Category Archives: State Government

Interstate 40 ramp closures between Parks and Williams in northern Arizona

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Drivers on Interstate 40 in northern Arizona are advised to plan for travel delays on Interstate 40 because of traffic realignment and ramp closures at Parks, Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads. Crews are repairing 17 miles of pavement on I-40 between Parks and Williams. The project also includes making bridge deck repairs at Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads.

As crews complete work to rebuild 5 westbound miles of the freeway between mileposts 167 and 172, traffic moved back to the westbound lanes as the temporary crossover in that section was removed and the westbound on- and off-ramps at Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads reopened after being closed since May.

On Thursday, July 12, the eastbound on-ramp and westbound off-ramp at Parks will close for a few weeks to allow crews to continue rebuilding a 1-mile section of I-40 in both directions near the interchange. Traffic for both ramp closures will be detoured to Pittman Valley Road where traffic will exit and re-enter I-40 eastbound towards their destination.

In a few weeks, crews will place concrete barrier on the westbound side of I-40 so both directions of traffic will use one lane in each direction while crews rebuild the eastbound lanes between mileposts 167 and 172. The eastbound on- and off-ramps at Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads will close for the next few months. The ramps at the Parks Road interchange at milepost 178 will reopen to help detour traffic.

Work on this 5-mile section of I-40 is anticipated to wrap up by the fall.

Meanwhile, crews continue to repave other portions of the highway between mileposts 162 and 179 from Cataract Lake to Parks.

Crews are completing work on westbound I-40 between Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads first, then moving to eastbound I-40 in the same area. Construction will pause for the winter season and is scheduled to resume in spring 2019 for additional paving, bridge and intersection work. The project is scheduled for completion in late 2019.

What to expect

Crews are scheduled to work Mondays through Fridays from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Lane closures, ramp closures and restrictions will be required

For more information, email MKirby@azdot.gov or call Mackenzie Kirby, MPP, Community Relations project manager, ADOT Northcentral District, at 928.525.6494. Information is also available on the project web page.

Schedules are subject to change based on weather and other unforeseen factors. For more information, please call the ADOT Project Information Line at 855.712.8530 or email Projects@azdot.gov. For real-time highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Traveler Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except when driving.

ADOT rolling out online scheduling for VIN inspections

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PHOENIX – Until now, getting a more involved vehicle identification number inspection through the Arizona Department of Transportation has required a trip to an inspection site or Motor Vehicle Division office and waiting on a first-come, first-served basis.

That’s changing. Customers are now able to schedule Level 2 and Level 3 VIN inspections through ServiceArizona.com for the Glendale MVD office location. ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division, which handles these inspections, anticipates adding online scheduling for five other locations in Maricopa and Pima counties later this summer.

These inspections confirm the identities of vehicles by matching VIN numbers to titles and other ownership documents.

Offered at MVD offices and Authorized Third Party providers, Level 1 VIN inspections are for out-of-state vehicles without proof of title or registration and for bonded titles. While most vehicles are verified at this level, follow-up inspections sometimes are required by officers at Enforcement and Compliance Division inspection locations:

Level 2 when a vehicle’s VIN number can’t be matched or the VIN number isn’t there.
Level 3 when a vehicle is a restored salvage or recovered stolen vehicle, or has been involved in a collision.

The change, part of ADOT’s efforts to continuously improve its customer focus using the Arizona Management System, adds to online appointments launched in 2016 for road tests and those applying for a Voluntary Travel ID.

“This scheduling feature will provide a lot of value to our customers by allowing them to fit the inspection into their schedules instead of arriving early at an office and waiting,” said Jeff Stanhope, Enforcement Services Bureau chief for the Enforcement and Compliance Division. “The new feature made sense given that our officers inspect an average of 840 vehicles per week in the large metropolitan areas.”

To schedule an appointment, visit ServiceArizona.com and click on “Vehicle Inspection Appointments.”

Customers should arrive 15 minutes prior to their appointments and check in with the Enforcement Services representative.

ADOT’s goal is to have all VIN inspection locations statewide available for online scheduling by the end of the year.

A list of VIN inspection locations can be found at azdot.gov/mvd under Enforcement.

Deer, turkey, youth-only javelina hunt permit-tags available

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PHOENIX — Arizona hunters will have an opportunity to receive a hunt permit-tag for select 2018 deer, fall turkey and fall youth-only javelina hunts.

As of Wednesday, there were 1,614 leftover hunt permit-tags available for general deer hunts, with most of those hunts being for antlered white-tailed deer only in Game Management Units (GMUs) in the southeastern portion of the state.

There also were leftover hunt permit-tags for muzzleloader deer (288), youth-only deer (26), turkey (408) and youth-only javelina (72) hunts. A single youth-only pheasant hunt permit-tag was available in GMU 40B.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department will accept applications for leftover hunt permit-tags — by mail only — beginning July 23. All completed paper applications must be addressed to: Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn.: Draw/First Come, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086. There is no “mini” draw. Allow 10 to 15 business days to receive a hunt permit-tag by mail.

All remaining leftover hunt permit-tags will be available for purchase on a “first come, first served” basis at all department offices beginning July 30.

For a complete list of leftover hunt permit-tags, visit https://www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Draw/.

For more information, including license and hunt permit-tag requirements, view the “2018-19 Arizona Hunting Regulations” booklet online, or call (602) 942-3000.

I-40 project east of Williams advances with 5 westbound miles rebuilt

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WILLIAMS – An Interstate 40 paving project east of Williams continues to move forward with crews completing work to rebuild 5 westbound miles of the freeway between mileposts 167 and 172 and preparing for a traffic switch Thursday, July 12, that will move traffic back to the westbound lanes, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Westbound I-40 traffic in this stretch has been using one eastbound lane, separated from eastbound traffic by temporary concrete barrier.

Also on Thursday, July 12, the westbound on- and off-ramps at Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads will reopen after being closed since May. In addition, the westbound on-ramp and eastbound off-ramp at Parks will close for a few weeks to allow crews to continue rebuilding a 1-mile section of I-40 in both directions near the interchange.

In a few weeks, crews will place concrete barrier on the westbound side of I-40 so both directions of traffic will use one lane in each direction while crews rebuild the eastbound lanes between mileposts 167 and 172. The eastbound on- and off-ramps at Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads will close for the next few months. The ramps at the Parks Road interchange at milepost 178 will reopen to help detour traffic.

Work on this 5-mile section of I-40 is anticipated to wrap up by the fall.

Meanwhile, crews continue to repave other portions of the highway between mileposts 162 and 179 from Cataract Lake to Parks. Crews will work until cooler temperatures arrive, then they will break for winter and return next spring to complete the work.

ADOT continues to improve pavement on other sections of I-40 and Interstate 17 in the Flagstaff area. Crews repaving northbound I-17 continue to progress toward Flagstaff making a smoother surface to drive on. Work at the I-17/I-40 interchange continues to move forward as falsework for bridge improvements has been put in place and the westbound I-40 bridge decks have been removed.

Work on the interchange is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, while paving along I-17 will break for winter and finish next summer.

For more information on this project and others in the Flagstaff area, visit azdot.gov/projects (click on Northcentral District).

Schedules are subject to change based on weather and other unforeseen factors. For more information, please call the ADOT Project Information Line at 855.712.8530 or email Projects@azdot.gov. For real-time highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Traveler Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except when driving.

Meeting to be held Thursday, July 12, in Sedona on SR 89A improvements

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation will hold an informational meeting on Thursday, July 12, in Sedona about plans for safety, roadway and bridge improvements along 12 miles of State Route 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff.

The meeting will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 12, at the Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road. A formal presentation is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

The four projects planned for this stretch of SR 89A beginning in 2019 will require traffic restrictions and are being coordinated to minimize impacts on those who live, work and recreate in the area. The work involves:

Rehabilitating the Pumphouse Wash bridge.
Rehabilitating pavement from the Sedona city limits north to Bear Howard Drive.
Reducing the potential for rock fall between mileposts 375 and 389.
Installing erosion control infrastructure.

More information on the projects is available at azdot.gov/SR89AImprovements.

Project team members will be at the meeting to explain the improvements and share information about proposed construction schedules and traffic plans. The public can ask questions, provide comments and speak directly with project team members.

Those unable to attend the meeting can ask questions and submit comments in these ways:

Toll-free ADOT bilingual project information line: 855.712.8530.
Email: SR89A@hdrinc.com.
Mail: SR 89A Projects c/o HDR, 101 N. First Ave., Ste. 1950, Phoenix, AZ 85003.

The deadline for comments is July 28.

I-17 system detects first wrong-way vehicle in travel lanes

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PHOENIX ‒ The wrong-way detection and warning system being tested along 15 miles of Interstate 17 in Phoenix alerted officials early Thursday to a vehicle traveling southbound in the wrong direction between Loop 101 and Bell Road, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation and Arizona Department of Public Safety.

No crash resulted from the incident, which involved the first vehicle detected on I-17 travel lanes in Phoenix since the wrong-way system went into operation in January.

At 1:11 a.m., the system sounded an alert that a wrong-way vehicle was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of I-17 at Union Hills Road. The vehicle exited shortly after, turned around and reentered I-17 going the right way in the northbound lanes. While traffic operators and DPS continued tracking the vehicle, state troopers alerted through the system stopped the driver and took him into custody on suspicion of DUI.

The $4 million system includes 90 thermal detection cameras positioned above exit ramps and the mainline of the freeway between the I-10 “Stack” interchange near downtown to the Loop 101 interchange in north Phoenix. It’s designed to provide immediate alerts to ADOT and DPS so traffic operators can quickly warn other drivers via overhead message boards and state troopers can respond faster than relying on 911 calls from other drivers.

A detection by this first-in the-nation system sets off a loud horn in ADOT’s Traffic Operations Center as a window appears on operators’ workstations showing video from the thermal camera and providing other data. Using a computerized decision support system, operators can immediately activate digital message boards in the area alerting drivers and instructing them to exit the freeway.

If the detection is at an off-ramp, an internally illuminated wrong-way sign with red flashing LEDs will activate. It’s positioned along the ramp to attract the attention of wrong-way drivers, most of whom are impaired, often severely.

As it studies results from the wrong-way system along with partner agencies, ADOT is planning to install it along Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway that’s scheduled to open in late 2019 and is looking at adding it to other freeways.

In addition to Thursday’s detection, the system has detected more than 20 vehicles entering I-17 off-ramps and frontage roads in the wrong direction. None of these other vehicles is believed to have entered I-17 travel lanes, with the majority of drivers turning around on exit ramps.

Technology like the I-17 thermal camera system cannot prevent all wrong-way crashes from happening. The primary goal is reducing the risk of serious crashes by alerting DPS and ADOT to wrong-way vehicles much faster than waiting for 911 calls from other motorists. Faster detection is a key to giving law enforcement officers an improved chance of responding to a wrong-way vehicle.

ADOT officers using K-9 units to combat illegal drugs, human smuggling

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PHOENIX – To help reduce smuggling of drugs and people and in alignment with Governor Doug Ducey’s commitment to public safety, Arizona Department of Transportation officers at commercial ports of entry in eastern and western Arizona are using the agency’s first K-9 units.

Between December and May, the two K-9 units, based at the Interstate 10 Ehrenberg Port of Entry near California and the Interstate 40 Sanders Port of Entry near New Mexico, have helped officers seize in excess of 350 pounds of marijuana, 600 vials of hash oil and $90,000 in illicit bulk currency. They have inspected hundreds of vehicles and aided other law enforcement agencies on dozens of occasions.

“Protecting public safety is the No. 1 responsibility of state government,” Governor Ducey said. “We’re committed to making sure law enforcement agencies, including the highly trained officers keeping watch at our commercial ports of entry, have the resources they need to combat drug trafficking and human smuggling.”

The units are part of ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division, which enforces laws involving commercial vehicle safety and permits, registration and driver’s license fraud, and unlicensed auto dealers, among other areas.

While conducting safety inspections of commercial vehicles, ADOT officers occasionally discover apparent criminal activity that includes smuggling of drugs, cash, weapons and people. At the I-40 Topock Port of Entry alone, ADOT officers have seized 686 pounds of marijuana, 21 pounds of methamphetamine and 53 pounds of cocaine since 2014.

“This is a matter of highway safety,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Our officers, along with the Arizona Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement agencies, find illegal drugs and cases of human smuggling on our highways. Adding K-9s where we are already screening commercial vehicles makes us a more capable and effective team.”

The K-9s, both of the Belgian Malinois breed, are trained to detect illegal drugs and human cargo. From their bases in Ehrenberg and Sanders, the units work at interstate ports of entry along the California and New Mexico state lines.

The pilot program to obtain and train both K-9s cost $29,000.

Officers with ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division also investigate fraud involving driver licenses and vehicle titles and assist other law enforcement agencies when requested.

ADOT detectives apprehend man with FBI felony warrant

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PHOENIX – A Sahuarita resident, who allegedly used two stolen identities to maintain Arizona driver licenses, was revealed to have an outstanding FBI felony warrant and has been charged with five counts of forgery thanks to Arizona Department of Transportation detectives’ use of facial recognition training and technology.

In the course of their investigation, detectives with ADOT’s Office of Inspector General learned that Sandro Tentory, 43, had an outstanding FBI felony warrant for weapons violations and a history of violence including aggravated assault and the sale of drugs. According to FBI files, Tentory was a documented gang member of the Chicago-based “Maniac Latin Disciples.”

The case began when ADOT’s facial recognition system, including review by FBI-trained personnel, found two profiles in the system with different names and dates of birth but photos of the same individual. An investigation by ADOT detectives found that Tentory had applied for two Arizona driver licenses using stolen information from two individuals living in Illinois and had maintained those IDs for the past 13 years.

Detectives apprehended Tentory on June 7 while serving a search warrant at the Sahuarita address listed on his most recent driver license application, arresting him on counts of forgery and the felony warrant. He was booked at the Pima County Jail.

Evidence recovered at the scene consisted of several fraudulent ID cards, credit cards, loan documents and other documents obtained using the fraudulent IDs.

This case is one more example of how facial recognition technology used by ADOT’s Office of Inspector General protects Arizonans’ identities and helps prevent fraud involving state-issued driver licenses and identification cards.

Reminder: Deadline to update credit cards, protect bonus points is Tomorrow

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) reminds those who applied online for a 2018 fall hunt permit-tag that 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Thursday, June 28, is the deadline to update credit card or debit card information.

If payment is declined at the time of the draw, the application will not be drawn. AZGFD no longer calls customers to obtain payment on drawn applications where credit cards or debit cards have failed.

Meanwhile, online applicants still can protect their bonus points by purchasing “PointGuard” through 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Thursday, June 28. PointGuard ensures if a successful online applicant is unable to participate in a hunt — for any reason — the accumulated bonus points that were expended to draw that hunt permit-tag will be reinstated.

A free AZGFD portal account is needed to purchase PointGuard (visit www.azgfd.gov, click on the “My Account” button in the upper right-hand corner of the home page, then select “Register”). PointGuard is $5 per species, per applicant. For more information, visit https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/pointguard, or call (602) 942-3000.

A portal account allows customers to create a secure account where they can view and manage their contact information, as well as their licenses, draw results history and bonus points in their personal “My AZGFD Dashboard” section. That’s also where draw results will be posted once the process is completed.

The department will announce on its website and Facebook page when results officially are released. All hunt permit-tags are expected to be mailed by July 31 (refunds by July 20).

Operation Dry Water targets boating under the influence of alcohol on Arizona waterways

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PHOENIX — Boating while under the influence of alcohol continues to be a major factor in recreational boating deaths and accidents in Arizona and across the United States. In fact, the U.S. Coast Guard reported that alcohol was the top contributing factor in fatal boating accidents last year. As part of the effort to bring attention to the importance of always having a sober operator when on the water, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is participating in Operation Dry Water, a national awareness and enforcement campaign focused on sober boating.

For the tenth year, AZGFD and its partner agencies will be on the water providing heightened enforcement and awareness about the dangers of drinking alcohol while boating June 29 through July 1 in advance of the Fourth of July. The goal is to reduce the number of alcohol and/or drug-related fatalities and accidents, and spread this important message to the public during a time that is known for drinking and boating — a potentially deadly combination.

“Our No. 1 priority is to create a safe environment for everyone who is out enjoying Arizona’s waterways,” said Tim Baumgarten, AZGFD’s boating law administrator. “If alcohol is being consumed on your boat, always designate a sober operator. It’s no different from driving a car on the highway; the operator is responsible for everyone onboard.”

Although the legal limit for operating a boat in Arizona is a .08 blood-alcohol concentration, an operator is in violation of the law and may be prosecuted for operating a watercraft while impaired to the slightest degree by alcohol and/or drugs.

During last year’s Operation Dry Water campaign, AZGFD officers stopped 812 boats, 74 of which had a designated operator. Three arrests were made for operating watercraft while under the influence, and 94 citations were written. Nationwide more than 97,500 boats were stopped and 518 arrests made for boating under the influence.

While the main focus is those operating a boat while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, officers may also give warnings and write citations for other issues such as operation, fire extinguisher and life jacket violations. State law requires that children 12 and under must wear a life jacket at all times when the boat is underway and there should be one life jacket aboard for every passenger. In addition, a throwable flotation device — usually a cushion with handles or a ring buoy — is required for all watercraft longer than 16 feet, except for canoes and kayaks.

Operation Dry Water was launched in 2009 by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, and it’s credited with successfully drawing attention to the dangers of boating under the influence.

“We’ve been participating in Operation Dry Water since day one, and anything that helps to prevent fatalities and injuries in Arizona is a valuable investment of our time and resources,” Baumgarten said.