Category Archives: Arizona Department of Transportation

Motor-vehicle crash fatalities rose in 2015, preliminary data show

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PHOENIX — The figures remain preliminary, but it’s already clear that motor-vehicle crash fatalities on Arizona roadways increased in 2015 – and that speeding, impaired driving and failure to use seat belts and other restraints contributed significantly.

At present, the Arizona Department of Transportation is reporting 891 motor-vehicle crash fatalities for 2015. That number, which is incomplete while ADOT collects reports from law enforcement entities around the state, surpasses the 773 fatalities in motor-vehicle crashes during 2014.

Data through September 2015 show that speeding, impaired driving and failure to use seat belts and other restraints were each factors in more than a third of motor-vehicle crash fatalities.

The increase in fatalities has leaders of state agencies that look after the safety of motorists calling for Arizonans to reflect on how they act in the driver’s seat.

“We often talk about the E’s of traffic safety, including engineering, education and enforcement,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “But another E is equally important, and that is everyone. For Arizona to move toward our goal of zero fatalities, everyone must think about their responsibility to others when they get behind the wheel.”

ADOT collaborates with stakeholder groups and other agencies, including the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, Arizona Department of Public Safety and Arizona Department of Health Services, to set and work toward goals in the Strategic Highway Safety Plan (azdot.gov/shsp), a comprehensive framework for reducing fatalities and serious injuries on all public roadways. Emphasis areas include speeding and aggressive driving, impaired driving, occupant protection and motorcycle safety.

“A significant cause of fatal crashes in Arizona, in addition to impairment and failing to use seat belts, is speed, unsafe lane changes and following too close,” said Col. Frank Milstead, director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety. “Aggressive driving is a crime and puts everyone on the road at risk. If you see it, report it.”

Alberto Gutier, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said it’s especially important for drivers to understand how poor decisions can end in tragedy.

“Alcohol is involved in more than a third of the fatal crashes across the state,” Gutier said. “Everyone should be aware of just how devastating impaired driving is in this state, and those who put innocent lives at risk by doing so should be prepared to face the consequences.”

“It’s important to securely buckle up all of your passengers,” said Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. “Creating a healthy environment inside your vehicle includes the use of seat belts and zero distractions. That email or text can wait.”

A final number for 2015 fatalities will be available when ADOT publishes its annual Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report later this year.

The highest annual number of motor-vehicle crash fatalities in Arizona occurred in 2006, with 1,301 on highways and local roads. In the five years preceding 2015, the toll was 773 in 2014, 844 in 2013, 831 in 2012, 754 in 2011 and 762 in 2010.

Nightime restrictions on Milton Road (SR 89A) for overhead sign foundation work next week

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FLAGSTAFF — The Arizona Department of Transportation crews will be preparing foundations for a new overhead electronic message sign on Milton Road (SR 89A) between University and Forest Meadows in Flagstaff.

Monday through Wednesday, southbound travel on Milton (SR 89A) will be restricted in the area to accommodate crews working on the west side of the roadway. Work will take place during evening hours from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Please observe speed limits and exercise caution while traveling through the work zone.

Electronic message signs span the width of the freeway and are used by ADOT to help keep drivers informed of traffic, road and weather conditions.

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.

Safety improvement project on SR 169 will require impacts next week

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Drivers traveling on State Route 169 next week will need to allow additional time to reach their destination as crews continue work on the safety improvement project. Starting on Tuesday through Thursday crews will mill the existing pavement, repave the roadway and remove concrete barrier between milepost nine and 10.

Work hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Drivers will be guided through the work zone with a pilot car in alternating directions; delays of up to 15 minutes are expected.

ADOT advises drivers to proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel. The speed limit through the work zone will be 45 mph.

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 5-1-1.

This $1.6 million safety improvement project includes widening the existing roadway to provide new turn lanes, drainage improvements, signing and new striping.

Take advantage of MVD alternatives

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PHOENIX — By expanding the use of technology and third-party options, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division is making it ever easier for motorists to renew vehicle registrations, apply for driver licenses and more without visiting MVD offices.

Numbers for 2015 tell the story:

4.4 million: That’s the number of transactions by residents processed last year through ServiceArizona.com. That’s an increase from 4.2 million in 2014. This past year, 60 percent of all vehicle registration renewals were done through ServiceArizona. In addition, 3.3 million transactions were processed through ServiceArizona.com by businesses like car dealerships, bringing the total to 7.7 million transactions. ServiceArizona is accessible through desktops, laptops and mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.

4 million: That’s the number of 2015 transactions processed by Authorized Third Party businesses conveniently located around the state. It’s an increase from 3.8 million in 2014.

By comparison, Motor Vehicle Division offices, which typically handle more complex transactions, processed 3.1 million in 2015.

Another notable number: 22. That’s how many Authorized Third Party businesses offer assistance with driver licenses and identification cards in addition to the vehicle title and registration available at most authorized businesses. That’s an increase from seven such businesses in 2014. The Motor Vehicle Division aims to continue to increase that number.

Offering more options to customers is among the ways the Motor Vehicle Division is improving service and meeting Governor Doug Ducey’s call for innovation and efficiency in state government.

“At MVD, our vision is to get Arizona ‘out of the line and safely on the road.’  Our private industry partners and online service options through ServiceArizona.com make these important transactions more convenient for Arizonans to conduct,” Motor Vehicle Division Director Eric Jorgensen said.

Other alternatives include 39 ServiceArizona kiosks located in many Motor Vehicle Division offices and a couple of city courthouses. These kiosks offer the same functionality as the ServiceArizona website.

For more information, visit ServiceArizona.com.

A list of Authorized Third Party businesses and MVD offices can be found at azdot.gov/mvdlocations.

US 60 east of Superior to close for blasting operations one day next week

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Motorists using US 60 between Phoenix and Globe next week should plan ahead and consider alternate routes as the Arizona Department of Transportation continues blasting work to build a passing lane and widen roadway shoulders east of Superior.

Construction of the two-mile-long climbing lane from Devil’s Canyon to Oak Flat (mileposts 231-233) will require one full closure lasting four hours on Thursday, Feb. 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

There will be no closures the following week, Feb. 22 through Feb. 26.

Traffic on eastbound US 60 will be stopped east of Superior (milepost 227), and traffic on westbound US 60 will be stopped at the Top of the World, west of Miami (milepost 235), until the blasting work is completed and debris is cleared.

Approximately 30 minutes prior to each blast, motorists should be prepared for possible delays and lane closures as crews set concrete barrier prior to each scheduled closure.

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 take State Route 87 through Payson and travel east on State Route 260.

Drivers should use caution, watch for construction equipment and personnel, and allow extra time.

Parade route for Gold Rush Days in Wickenburg requires closure of US 60 on Saturday

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WICKENBURG — Due to this weekend’s 68th annual Gold Rush Days celebration, US 60 in downtown Wickenburg (mileposts 107-110) will be closed in both directions on Saturday (Feb. 13) from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Drivers should expect delays or adjust travel plans accordingly. Traffic will be rerouted through a clearly marked detour.

Eastbound traffic on US 60 will be detoured to Vulture Mine Road to US 93 and US 93 southbound to reconnect to US 60.

Westbound traffic on US 60 will be rerouted to the US 93 bypass northbound, US 93 to Vulture Mine Road and Vulture Mine Road back to US 60.

SR 169 reduced to one lane tomorrow and Thursday

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State Route 169 will be reduced to one lane tomorrow and Thursday (Feb. 10 & 11) between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. as crews repair potholes on the roadway on a two-mile segment (mileposts 2 to 4).

Traffic will guided through the work zone in alternating directions. Drivers can expect delays of up to 15 minutes.

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.

Roundabout construction will impact drivers on SR 89 at Perkinsville Road in Chino Valley today

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CHINO VALLEY — The Arizona Department of Transportation will restripe the roadway at the intersection of State Route 89 and Perkinsville today between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. to allow crews to begin construction of a new roundabout.

In addition to the restriping of the roadway, crews will close Perkinsville Road for the next five weeks and drivers will need to use alternate routes, to access SR 89 until the work is completed on the east side of the project. Traffic will be shifted to the west side of the roadway on SR 89 to make room for construction activity.

Drivers may have minimal impacts during work hours and 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.

This $1.5 million project consists of a new roundabout at the intersection of SR 89 and Perkinsville Road between mileposts 328 and 329. Additional work includes removal and replacement of existing pavement, drainage improvements, new pavement markings and lighting.

This project is expected to be complete by September.

ADOT project creating more reliable link to key Yuma County employer

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YUMA — Residents will have a more reliable link with Yuma County’s largest employer, Yuma Proving Ground, thanks to a 600-foot bridge the Arizona Department of Transportation is building across a flood-prone section of US 95.

Work began this week on the $9.3 million bridge spanning Fortuna Wash northeast of Yuma and is expected to be completed by next winter.

In addition to being a key trade route between the U.S. and Mexico, US 95 near Yuma sees increased demand during the winter months from agricultural workers and seasonal visitors. The highway currently passes through the wash, which sees flash flooding that forces closures.

“Building a bridge over Fortuna Wash is a critical safety project for the Yuma County region, the Yuma Proving Ground and the agricultural industry,” said ADOT Southwest District Engineer Paul Patane. “Motorists rely on this roadway every day to travel between Yuma and Interstate 10, and flash flooding at Fortuna Wash has previously closed the only north-south corridor in the region, forcing motorists to take lengthy detours. This new bridge will be a huge benefit to the region.”

The bridge, partially funded through a $3.2 million federal grant ADOT received in 2011, is going in at milepost 34, approximately 12 miles northeast of Yuma and 10 miles south of the turnoff (Imperial Dam Road) to Yuma Proving Ground.

Yuma Proving Ground, a U.S. Army facility with more than 3,000 military and civilian employees, is one of the largest military installations in the world and home to General Motors’ hot-weather vehicle test facility. It has an economic impact of more than $430 million annually.

“I personally have waited many hours on Highway 95 over the years because Fortuna Wash floodwaters flowed over the road,” said Chuck Wullenjohn, public affairs officer at Yuma Proving Ground. “The new bridge will be a boon both for commuters and for YPG cargo shipments that will no longer face being impeded by a flowing wash.”

ADOT’s long-term goal is widening about 15 miles of US 95 between Avenue 9E to Aberdeen Road, but that project would first need to be funded. The Fortuna Wash bridge will be built to accommodate four lanes of traffic but initially striped for two lanes with center-turn lane.

Crews are scheduled to work on the Fortuna Wash bridge project during weekdays between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. Initial work will include setting up a temporary detour road and tree removals, while actual bridge construction is expected to begin in March.

Motorists should allow extra travel time as lane restrictions will be in place and flaggers will occasionally need to alternate traffic through the work zone.

ADOT’s first TowPlow clearing stretch of I-40 faster, more efficiently

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PHOENIX — An innovative new snowplow is allowing the Arizona Department of Transportation to remove snow and ice more efficiently by having one driver clear the width of two lanes.

The first TowPlow to join ADOT’s fleet of 200 traditional snowplows is assigned to 20 miles of Interstate 40 between Williams and Bellemont west of Flagstaff. The device saw its first use during this week’s snowstorm.

The TowPlow is a steerable trailer with a 26-foot blade that’s attached to the back of a regular snowplow truck. The combination, able to plow a 24-foot-wide path, lets ADOT clear more lanes in less time using less fuel.

“It’s been a very busy year for ADOT’s winter operations, and as we work through this latest storm the TowPlow has already been out on the highway plowing snow and ice,” said Dallas Hammit, ADOT’s state engineer and deputy director for transportation. “This new plow is a time-saving and safe addition to the department’s fleet of snowplow trucks and provides a higher level of service to all drivers and travelers.”

When possible, ADOT will run another snowplow truck alongside the TowPlow setup, clearing both lanes and the shoulder at once. To keep vehicles at a safe distance, a flag car will be positioned behind the snowplows traveling side by side.

ADOT will evaluate the TowPlow’s performance this winter before deciding whether to purchase more.

As with any snowplow, drivers need to do their part to stay safe:

Slow down: Stay well behind the safety vehicle that follows the TowPlow.
Don’t try to pass: The flag car and the plows will move over periodically and allow traffic to pass when it is safe to do so.
Remember: The road behind the TowPlow and other snowplows is the safest place to drive. For more tips on preparing for travel in snow country, please visit azdot.gov/knowsnow.