Daily Archives: November 13, 2016

US 163 nighttime closures at Laguna Creek bridge during week of Nov. 14

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Click on image to see PDF.

Click on image to see PDF.

Motorists traveling along US 163 near Kayenta in the northern part of Arizona will not be able to cross the Laguna Creek bridge while the Arizona Department of Transportation completes geotechnical work in the area.

US 163 will be closed in both directions at Laguna Creek bridge from 8 p.m. to midnight, Nov. 14 and 15, and then again on Nov. 17 and 18. Drivers will need to find alternate routes or delay travel through the area during these times. A designated detour route is not available.

Because of a long-range project to replace the US 163 bridge over Laguna Creek, ADOT needs to conduct geotechnical work of the riverbed. With no access to the riverbed, ADOT will use a 90-ton crane to lower auguring equipment approximately 65 feet to Laguna Creek and then lift it out.

The size of the crane will block both lanes of the two-lane bridge. Accommodations will be made for emergency vehicles traveling in the area. Drivers who must cross the bridge because of an emergency should contact local law enforcement.

For more information about this project, please call Coralie Cole, ADOT Senior Community Relations Officer, at 602.501.4899 or email ccole@azdot.gov.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but it’s possible that unscheduled closures or restrictions might occur because of weather or other factors. For the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at az511.gov, follow us on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511 except while driving.

Drivers: Roadway safety is in your control

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adot-logo3PHOENIX — Control yourself. Control your vehicle. Save lives.

That’s the message the Arizona Department of Transportation is sending to motorists this weekend, urging drivers to make roads safer for everyone by resisting dangerous driving behaviors of speeding, aggressive driving, impaired driving, distracted driving and not wearing a seat belt.

“Drivers really need to wake up and take responsibility for their behavior. When a person chooses to take control and grip the steering wheel, they are literally taking control of their own safety, as well as the safety of every other person with them on the roads,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “Don’t make dumb choices like drinking, texting, speeding and behaving aggressively while driving. I am ringing the alarm bell on traffic fatalities. Not controlling your behavior will wind up costing a life. Control yourself and control your vehicle. The life you save may be your own. Don’t lose control – don’t drive dumb.”

As part of an ongoing effort to increase driver awareness of the important role each of us plays in making roads safer for everyone, ADOT will display the following message on overhead highway signs from Thursday evening through Sunday.

CONTROL YOURSELF
CONTROL YOUR CAR
SAVE LIVES

According to preliminary data, Arizona remains on pace to exceed 900 traffic fatalities this year. The key issue behind fatal crashes on any roadway is driver behavior. If drivers stopped speeding, stopped driving aggressively, impaired or distracted, a significant number of lives – hundreds of lives – could be saved each year.