Maintenance work will resume at the McGuireville rest area on Interstate 17 this week, Tuesday and Wednesday, June 23 and 24, approximately two miles south of the State Route 179 junction (mileposts 294 to 299).
Drivers can expect a single lane restriction in both directions during work hours from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Minimal delays expected.
The rest areas will remain open.
FREDONIA — Today the Locust Fire has increased to a little more than 200 acres. Weather continues to be a driving factor in helping fire managers determine the strategy for managing the fire for multiple objectives. Some of those objectives are: allowing natural fire to play its role as a disturbance factor in the ecosystem, enhancing wildlife habitat, improving forest health, and reducing potential for uncharacteristic high-severity wildfires in future years.
Today’s movement tracked east, northeast with prevailing wind gusts from south, southwest up to 25 miles per hour. Despite windy conditions, crews completed prepping the perimeter and are masticating smaller fuels into chips, which have a lower fuel classification. The mastication increases the efficiency of the prep-work and provides for firefighter safety.
Fuel classification is part of the National Fire Danger Rating System, in which fuels possessing common characteristics are grouped. Dead fuels are grouped according to 1-, 10-, 100-, and 1000-hour intervals; the time it would take for fire to completely consume that fuel source.
“The Locust Fire is meeting our objectives and behaving the way that we anticipated, thanks to the planning and prepping that was done, which is keeping us well ahead of the game,” said Brandon Allen, Locust Fire Incident Commander trainee. Fire behavior today continued to grow at a steady but persistent rate; roughly 132-feet-per hour.
Tomorrow, fire crews plan to continue chipping fuels around designated perimeter roads and implementing firing operations when necessary for managing the fire.
Tomorrow’s weather forecast calls for continued hot and dry conditions. Fire activity may likely increase as fuels continue to dry out.
The Arizona Department of Transportation will perform routine pavement maintenance on Interstate 17 between New River and the Bloody Basin traffic interchange (mileposts 235 to 258) tomorrow, Tuesday, June 23 between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Motorists should be prepared for alternating lane restrictions and intermittent shoulder closures between mileposts 235 and 258 to provide 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.
FLAGSTAFF — Motorists traveling eastbound on I-40 just west of Flagstaff on Tuesday (June 23) and Wednesday (June 24) should allow for extra travel time and potential delays as the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) performs maintenance work from milepost 185 to 190. The work will be conducted during daylight hours and will require closure of the travel lane during operations.
ADOT advises drivers to proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.
Neil Diamond performs America from the Jazz Singer. Although part of a movie, it has become a popular song.
The 21-days from Flag Day to Independence Day have been declared Honor America Days. Here is a thank you from Arizona citizen Gianluca Zanna.
WILLIAMS — You still have time to get tickets for the toy box raffle sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW Post. Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5. The hand-made toy box is stuffed with toys for babies, teens and adults. The drawing will be held at the Williams Event Stage at 2 p.m.
FREDONIA — The Locust Fire continues to slowly grow near Rainbow Rim Trail on the North Kaibab Ranger District. The lightning-caused fire is located 39 miles south-southeast of Fredonia, Ariz., and northeast of Locust Point. The fire is approximately 37 acres in size and forest officials are managing the fire for resource objectives.
Over the coming weeks, fire crews will manage the fire within a 3,283-acre boundary. Roads, trails, and ridges will help crews maintain low to moderate fire spread within the management area.
The objectives fire managers are working to achieve include returning fire to a fire-adapted ecosystem, reducing accumulated fuels on the forest floor, recycling nutrients into the soil, enhancing wildlife habitat, and protecting the area from future high-intensity wildland fires. To help accomplish these objectives, fire crews are removing vegetation around designated perimeter roads. These and other predefined locations are known as Management Action Points (MAPs) where actions will be taken to slow, redirect, or prevent fire spread, to accomplish stated objectives.
Fire activity consists of low and slow surface fire with four to eight inch flame lengths. The Locust Fire is spreading in all directions but mainly to the east-southeast. For those planning a trip to this area of the forest, please be cautious as smoke may be present in and around the Rainbow Rim Trail during the day and overnight.
The weather forecast shows warm and dry conditions. Fire activity will likely increase as fuels continue to dry in the fire area and smoke may be visible from Arizona Highway 67 and Highway 89A. No road closures are in effect. Motorists are reminded to exercise caution when in the area.
PHOENIX — Projects to improve Arizona’s highway system through expansion, preservation and modernization were formally approved today to move forward as part of the Arizona Department of Transportation’s annual five-year planning process.
Funding for the Five-Year Program is generated by the users of transportation services, primarily through gasoline and diesel fuel taxes, and the vehicle license tax.
Today the State Transportation Board met in Pinetop-Lakeside and voted to adopt the 2016-2020 Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program. The board’s action determines which projectsdi are now programmed in Greater Arizona, the Maricopa County region and the Pima County region. The process to finalize these projects began in March with a call to the public, stakeholders and local governments to comment online or during three public hearings.
“ADOT and its partners are striving to reduce fatalities, increase mobility and improve the economy by balancing infrastructure needs all while using a funding source that continues to erode due to inflation, fuel economy and alternative fuels,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “While fuel economy and alternatives to gasoline are good for the consumer and the environment, necessary expansion and maintenance of our transportation infrastructure is not keeping pace with needs. Appropriate investment is necessary for expansion and maintenance of our infrastructure, not only for safety and efficiency, but also to compete in today’s global economy.”
Much like the current Five-Year Program, the newly adopted 2016-2020 Five-Year Program reflects a major focus on preserving the existing state highway system while moving some high-priority expansion projects forward. ADOT must prioritize projects due to continued low revenue from the gas and vehicle license taxes and from decreased federal funding — all of which support the Five-Year Program. ADOT’s continued focus on preservation allows the department to protect its investment of $19.7 billion in the state highway system. Without a commitment to preservation, it would cost approximately $200 billion to replace the system.
Both the Maricopa and Pima county regions in the two metropolitan areas have independent revenue streams established through voter-approved sales tax increases that allow for more expansion projects to take place and for more transportation funding overall.
The following is a list of major projects for Greater Arizona, the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) region and the Pima Association of Governments (PAG) region during the 2016-2020 Five-Year Program. This list provides an overview and does not include all projects in the Five-Year Program.
FY 2016: $5.5 million allocated for right of way
FY 2017: $7.3 million allocated for right of way
FY 2020: $36.2 million allocated for construction
In FY 2015,$6 million was allocated for project development.
FY 2016: $2 million allocated for preliminary engineering
FY 2018: $4 million allocated for design work
FY 2021: $64 million is anticipated to be available for construction (note that this portion of the project is in the 2021-2025 Development Program)
The Five-Year Program serves as a blueprint for future projects and designates how much local, state and federal funding is allocated for those projects. It is updated annually. Each program begins with a long-range visioning process, moves into a more realistic 20-year plan and finally yields each Five-Year Program. The program is developed by working closely with local planning organizations and community leaders to identify ready-to-construct or design projects.
Coconino County Sheriff photo.
FLAGSTAFF — Coconino County Sheriff 911 dispatchers received a report yesterday at about 10:45 a.m. of a 38-year old woman who fell 25-feet while climbing on the Schultz Pass side of Mount Elden in the area of Oldham Falls.
According to the caller a 38 year-old woman who was climbing on a rock face was attempting to place an anchor in a crack in the shear rock face where she was climbing. She fell approximately 25 feet, jerked to a stop at the end of her secured safety line, and slammed with a great deal of force into the rock face.
Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Search Unit and the Flagstaff Fire Department responded to the call for service. When the first responders arrived, by standers had already freed the victim from her line and she was positioned on the ground.
Flagstaff firefighters provided on scene medical care and prepared the victim for transportation in medical litter. Eight Flagstaff firefighters and seven Search and Rescue volunteers took turns carrying the victim approximately three-quarter of a mile to a waiting Guardian Ground Medical Transport unit.
The victim was transported to the Flagstaff Medical Level 1 Trauma Unit where she was treated for non-life threatening injuries.