Category Archives: State Government

Utility work scheduled on SR 89A in Jerome for the next three weeks

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Utility work is scheduled to begin on Monday, March 23 on southbound State Route 89A in Jerome (milepost 345) as crews replace an existing waterline. The southbound lane will be closed for the next three weeks, through April 10.

Drivers in both directions will be guided through the work zone with flaggers. Work hours are Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Road will be fully open on the weekends. Minimal delays expected.

The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage.

Bridge work starting on I-40 west of Holbrook

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NOTE: We noted a lot of bridge work happening between Williams and Flagstaff on I-40. Please remember that ARS provides for double-fines for speeding through a highway construction zone.

The Arizona Department of Transportation will begin a project on Monday, March 23 to make improvements to the Leroux Wash Bridges on Interstate 40 just west of Holbrook.

The $1.2 million dollar project will include removing and replacing both bridges approach slabs and repairing both bridge decks. The project is anticipated to be completed this fall.

Work hours will be 7 a.m.to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Work crews will be working on both the eastbound and westbound bridges at the same time. One of the two lanes in each direction will be closed leaving one lane open for traffic. The speed limit will be reduced through the construction zone and there will be width restrictions.

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

Bridge work resumes on SR 260 east of Payson next week

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adot-logo-03aAfter upgrading five eastbound bridge approaches on State Route 260 last fall, the Arizona Department of Transportation is returning this month to replace and repave the approaches to three westbound bridges between mileposts 272-277, approximately 20 miles east of Payson.

Motorists traveling along SR 260 should allow extra travel time and be aware that westbound traffic will be shifted to the eastbound lanes, which will become a two-way roadway through the five-mile work zone, beginning on Tuesday, March 24. A 10-foot width restriction will be in place throughout construction and drivers should be aware of heavy traffic during peak travel times.

The $2.9 million improvement project, which is expected to be completed in August, includes the removal of the existing bridge approaches and departure slabs, repaving the roadway at the bridge approaches, guardrail reconstruction and the replacement of existing pavement markings.

PROPOSED ARIZONA POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (AZPDES) RENEWAL PERMIT

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Pursuant to the Clean Water Act and in accordance with Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C.) R18-9-A907, the Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) proposes to issue an Arizona Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (AZPDES) Permit to discharge pollutants to Waters of the United States to the following applicant, subject to certain effluent limitations and special conditions:

Public Notice No. 15-45                             Published on: Thursday, March 12, 2015
Published in the Florence Reminder/Blade Tribune

AZPDES Permit No. AZ0025194
North Florence Wastewater Treatment Plant
Town of Florence
425 E. Ruggles St.
Florence, AZ 85132

Town of Florence applied for a renewal AZPDES permit for the proposed discharge of up to 0.42 million gallons per day (mgd) of treated domestic wastewater from the North Florence Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to the unnamed dry wash, tributary to the Gila River in the middle Gila River Basin in Township 4 S, Range 9 E, Section 23, in Pinal County, Arizona. The North Florence Wastewater Treatment Plant is a publicly owned treatment works that receives domestic wastewater from residential and commercial sources in Florence Garden area and a small nearby prison facility. Sludge is dewatered and then trucked to South Florence WWTP.

The permit and fact sheet may be viewed online at http://www.azdeq.gov/cgi-bin/vertical.pl by typing the permit number in the box left of “Search Event”. The public notice and related documentation also are available for public review, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the ADEQ Records Center, 1110 W. Washington St., Phoenix, Arizona, 85007. In Phoenix, please call (602) 771-4380 or e-mail recordscenter@azdeq.gov 24 hours in advance to schedule an appointment to review the file.

Persons may submit comments or request a public hearing on the proposed action in writing, to Swathi Kasanneni, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division, 1110 W. Washington St., 5415B-3, Phoenix, Arizona 85007. All written comments received by ADEQ by the close of business on the date 30 days after publication of this notice will be considered in the final permit decision. A public hearing request must be in writing and must include the reasons for such request. If there is a significant degree of public interest, the Director will hold a hearing in accordance with A.A.C. R18-9-A908(B).

PROPOSED ARIZONA POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (AZPDES) PERMIT DENIAL

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Pursuant to the Clean Water Act and in accordance with Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C.) R18-9-B903(C) the Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) proposes to deny an Arizona Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (AZPDES) Permit to discharge pollutants to Waters of the United States to the following applicant:

Public Notice No. 15-44                   Published on Friday, March 13, 2015
Published in the Prescott Courier

AZPDES Permit No. AZ0025925
Chimney Ranch Mobile Home Park, LLC
P.O. Box 1012
Rocklin, CA 95677

Chimney Ranch Mobile Home Park, LLC applied for a renewal AZPDES permit for the discharge of up to 0.017 million gallons per day (mgd) of treated domestic wastewater from the Chimney Ranch Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to the Big Bug Creek in the Middle Gila River Basin in Township 12 N, Range 1 E, Section 23, in Yavapai County, Arizona. ADEQ proposes to deny the application for the AZPDES permit pursuant to A.A.C. R18-1-507(C). This preliminary decision is based on the applicant’s failure to sufficiently respond to all items in the notice of administrative deficiencies sent February 10, 2014, the Second Notice of Administrative Deficiencies sent July 3, 2014 and a follow-up notice sent on October 7, 2014.

The public notice and related documentation also are available for public review, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the ADEQ Records Center, 1110 W. Washington St., Phoenix, Arizona, 85007. In Phoenix, please call (602) 771-4380 or e-mail recordscenter@azdeq.gov 24 hours in advance to schedule an appointment to review the file.

Persons may submit comments or request a public hearing on the proposed action in writing, to Jacqueline Maye, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division, 1110 W. Washington St., 5415B-3, Phoenix, Arizona 85007. All written comments received by ADEQ by the close of business on the date 30 days after publication of this notice will be considered in the final permit decision. A public hearing request must be in writing and must include the reasons for such request. If there is a significant degree of public interest, the Director will hold a hearing in accordance with A.A.C. R18-9-A908(B).

 

US 89 scheduled to reopen this month following 2013 landslide, weather permitting

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us89_timelapse_above_slide_julythrunov2014PHOENIX — Two years after a landslide ripped apart a 500-foot section of US 89 and split the communities of Bitter Springs and Page, the Arizona Department of Transportation anticipates reopening the highway to traffic on the afternoon of Friday, March 27, barring any potential weather delays or mechanical breakdowns during the paving process, which began today.

Page Unified School District buses are expected to be the first vehicles to pass through newly rebuilt roadway. Students from the Bitter Springs and Marble Canyon areas have been among the most impacted by the US 89 closure, which has remained in place following the Feb. 20, 2013, geologic event approximately two miles north of the US 89/US 89A junction near the community of Bitter Springs.

Following the paving of Temporary US 89 in August 2013, US 89T has served as the detour route for motorists headed to and from the Page and Lake Powell areas, but residents and students in the Bitter Springs and Marble Canyon communities have still had to go out of their way to travel to and from Page and Lake Powell.

“The reopening of Highway 89 is great news for Page Unified School District and the families that we serve in the communities of Marble Canyon, Bitter Springs and Cedar Ridge,” said Page Unified School District Superintendent Jim Walker. “The district will be now be able to re-establish our traditional bus runs to these communities, which will reduce the time that some of these children spend on our buses by up to an hour on a one-way trip. I would like thank our families for their efforts to continue to support their children’s school attendance during this very challenging time.”

Prior to the March 27 reopening, crews will be completing the paving, install rumble strips and guardrail, and add temporary striping and pavement markers along the roadway.

Prior to launching the $25 million repair project last summer, which included removing approximately one million cubic yards of rock material to realign the roadway and construct a downslope rock buttress at the base of the Echo Cliffs to stabilize the area, ADOT had to clear several hurdles to move the project forward.

The ultimate repair of US 89 is the final step in fulfilling ADOT’s three-pronged approach to the US 89 landslide incident, which included providing immediate emergency access, conducting a geotechnical investigation and restoring essential traffic to the area. Paving US 89T (Navajo Route 20) has been the short-term solution for motorists driving to and from Page.

“ADOT recognizes the importance of this corridor and what it means to the communities of Bitter Springs, Cedar Ridge and Marble Canyon,” said ADOT Intermodal Transportation Division Director Steve Boschen. “While the Feb. 20, 2013, landslide event was certainly unexpected and a severe blow to the area, it was a reminder about how critical transportation infrastructure is to the motorists, businesses, local residents and schoolchildren who rely on it every day.”

After an extensive geotechnical assessment identified the necessary repairs in July 2013, ADOT retained an engineering firm and developed plans for the eventual repair; finalized all federally required environmental reviews that included cultural, biological and water quality measures; and completed plans for the required right-of-way easements.

ADOT, along with the Federal Highway Administration, Navajo Nation, Navajo Division of Transportation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, were able to expedite the environmental, utility and right-of-way clearance process, knowing that the use of US 89T was a temporary fix, especially for the Bitter Springs area communities.

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.

South Mountain Freeway gains final federal approval

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PHOENIX –– The Valley’s Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, proposed by regional planners since the 1980s, has received final approval from the Federal Highway Administration, paving the way for the Arizona Department of Transportation to move the project forward.

The Record of Decision, signed March 5 by the Federal Highway Administration, grants the final approval necessary for ADOT to begin the process of acquiring right of way, complete the design and begin construction of the 22-mile-long freeway to serve the metro Phoenix region.

The Record of Decision will allow ADOT to begin final design and subsequent construction of the South Mountain Freeway. Acquisition of right of way is expected to begin immediately. ADOT has determined that, pursuant to an unsolicited proposal submitted to construct the freeway, construction will follow a public-private partnership path, helping to speed construction and reduce overall costs. The freeway would not be tolled under any public-private partnership proposal, but would include a private group involved with final design, construction and a 30-year agreement to maintain the freeway.

“The South Mountain Freeway has been approved as a part of two elections that have provided the region with additional transportation funding. Voters recognized the need and the benefits of this project to provide connectivity, travel reliability and route options for a growing region,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “Both ADOT and the Maricopa Association of Governments agree this is a critically needed project, and ADOT is breaking new ground by moving it forward under a public-private partnership agreement to more closely involve the private sector, helping to save money and speed construction.”

The proposed South Mountain Freeway has been a critical part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Freeway Program since it was first included in funding through Proposition 300, approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985. The freeway was also part of the Regional Transportation Plan funding passed by Maricopa County voters in 2004 through Proposition 400.

The South Mountain Freeway is the last piece to complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system necessary for high-quality regional mobility, according to regional planners.

“This is a great day and an important milestone in the history of the Valley’s transportation system,” said Maricopa Association of Governments Chair Michael LeVault, mayor of Youngtown. “It has been a long time coming, and we look forward to the improved mobility and economic opportunities that this freeway facility will bring to our region.”

The environmental review process, which included preparing both draft and final environmental impact statements, was conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and identified the preferred route for this freeway corridor – running east and west along Pecos Road and then north and south between 55th and 63rd avenues, connecting with Interstate 10 on each end. The Final Environmental Impact Statement documented the analysis of potential impacts associated with the freeway and the no-build alternative, and addressed comments received on the draft and final Environmental Impact Statements. The draft environmental report was published in 2013, followed by publication of the Final Environmental Impact Statement in 2014.

The Federal Highway Administration has decided to identify the Preferred Alternative (a combination of the W59 and E1 Alternatives) as the Selected Alternative for the South Mountain Freeway project. This decision along with supporting information, including responses to public comments received on the Final Environmental Impact Statement, is documented in the Record of Decision.

The freeway will be constructed with four lanes in each direction – three general-use lanes and one HOV lane – and modern features that have made Arizona freeways stand apart from other states for a generation, including rubberized asphalt and aesthetics designed in partnership with the community. The $1.9 billion project is expected to take about four years to construct.

60-day ramp closures start Mar. 9 at the Loop 101/Thomas Road interchange

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PHOENIX — As part of the Loop 101 Improvement Project in the East Valley, additional on- and off-ramps will be closed for approximately two months starting Monday (March 9), according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The northbound Loop 101 on- and off-ramps at Thomas Road are scheduled to close by early Monday morning. Crews will reconstruct the ramps so they fit into the path of the wider freeway. The ramps are due to reopen by mid-May.

Drivers are encouraged to use ramps at other nearby interchanges along Loop 101 while the ramps at Thomas Road are closed.

The work is part of the $73 million project to add new right lanes along Loop 101 between Shea Boulevard and Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway). The entire project is scheduled for completion next year.

The northbound Loop 101 on-ramp and southbound off-ramp at McKellips Road were closed to traffic last week. They are scheduled to reopen by early May.

Project schedules are subject to change due to inclement weather.

Overnight pipe installation scheduled on SR 89 in Chino Valley on Sunday

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Pipe installation is scheduled on northbound State Route 89 near Windy Valley Plaza in Chino Valley on Sunday night, March 8 between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Drivers can expect minimal delays during work hours.

Law enforcement personnel will be present and drivers are encouraged to adhere to the reduced speed limit and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage. Note that Arizona Revised Statue allows for double the fine for speeding through a construction zone.

Baggiore Selected Director of ADEQ’s Water Quality Division

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PHOENIX – Trevor Baggiore has been selected as the new director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s Water Quality Division, ADEQ Director Henry Darwin announced today.

Baggiore had served as the division’s deputy director since September 2014 and had been deputy director of the ADEQ Air Quality Division for four years before making the move to the Water Quality Division. Baggiore replaces Mike Fulton, who resigned last week to become deputy director of the Maricopa County Air Quality Department.

Baggiore received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Arizona State University in 2001, the same year he joined ADEQ as an intern. He received his master’s degree in business administration from ASU in 2006 and is a registered professional engineer in Arizona.

“Trevor brings tremendous energy and enthusiasm to his leadership role along with a proven track record of planning and executing complex projects,” Darwin said. “I’m extremely excited by the prospects of his promotion not only for Trevor but for the Water Quality Division and the entire agency.”

Before being selected deputy director of the Air Quality Division, Baggiore had been both a unit manager and section manager in the division for six years.