Tag Archives: ADOT

Work scheduled on southbound I-17 near McGuireville Rest Area this week

Posted on by

Work continues at the McGuireville rest area on Interstate 17 approximately two miles south of the State Route 179 junction (mileposts 294 to 299). Crews are working on southbound I-17 today through Friday, April 6 through April 10.

Work hours are 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day with the addition of two overnight schedules which will be tonight, April 6 and Wednesday, April 8 between 2 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Drivers southbound will be restricted to one lane through the work zone during work hours. The southbound McGuireville rest area will be closed this Friday between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. The northbound rest area will remain open. Minimal delays expected.

Maintenance work on the runaway truck ramp on I-17 south of Camp Verde this week

Posted on by

Landscape maintenance is scheduled on the northbound truck escape ramp this week on a four-mile segment (mileposts 282 to 286) of Interstate 17, approximately five miles south of Camp Verde. Work hours are Monday through Thursday, April 6 through April 9, between 6:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day.

I-17 northbound will be narrowed to one lane and the runaway truck ramp will be closed during work hours. Drivers can expect minimal delays.

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

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.

ADOT receives Employer of the Year award

Posted on by

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation has been honored for its support and advancement of women in transportation. The department received the Employer of the Year award from the Phoenix Chapter of the Women’s Transportation Seminar at the organization’s annual scholarships and awards ceremony.

In an industry typically dominated by men, ADOT was recognized for its upward movement and promotion of women, along with its workforce development program, which supports, engages and empowers employees, recognizing the fundamental contributions of both women and men, which are necessary to achieve a high-performing organization.

“I am proud to lead an agency that recognizes the talents of so many dedicated and hard-working individuals, both women and men, who make a difference every day as we work together to provide a safe, efficient and reliable transportation system for the people of Arizona,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski, who accepted the award Saturday night with a team of top ADOT managers alongside him.

“There is strength in numbers, and the women of ADOT have done an outstanding job not only in the field of transportation, but in supporting each other through leadership and mentoring. This environment is part of the overall culture at ADOT, one that fosters success as an individual and success as an entire agency.”

One of ADOT’s most successful programs is the Women Information Network, or WIN. This program, which is led by a group of female supervisors and managers, provides opportunities for all female employees at ADOT when it comes to networking, discussion and mentoring, in order to identify and implement advancement and leadership opportunities within the agency. WIN provides a variety of events throughout the year for female employees through brown-bag lunch programs with relevant topics, an ongoing mentoring program, and education encouragement for working women.

“WTS celebrates ADOT’s initiative to provide women with workforce enhancement and management opportunities,” said Susan Tierney, president of the WTS Metropolitan Phoenix Chapter. “ADOT leadership clearly recognizes that providing opportunities for women to learn and thrive in the workplace is a rock-solid strategy.”

Pavement maintenance on SR 89 south of Yarnell today

Posted on by

Following a recent rock fall on State Route 89 south of Yarnell (mileposts 272-277), crews will repair damages tomorrow on the southbound lanes and drivers traveling southbound will be shifted onto one lane of the northbound lanes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

No major restrictions or delays are expected. The speed limit will be reduced to 30 mph.

US 89 south of Page repaired and open to traffic

Posted on by

us89_timelapse_above_slide_julythrunov2014PHOENIX — At approximately 4:15 p.m. on March 27, US 89 south of Page was reopened to traffic for the first time following a Feb. 20, 2013, landslide that caused catastrophic damage to the roadway, requiring a 23-mile closure between the junction of State Route 98 in Page and US 89A near Bitter Springs.

In order to reopen the US 89 roadway today, the Arizona Department of Transportation completed an extensive $25 million repair, which included removing approximately one million cubic yards of rock material to realign a 1,500-foot section of roadway and construct a downslope rock buttress at the base of the Echo Cliffs to stabilize the area.

School buses from the Page Unified School District were the first vehicles to pass through the newly rebuilt roadway.

For more than two years, community members – including school children – of Bitter Springs, Marble Canyon and Cedar Ridge have used alternate routes, including the Temporary US 89 route that was opened in August 2013, to and from the Page and Lake Powell areas following the US 89 landslide.

“This is great news for those living and working in the area,” said city of Page Mayor Bill Diak. “It will shorten the commute of our school children that live below the closure by some 94 miles a day. For many of the river-related businesses, this means that their days just became more profitable. For the city of Page this means we will get our main access back. Life is good in Page and now even easier to get to. Come and enjoy!”

US 89T, which had served as the primary detour route to connect to the Page and Lake Powell areas following a $35 million project to upgrade Navajo Route 20, is expected to be relinquished to the Navajo Nation on April 17 when the State Transportation Board convenes in Phoenix. The 44-mile route was mostly a dirt road before being paved during a three-month-long project in summer 2013.

Prior to starting the US 89 landslide repair in summer 2014, ADOT had to clear several significant hurdles to keep the project moving forward. After an extensive geotechnical assessment identified the necessary repairs in July 2013, ADOT retained an engineering firm through an innovative construction delivery method (Construction Manager at Risk), which allowed the contractor to work directly with the design team and develop plans for the eventual repair. ADOT and the team also finalized all federally required environmental reviews that included cultural, biological and water quality measures, and completed plans for the required right-of-way easements with the Navajo Nation.

“The damage to the roadway looked like a scene out of a Hollywood movie and unfortunately a quick fix was not possible,” said ADOT Intermodal Transportation Division Director Steve Boschen. “From day one, we were committed to restoring mobility to the area as soon as possible with the paving of N20 (US 89T), but the real fix is now here with today’s opening.

“Reopening US 89 was the last step and with the commitment from our valued partners, including the Navajo Nation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Navajo Division of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, and our contractors FNF Construction and Kleinfelder, we were able to expedite the US 89 repairs and reopen as soon as possible despite many challenges along the way.”

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.

McGuireville Rest Area work continues next week

Posted on by

Motorists traveling on Interstate 17 need to be aware that the northbound McGuireville rest area entrance will be closed on Thursday, April 2 between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. as crews work on the roadway, forcing the closure of the rest area.

Alternating lane restrictions in both directions are expected between 5:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. between mileposts 294 and 299 starting on Monday, March 30 through Friday, April 3. The rest area will remain open during construction with the exception of Thursday, April 2.

Work will be day and night on State Route 87 through the end of April

Posted on by

Drivers heading northbound on State Route 87 today north of Sunflower between mileposts 223 and 229 will be shifted onto a single lane of the southbound lanes, which will become a two-lane roadway through the work zone. The traffic shift will be in effect through Wednesday, April 1 to allow crews to mill and pave the northbound lanes. Drivers northbound will be intermittently stopped starting at 5 p.m. tonight as crews relocate concrete barrier and allow for the scheduled traffic shift. Delays of up to 15 minutes are expected.

Starting today, crews will work on a 24-hour, six days a week (Monday through Saturday) schedule through April 20 to ensure the project will be done before the Memorial Day weekend. With the exception of this weekend, crews will be working today through April 1 (Friday through Wednesday).

On April 2, the traffic will be back to one lane in each direction. As work continues, a 10-foot width restriction will be in place through April 20. Project completion is expected to be open May 15.

Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead and allow extra time to reach their destinations and proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel. The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage.

The $6.2 million safety improvement project, which began in October, approximately seven miles south of the State Route 188 junction, includes the reconstruction of an existing curve at milepost 227, as well as building a new northbound truck escape ramp at milepost 228. Runaway truck ramps offer an opportunity for out-of-control trucks, which may have inoperable brakes, to safely exit the highway and come to a controlled stop.

Dirt haul on SR 89 between Prescott and Chino Valley scheduled next week

Posted on by

CHINO VALLEY — Traffic on State Route 89 between Prescott and Chino Valley will be required to stop intermittently next week to allow trucks to safely cross the highway.

The hauling operation will take place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Thursday, March 30 through April 2, with intermittent closures for dirt hauling. Drivers can expect minimal delays during work hours.

The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage. ADOT advises drivers to allow additional time to reach their destinations and to proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

Upon completion of the $17 million project, ADOT will expand the two-lane roadway to a four-lane divided highway along a five-mile segment of SR 89 (mileposts 320-325) between Road 4 South in Chino Valley and Deep Well Ranch Road in Prescott, just north of the SR 89/SR 89A junction. The project is expected to be complete by August.

ADOT urges drivers to slow down, avoid distractions during National Work Zone Awareness Week

Posted on by

File photo.

File photo.

PHOENIX — It is one of the most dangerous jobs across the country, that of the highway worker. Operating close to traffic subjects highway workers to safety risks, including speeding, impaired or distracted drivers. But the Arizona Department of Transportation also points to national statistics that show most victims in work zone crashes are likely to be drivers or their passengers.

“Expect the Unexpected” is the theme of this year’s National Work Zone Awareness Week, which started Monday.

In 2013, the latest year for which national statistics are available, 579 people died in work zone-related crashes across the country, according to the American Traffic Safety Services Foundation. About 80 percent of those killed or injured in such crashes were drivers or their passengers.

A review of law enforcement crash reports shows 17 people were killed in Arizona work zone crashes in 2013. It was a noticeable increase over seven such fatalities in 2012 and 10 deaths in 2011.

ADOT and other U.S. transportation agencies have joined together this week to urge drivers to pay attention to signs and other warning devices, slow down and give workers plenty of space in and around work zones along highways and local roadways.

No ADOT workers have been killed in work zone crashes in recent years, and the agency wants to keep it that way.

ADOT has unveiled a new Work Zone Safety public service announcement that highlights the risks construction and maintenance crews face along highways, especially when drivers don’t heed lowered speed limits in work zones. The video shows a close call for a paving crew as a speeding recreational vehicle passes by them.

“A tragedy can occur at any moment within a work zone,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “Our highway workers are somebody’s family member. We’re asking you to slow down and pay attention so those workers can make it home safely to their families at the end of the day.”

Night work scheduled this week on SR 260 east of Cottonwood

Posted on by

adot-logo-03aCOTTONWOOD — Night work is scheduled tomorrow and Wednesday, March 24 and 25, on State Route 260 on a six-mile segment approximately three miles east of Cottonwood between Ogden Ranch Road and Cherry Creek Road (mileposts 209 to 215) between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. each night.

Crews are gathering soil samples along the roadway in preparation of the widening of State Route 260 between Thousand Trails and I-17. The two-lane roadway will be narrowed to one lane during work hours and drivers will be guided through the work zone with a pilot car and flaggers.

The speed limit through the work zone will be 45 mph and law enforcement will be present.

ADOT advises drivers to proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.