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.
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.
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.
CHINO VALLEY/PAULDEN — Crews will place temporary concrete barrier on the existing bridge at Hell Canyon on State Route 89, approximately 18 miles north of Chino Valley tonight, Sept. 15 as part of the bridge replacement project.
Work hours will be from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. and drivers will be restricted to one lane and guided through the work zone with flaggers. Delays of up to 10 minutes are possible.
Blasting work for access roads is now complete. Crews are moving into the second phase of the project, which includes constructing the new Hell Canyon Bridge to the east of the existing bridge, switching traffic to the new bridge, and finally dismantling and removing the existing bridge.
This $14.4 million bridge replacement project began in mid-July and is expected to be completed in late 2016.
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. 15, at 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and again from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
> Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
> Thursday, Sept. 17, 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.
The Arizona Department of Transportation will perform routine maintenance on southbound Interstate 17 from Rock Springs to Table Mesa Road today, Sept. 14 through Thursday, Sept. 17 from 6 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Motorists should be prepared for alternating lane restrictions through the work zone between mileposts 236 and 241 to allow for a safe work zone for maintenance crews. Minimal delays are expected.
The speed limit through the work zones will be reduced to 45 mph during work hours.
STRAWBERRY — The Arizona Department of Transportation will remove dead trees from the right-of-way along a 16-mile segment of State Route 87 for the next two weeks in both directions (mileposts 274 to 290), approximately four miles north of Strawberry.
Work will begin on Monday, Sept. 14 and will continue through Thursday, Sept. 24 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.
For safety reasons, motorists are urged to not to stop in the tree-cutting areas to pick up the wood.
ADOT advises drivers to proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.
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. 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 511.
PAYSON — The Arizona Department of Transportation will repair a dip in the roadway on State Route 260 eastbound near Kohl’s Ranch, approximately 19 miles east of Payson starting tomorrow between mileposts 270 and 271. Crews will be working on the roadway through Oct. 17.
Work will require the roadway to be narrowed to one lane through the work zone and a 14-foot width restriction will be in place.
PAGE — An overnight closure of US 89 at Haul Road will be required from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. on Tuesday (Sept. 8) and Wednesday (Sept. 9) to allow for paving at the roundabout.
During the overnight closure, travel along US 89 will be detoured using Coppermine Road and Lake Powell Boulevard. Flaggers and signs will direct drivers through the detour. ADOT advises drivers to proceed through the detour with caution and observe reduced speeds during travel.
The new roundabout intersection is anticipated to be completed in early fall.
PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration, has released the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for ADOT’s Passenger Rail Corridor Study: Tucson to Phoenix. While the proposed passenger rail project has no identified funding, this environmental impact statement is a step closer to identifying the cost, impacts and benefits from a rail system serving passengers in Arizona.
The Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement is part of federally required review process, governed by the National Environmental Policy Act, which provides the public with an opportunity to review and comment on the document, along with the recommended alternative. ADOT’s Passenger Rail Corridor Study is part of the department’s long-range plan to determine which transportation options will best meet the demands for future growth and travel to complement Interstate 10, one of the busiest highways in Arizona.
The Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement is available for download at azdot.gov/passengerrail. Printed copies are also available for review at these locations through Oct. 30:
Central Arizona College, Signal Peak Campus Library; 8470 N. Overfield Road, Coolidge, 85128
ADOT has scheduled three public hearings for community members to attend and provide comments. A video summarizing the studies will be shown at all three public hearings and members of the rail study team will be available to answer questions. Public hearings will be held:
The deadline for all public comments is Oct. 30, 2015. Comments may be provided at one of the hearings, submitted via the ADOT website at www.azdot.gov/passengerrail, emailed to projects@azdot.gov, or mailed or faxed to:
ADOT Passenger Rail Study Team
24 W. Camelback Rd., Suite 479
Phoenix, AZ 85013
Fax: (602) 368-9645
The Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement considers two rail alternatives and a no-build option in order to identify the most appropriate corridor for a potential passenger rail line between Tucson and Phoenix.
The Yellow Alternative would serve East Valley communities and central Pinal County, and could share right of way with Union Pacific Railroad north of Eloy, where appropriate. The Orange Alternative would serve East Valley population centers and share part of its alignment with the planned North-South Freeway Corridor in Pinal County. The two alternatives would run primarily within the I-10 corridor between Eloy and Tucson.
Under the No-Build Alternative, no passenger rail system would be constructed between Tucson and Phoenix. The No-Build Alternative assumes that all proposed highway projects currently funded within the study corridor would be built to provide enhanced capacity for Interstate 10 and the surrounding region.
Along with the alternatives, ADOT has identified general locations for stations along the passenger rail line. The route between Tucson and Phoenix is recommended as a blended service to include an express intercity service that would have few stops between the two metropolitan areas and a local commuter service that would potentially stop at all stations within the corridor. The corridors include system hubs located near downtown Phoenix and downtown Tucson. Both include extensions beyond the system hubs: to the west Phoenix metropolitan area and to Tucson International Airport. However, these extensions are not part of the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement, but are compatible with the recommendations. The passenger rail line also proposes to serve Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.
By the end of this study, a Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement will be published and one rail corridor or the No-Build Alternative will be selected. Once the public comment period concludes on Oct. 30, the rail study team will compile and review all comments and work with our federal partners to develop a Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision. This document will contain a preferred alternative and is expected to be complete by the end of this year, along with a Service Development Plan. The Service Development Plan will include infrastructure and operation plans, an implementation plan, demand and revenue forecasts, capital programming, and operation and maintenance costs of a potential passenger rail system.
Additional future environmental work and site-specific studies would be required before a rail system could be constructed. There is currently no construction schedule and there is no funding identified for future rail studies or to build and maintain a rail system. It will be up to the public, stakeholders and policymakers to decide how the project should move forward and how to generate the funding to pay for it.