Tag Archives: ADOT

ADOT Blog: Spring forward? Not if you buckle up

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ADOT recently revealed the 20 finalists in our Safety Message Contest. We’ll announce the winners in April, but one contest entry will be displayed on our Dynamic Message Signs this weekend before voting wraps up on Wednesday, March 15.

Huh? Blame daylight saving time.

At 2 a.m. Sunday, March 12, billions of people worldwide will spring forward, setting their clocks ahead one hour. Meanwhile, Arizona doesn’t observe daylight saving time, and Phoenix resident Chris Ambiel conjured up a clever message that combined the twice-annual clock-changing event and seat belts.Instantly, we loved the message. Often, our safety messages are related to holidays or current events, like popular concerts, blockbuster movie premieres and sporting events. Ambiel’s message makes that connection too, tying something everyone is familiar with, like daylight saving time, with a safety element. Did you know that about 30 percent of all people killed on Arizona’s roads each year weren’t wearing seat belts? In 2015, that equaled 258 unnecessary fatalities.

“I came up with this message because I was trying to show some humor and the importance of wearing seat belts,” Ambiel said. “It just came to mind, being that we don’t turn back the clocks in Arizona or forward them for daylight saving time.”

Because contest winners will be displayed on overhead signs in April and daylight saving time occurs in March, we chose to run Ambiel’s message when it is most relevant. We’re looking forward to seeing what two finalists will be picked. Visit azdot.gov/signcontest before March 15 and vote for your favorite.

Pavement repairs continue on northern Arizona highways after storm

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PHOENIX – After another snowstorm earlier this week, Arizona Department of Transportation maintenance crews are patrolling northern Arizona highways to locate and address potholes while they conduct more involved pavement repairs on stretches of Interstate 40 west of Flagstaff.

Crews will lay asphalt over existing pavement to smooth rough sections of I-40 at milepost 86 westbound and milepost 98 eastbound between US 93 and Seligman, as well as between mileposts 170 and 177 eastbound, about 10 miles east of Williams.

In addition, maintenance workers are patrolling the following stretches of highway to locate and fill any potholes:

  • I-40 between mileposts 82 and 139, from approximately 10 miles east of US 93 to six miles west of SR 89;
  • US 180 between mileposts 215-248, from Flagstaff to 13 miles past Kendrick Park;
  • and State Route 89A between mileposts 375-386, from Sedona to a couple miles before the switchbacks.

Potholes can pop up quickly when moisture seeps into and below asphalt, which in northern Arizona can be stressed by the combination of freezing overnight temperatures and daytime thawing. The Flagstaff area usually experiences more than 200 daily freeze-thaw cycles each year. Add heavy traffic, and this stressed pavement can break away.

ADOT has two projects coming later this year along I-40 between Flagstaff and Williams that will add a new layer of pavement in both directions.

SR 260 improvement project to begin next week near Camp Verde

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PHOENIX – To enhance safety and improve traffic flow in a growing area of the Verde Valley, the Arizona Department of Transportation is set to begin upgrading nine miles of State Route 260 to four-lane divided highway between Camp Verde and Cottonwood west of Interstate 17.

The $62 million project, scheduled to start Monday, March 6, also will create seven roundabout intersections at Thousand Trails Road, Coury Drive, Cherry Creek Road, Horseshoe Bend Drive, Wilshire Road and two locations that will accommodate future development.

The work will pick up from the two miles of divided highway that stretch from the edge of Cottonwood down to Thousand Trails Road and also tie in to the roundabout construction on SR 260 east of I-17 at Industrial Drive, a busy commercial area of Camp Verde.

“Once completed, the project will provide safer and easier travel for local residents and visitors in the Verde Valley region,” said Alvin Stump, district engineer for ADOT’s Northwest District.

Crews will start just west of I-17 at Wilshire Road and will begin dirt excavation. One travel lane in each direction, the current number, will be maintained throughout the project. ADOT will work to keep drivers up to date on any necessary closures or restrictions.

The project is expected to be completed in approximately 18 months.

ADOT programs making international commercial traffic more efficient

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PHOENIX – Education and cooperation on both sides of the international border make for safer and more efficient movement of commercial truck traffic between Arizona and Mexico.

That’s the theme of meetings, events and programs the Arizona Department of Transportation offers for transportation leaders, elected officials and heads of trucking firms on both sides of the border. ADOT’s goal: educating the trucking industry about how safety compliance can reduce inspection times and make roads safer.

“There is a great spirit of cooperation among law enforcement agencies and the transportation industry on both sides of the border, and we want to continue that with educational programs and other efforts that will help everyone involved,” said Tim Lane, director of ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division, which conducts safety inspections at Arizona’s commercial ports of entry in addition to making sure commercial vehicles follow federal and state regulations.

In 2015, $30 billion in both imports and exports moved through the state’s border ports, supporting 100,000 Arizona jobs.

“These innovative programs that make our border inspections more efficient have a direct impact on international commerce and Arizona’s economy,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “They are helping improve the flow of commercial traffic while keeping Arizona’s highways safe.”

ADOT, in partnership with the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, holds commercial vehicle industry days to provide information about safety regulations, permitting and the inspection process. ADOT has future plans to conduct commercial motor vehicle training in Mexico to help improve the cross-border experience for Mexican companies and stakeholders.

Members of ADOT’s Border Liaison Unit hold regular meetings in Yuma and San Luis, Nogales and Douglas on topics including permits, weight limits, inspection procedures, brakes and securing loads. The unit also plans annual workshops to discuss crucial issues for cross-border traffic.

Soon, ADOT’s outreach will include sessions in Mexico offering an International Border Inspection Qualification program, in which drivers can receive a certificate documenting their training to help streamline the inspection process and allow ADOT inspectors to focus on those who haven’t completed the program.

“Drivers, trucking companies and law enforcement all agree that safer vehicles are good for both the industry as well as for the public sharing the roads with commercial trucks,” Lane said. “The Border Liaison Unit and the International Border Inspection Qualification program are designed to make that happen.”

Also part of outreach in Mexico will be introducing innovative social media technology to improve communication between drivers and inspectors. In a pilot program, the WhatsApp application will allow drivers to check on border wait times, ask questions and share photos of their vehicles with ADOT inspectors to find out whether something could delay them in the inspection process.

To learn more about the Border Liaison Unit and Arizona-Sonora border relations, visit azdot.gov/BorderLiaisonUnit.

Thousands of Arizonans help shape ADOT’s Long-Range Transportation Plan

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PHOENIX – Playing the part of a transportation planner isn’t always easy, especially when it comes to balancing priorities for Arizona’s highway system with the realities of limited funding.

When the Arizona Department of Transportation turned to the public and stakeholders last fall to tell us what’s most important to them over the next 25 years, nearly 6,000 people statewide responded through a quick and interactive online survey.

The survey allowed participants to rank six transportation priorities: preservation, expansion, safety, technology, accessibility, and maintenance and operations. They worked with a budget and determined how much of it would go toward each priority. Then they decided on trade-off scenarios that further defined priorities.

The results show a mixed bag. Safety, expansion, and maintenance and operations ranked highest, in that order. However, when it comes to allocating funds for those priorities, expansion, preservation, and maintenance and operations got the most dollars, with safety dropping to fourth.

Trade-off scenarios show participants prefer more roads (expansion), smooth roads (preservation) and connected roads (improved accessibility). Much like real-world transportation planning, there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to ranking and funding priorities. All survey results will help develop a draft update to ADOT’s Long-Range Transportation Plan, which will be available for public review later this year.

The Long-Range Transportation Plan, also known as “What Moves You Arizona,” is updated every five years. While the plan isn’t project-specific, it does identify investment priorities based on current and projected transportation funding over the next 25 years.

The full report detailing results, responses and ADOT’s outreach in metropolitan, rural and tribal areas is available at azdot.gov/WhatMovesYouArizona under the documents tab.

It’s up to the public, policymakers and communities to tell ADOT what’s important to them throughout the long-range planning process, and to prioritize projects and funding.

Visit azdot.gov/WhatMovesYouArizona for more information on ADOT’s Long-Range Transportation Plan and to leave a comment.

State Route 89A north of Indian Gardens to be narrowed to one lane for emergency guardrail repair

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Stop the mud! Motorists using State Route 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff should allow extra travel time on Friday, March 3, while Arizona Department of Transportation crews make emergency repairs to guardrail damaged by last Monday’s storm. SR 89A will be reduced to one lane just north of Indian Gardens (milepost 379) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Flaggers will provide alternating north- and southbound travel through the work zone. Motorists should allow extra travel time and plan for delays.

Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions and closures, but it’s possible that unscheduled impacts might occur because of weather or other factors. For the most current information about highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Traveler Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except while driving.

Voting is open in ADOT’s Safety Message Contest

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PHOENIX – From speeding and impairment, texting and seat belt use, to general driving safety tips, Arizonans conveyed their thoughts on transportation safety creatively in the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Safety Message Contest.

After receiving nearly 7,000 submissions, 20 finalists have been selected to advance to the next round of the contest. Now it’s up to you to decide which two will appear on signs above Arizona’s highways.

From today through March 15, you can view and vote on the finalists at azdot.gov/signcontest.

Response to the contest was so overwhelming that ADOT expanded the number of finalists from 15 to 20 and increased the winners from one to two. The winning messages will appear on overhead signs one day each in April.

“We were excited to see so much interest,” said Kevin Biesty, ADOT deputy director for policy. “People are reading the signs and we hope they’re taking the messages to heart, sharing with others and choosing to make the roads safer for us all.”

The submissions were clever and original, funny and serious, and on point. Many entrants included comments about how their lives have been affected by dangerous driving. Those personal notes drive home the reason ADOT places safety messages on overhead signs: reducing fatal and serious-injury vehicle crashes.

Even if your message isn’t a finalist, it could still be displayed on message boards. ADOT has already scheduled a contest entry related to an event this month to appear on signs in March and will consider others throughout the year, too.

ADOT began placing unconventional safety messages on overhead signs more than a year ago in an effort to kick-start a change in social acceptance of impaired driving, distracted driving, speeding, aggressive driving and other dangerous driving behaviors.

Be ready for snow, blowing dust with powerful storm arriving

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PHOENIX – Travelers can expect hazardous driving conditions in northern Arizona from Monday afternoon into Tuesday, while blowing dust is possible in southeastern Arizona, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The National Weather Service forecast calls for snow above 6,000 feet along Interstate 40 from an area near Seligman to Winslow, with total accumulation of 8 to 16 inches in Williams and Flagstaff. ADOT will mobilize more than a third of its snowplow fleet to clear snow and ice off highways.

Driving conditions can deteriorate quickly during winter storms, causing crashes that lead to long backups and highway closures. Travelers should be ready to postpone trips until the weather improves.

With strong wind forecast in southeastern Arizona, drivers should watch out for blowing dust between Willcox and the New Mexico line. If caught in a dust storm, immediately check traffic around your vehicle and pull all the way off the roadway. Turn off all lights, including emergency flashers, and take your foot off the brake.

Learn more about driving in areas prone to blowing dust at PullAsideStayAlive.org.

Among ADOT’s winter-driving tips at azdot.gov/KnowSnow:

  • Slow down: Adjust speed to conditions.
  • Create space: Leave extra room between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. Avoid sudden braking.
  • Give snowplows room: Slow down and stay at least four vehicle lengths behind a plow. Wait for a plow to pull over before passing. The safest place to be when there’s snow and ice on a road is behind a snowplow.
  • Leave prepared: Bring extra clothing and gloves, make sure the gas tank is half to three-quarters full at all times, keep cellphones charged and pack extra drinking water, snacks and all necessary medications.
  • Pack an emergency kit: It should include blankets, a flashlight, an ice scraper, a small shovel, a container of sand or cat litter for traction and warning lights or reflectors.
  • Beware of black ice: Melting snow can turn into ice, especially at night. Ice tends to form on bridges first and can be difficult to see.

Motorists should get the latest on highway conditions and any closures from the ADOT Traveler Information Center, available at az511.gov or by calling 511. ADOT’s traffic cameras at az511.gov provide a view of conditions.

Updates are also available via ADOT’s Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) and Facebook (facebook.com/AZDOT) accounts.

Material testing on State Route 89 Meath Wash Bridge requires ADOT to narrow travel lanes

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ASH FORK – Travel lanes on State Route 89 at the Meath Wash Bridge near Ash Fork will be narrowed to 12 feet next week and the speed limit will be reduced to 35 mph to create a safe work zone for crews doing soil and materials testing.

Drivers with loads wider than 12 feet must find an alternate route. Restrictions will be in place daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, through Friday, March 3. The Meath Wash Bridge is located on SR 89, approximately five miles south of Interstate 40.

The work is required for the design of a project to replace the bridge.

Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions and closures, but it’s possible that unscheduled impacts might occur because of weather or other factors. For the most current information about highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Traveler Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except while driving.

Paper or plastic? MVD debuts kiosks that take good ol’ cash

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PHOENIX – In a digital world there is still plenty of room for tradition, and the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division is no exception.

Cash is king in many households, and the MVD is now making it possible for more customers to handle transactions that way by adding ServiceArizona kiosks that accept cash transactions to 22 MVD offices throughout Arizona.

Kiosks have been an MVD fixture for a number of years, but until recently they could only accept credit or debit cards. Offering the cash option has created another convenience that’s proving to be very popular with customers.

“There’s been a noticeable increase in kiosk usage since we implemented the cash option,” said MVD Director Eric Jorgensen. “Compared to a year ago at this time, the kiosk usage has increased more than 50 percent. Part of that is due to higher overall customer awareness of kiosks, but there’s been a definite uptick in usage since the cash kiosks were put in place. It’s a continuation of our vision to get people out of line and safely on the road.”

Cash kiosks handle all denominations of paper U.S. currency and are able to make exact change. The machines also accept personal checks.

More than half of MVD transactions can be performed at a kiosk or online at ServiceArizona.com for no additional fee. Among the many transactions available are: vehicle registration renewal, ordering a specialty license plate, getting a replacement license or ID, filing a sold notice and obtaining your motor vehicle record.

For more information go to azdot.gov/mvd.