Daily Archives: September 7, 2016

ADOT to hold Small and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Conference

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roadtosuccess-2016_originalPRESCOTT — An Arizona Department of Transportation conference in October will help owners of small businesses and those qualifying for ADOT’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program learn how to bid for projects and contracts.

The Statewide DBE & Small Business Conference, to be held Oct. 12 and 13 at the Prescott Resort & Conference Center, will feature workshops, networking opportunities and one-on-one time with experts in areas such as banking, insurance and bonding, marketing and consulting. The goal: helping small businesses and those owned by members of socially and economically disadvantaged groups compete for projects that receive federal funding.

“ADOT recognizes the value that DBEs and small businesses bring to our state, which is why it’s essential to help them learn how to thrive in the transportation industry,” said Dr. Vivien Lattibeaudiere, manager of ADOT’s Business Engagement and Compliance Office. “With access to project opportunities, they can become a meaningful part of building the transportation infrastructure in our state.”

Although the conference is geared toward disadvantaged business enterprises and small businesses, it’s open to all businesses, public agencies, vendors and community partners with an interest in transportation.

Businesses interested in attending the conference can register and purchase tickets online at bit.ly/2bWFESY.

For more information on the workshop or ADOT’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program, contact the ADOT Business Engagement and Compliance Office at 602-712-7761 or visit adotdbe.com.

Public input essential as South Mountain Freeway moves toward construction

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PHOENIX — Thirteen years of public involvement helped shape plans for the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway. With the Arizona Department of Transportation preparing to begin construction along the 22-mile corridor, the community can continue providing feedback and seeking information by attending meetings, connecting online and using other resources.

“As with any project, our goals are informing and listening to the public,” said Rob Samour, ADOT senior deputy director of major projects. “The South Mountain Freeway is a critical project for the region, and there are many opportunities for the public to stay engaged as we start construction and look forward to opening the freeway corridor by the end of 2019.”800south-mountain-freeway-graphicBeginning later this month, ADOT will hold three public meetings to provide details and seek input on preliminary design plans:

  • Tuesday, Sept. 27, Desert Vista High School, Multipurpose Room, 16440 S. 32nd St., Phoenix
  • Wednesday, Sept. 28, Betty Fairfax High School, Multipurpose Room, 8225 S. 59th Ave., Laveen
  • Thursday, Oct. 6, Fowler Elementary School, Multipurpose Room, 6707 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix

All meetings are scheduled for 6-8 p.m., with presentations beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The meetings will provide information on the freeway’s location, profile, interchange configurations and noise barrier locations, as well as initial concepts for landscaping and visual appearance. The preliminary design has been updated since it was circulated for public comment along with the Draft Environmental Impact Statement in 2013.

More public meetings will be held later this year to share final design and construction plans and to provide more information on what to expect during construction.

Construction is set to begin Monday, Sept. 12, with crews widening the shoulders from Pecos Road near 48th Street to the I-10/Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) interchange. Work will also include the extension of the existing Loop 202 HOV lanes. This initial phase of work will be completed prior to the construction of the mainline freeway, which is scheduled to begin in early 2017.

As part of its commitment to public involvement, ADOT is seeking input from anyone with an interest in the freeway. There are several ways to do so:

  1. Online: azdot.gov/SouthMountainFreeway
  2. Email: SouthMountainFreewayInfo@c202p.com
  3. Phone: 1.855.SMF.L202 (1.855.763.5202), or para Español, 623.239.4558
  4. The latest project information is available via the project website at azdot.gov/SouthMountainFreeway, email and text updates (click “Subscribe for Updates” on the project website), the project hotline numbers (1.855.763.5202, or para Español, 623.239.4558) and newspaper advertising.

Extensive public input, including feedback provided by the South Mountain Citizens Advisory Team that met from 2001 to 2013, informed the study behind the South Mountain Freeway, including

  • identifying more than 30 alternative alignments.
  • helping determine interchange locations.
  • recommending ways to reduce the right of way required.
  • proposing ways to minimize other impacts.
  • suggesting design options.

During the Draft Environmental Impact Statement phase, ADOT collected and recorded more than 8,000 public, agency and stakeholder comments.

The 22-mile freeway, expected to open by late 2019, will provide a long-planned direct link between the East Valley and West Valley and a much-needed alternative to Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix. Approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985 and again in 2004 as part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan, the South Mountain Freeway will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system in the Valley.

For more information, visit azdot.gov/SouthMountainFreeway.

Mexico wolf pair welcomes third litter of wild-born pups

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mexican-wolfPHOENIX — Mexico’s National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) recently reported the sighting of four wild-born Mexican wolf pups in the state of Chihuahua. The pups represent the third consecutive year that the mated pair M1215 and F1033 has produced offspring.

With the birth of this litter, Mexico’s Mexican wolf population in the wild has reached 21 animals, according to CONANP.

“Arizona wishes to congratulate Mexico on their recent successes toward the recovery of Mexican wolves in their historical habitat and offer our continued support of their efforts,” said Jim deVos, the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s assistant director of wildlife management. “The vast majority of historical habitat for the Mexican wolf is in Mexico, so their efforts and successes provide a significant contribution to the recovery of the subspecies.”

The Arizona Game and Fish Department has collaborated with Mexican experts to develop a habitat suitability evaluation that will assist CONANP in planning future recovery efforts in Mexico.

Arizona Game and Fish has been actively involved in a multi-agency effort to reintroduce Mexican wolves to portions of the Southwest since the 1980s.