customers can use ServiceArizona.com to conduct many routine motor vehicle transactions, such as applying for a duplicate driver license or driver license reinstatement, renewing a vehicle registration and purchasing a specialty or personalized license plate.

Currently, a person cannot obtain a driver license online. To do so a customer must visit a local MVD or Authorized Third Party office.

Additionally, ADOT does not offer MVD services through phone solicitations, nor does it endorse or advertise for online businesses claiming to provide MVD services.

There are, however, legitimate Authorized Third Party businesses that are licensed and authorized to perform MVD transactions in person. A list of Authorized Third Party businesses can be found at azdot.gov/locations.

ADOT’s goal is to prevent its customers from becoming victims of fraud or identity theft. ADOT also wants customers to be aware of unauthorized sites that may offer MVD services at an extra cost. The only authorized ways to conduct Arizona driver license or motor vehicle services are either in person at any ADOT MVD or Authorized Third Party office, online through ServiceArizona.com or by standard mail.

For more information about MVD services, please visit azdot.gov/mvd.

US 60 east of Superior to close briefly for blasting operations Sept. 22-24

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Motorists traveling along US 60 between Phoenix and Globe next week need to plan ahead or allow extra time as the Arizona Department of Transportation continues blasting work as part of an improvement project to build a new passing lane and widen roadway shoulders east of Superior, approximately 65 miles east of downtown Phoenix.

The construction of the two-mile-long climbing lane from Devil’s Canyon to Oak Flat (mileposts 231-233) will require five separate full closures of US 60 for up to 90 minutes:

> Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and again from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
> Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
> Thursday, Sept. 24, at 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and again from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Traffic on eastbound US 60 will be stopped east of Superior (milepost 227) and westbound US 60 will be stopped at the Top of the World, west of Miami (milepost 235) until the blasting work is completed and the roadway is reopened after all debris is cleared. Law enforcement officers will be stationed at each closure to assist with traffic control.

ADOT anticipates the highway will be closed at least once per week for blasting for up to three months. As blasting continues there will be a lesser impact on traffic and delays will be reduced.

Motorists seeking an alternate route can consider state routes 77 and 177, which is approximately 68 miles long. Motorists headed to the White Mountains region, including Show Low and Springerville, can also take State Route 87 through Payson and travel east on State Route 260 as an alternative.

The $8.8 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.

The project will include the following:

> Construction of a new westbound passing lane from Devil’s Canyon to Oak Flat (mileposts 231-233)
> Widening shoulders in the Devil’s Canyon area (mileposts 233-234)
> Improvements to the Waterfall Canyon bridge (milepost 229)
> Box culvert drainage improvements (milepost 242 just west of Miami)

ADOT will work to minimize the traffic impacts as much as possible, including scheduling some nighttime work.

There will be narrow traffic lanes, wide-load restrictions and a reduced speed limit through the work zone. Flaggers and pilot cars will be used at different times throughout the project.

Drivers are asked to use caution, watch for construction equipment and personnel, and allow extra time for your commute.