Category Archives: Arizona Department of Transportation

Plan for SR 89A-Fain Road lane closures beginning Monday, June 3

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The Arizona Department of Transportation advises motorists to plan ahead and allow extra travel time for pavement repair along State Route 89A-Fain Road next week. The work will occur from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, June 3, and Tuesday, June 4, on north- and southbound State Route 89A-Fain Road between the junction with SR 69 (milepost 331) and the junction with SR 89A-Robert Road (milepost 324).

Paving scheduled Monday, June 3, will require the following closures:

  • Northbound Fain Road will be narrowed to one lane (right lane closed)
  • Southbound Fain Road will be narrowed to one lane (left lane closed)

Paving scheduled Tuesday, June 4, will require the following closures:

  • Northbound Fain Road will be narrowed to one lane (left lane closed)
  • Southbound Fain Road will be narrowed to one lane (right lane closed)

The restrictions are necessary so ADOT crews can do fog-seal work, which helps to protect and extend the life of the highway pavement.

Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment.

Daytime lane closures on State Route 89A near Jerome scheduled to begin June 5

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The Arizona Department of Transportation advises drivers to plan for lane closures on north- and southbound State Route 89A between the town of Jerome (milepost 344) and Old Fain Road (milepost 330) while a pavement-repair project is underway. Drivers could experience delays up to 30 minutes while SR 89A is reduced to one lane only.

Work is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6.

Flaggers and a pilot car will direct drivers through the work zone.

The restrictions are necessary so ADOT crews can do fog-seal work, which helps to protect and extend the life of the highway pavement.

Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment.

ADOT: No highway closures over Memorial Day weekend

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If you’re planning a road trip in the state over the Memorial Day weekend, the Arizona Department of Transportation has good news about construction-related closures.

ADOT and its contractors will not schedule weekend closures along state-maintained highways, including Phoenix-area freeways, from Friday afternoon through late Monday night, May 27.

Drivers should allow extra time, especially during peak travel periods, and be prepared to slow down and use caution in existing work zones. Focus on safe driving, including buckling up and not speeding.

There were seven fatal crashes with a total of eight deaths on Arizona roadways, including local streets, over last year’s Memorial Day weekend. Two of those fatal crashes were alcohol-related.

ADOT’s highway safety recommendations include:

  • Never drive while impaired – arrange for a designated driver in advance
  • Buckle up and obey speed limits
  • Check your vehicle, including tire pressure
  • Get some rest before traveling – fatigue is a serious safety risk
  • Allow extra travel time and be prepared for unscheduled closures
  • Avoid distractions – don’t text while driving
  • Pack extra supplies, including drinking water and snack foods
  • Don’t park in areas with grasses or brush – hot vehicle components could start a fire

Work on Interstate 40 in Williams rescheduled because of wintry weather

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WILLIAMS – Unseasonably cold weather has temporarily delayed work on Interstate 40 between Parks and Williams in northern Arizona. Crews had been scheduled to complete work at the Grand Canyon Boulevard westbound off-ramp prior to Memorial Day weekend. Because of inclement weather, the work is now scheduled to progress through next week.

The following I-40 ramp closures and detours have been rescheduled so crews can reconstruct the westbound on- and off- ramps at Grand Canyon Boulevard. The Arizona Department of Transportation advises drivers to plan for travel delays while these closures are in place:

  • Crews will keep the westbound I-40 off-ramp at Grand Canyon Boulevard closed through Friday, May 31. DETOUR: Westbound I-40 traffic accessing Williams will exit at Country Club Boulevard (Exit 161) and enter eastbound I-40 to exit at Grand Canyon Boulevard.
  • Crews will close the westbound I-40 on-ramp at Grand Canyon Boulevard from 6 a.m. Monday, June 3, through Monday, June 10, at 6 p.m. DETOUR: Southbound Grand Canyon Boulevard traffic that needs to access westbound I-40 should use eastbound I-40 to State Route 64 (Exit 165) and use the interchange to turn around.

The eastbound and westbound I-40 ramps at Grand Canyon Boulevard will NOT be closed at the same time.

No work is scheduled over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

The project schedule still calls for a new layer of asphalt pavement on 17 miles of east- and westbound I-40 between Parks and Williams this summer. The project also includes a final layer of asphalt, known as friction course, to further improve the roadway surface, and installation of guardrail, striping and signage. The project is scheduled for completion in late 2019.

Plan for I-40 ramp closures in Williams west of Flagstaff

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WILLIAMS — Northern Arizona drivers who use Interstate 40 are advised to plan for travel delays as crews return to complete paving, bridge and intersection work between Parks and Williams.

The following I-40 ramp closures and detours are scheduled while crews reconstruct the on- and off- ramps at Grand Canyon Boulevard:

  • Monday, May 13, from 6 a.m. to noon, crews will close the eastbound on-ramp at Grand Canyon Boulevard to complete guardrail work. DETOUR: Grand Canyon Boulevard traffic accessing eastbound I-40 traffic will head westbound on I-40 to exit at Country Club Road (exit 161) and enter eastbound I-40.
  • Thursday, May 16, through Wednesday, May 22, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., crews will close the westbound I-40 off-ramp at Grand Canyon Boulevard. DETOUR: Westbound I-40 traffic accessing Williams will exit at Country Club Boulevard (exit 161) and enter eastbound I-40 to exit at Grand Canyon Boulevard.
  • Tuesday, May 28, through Tuesday, June 4, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., crews will close the westbound I-40 on-ramp at Grand Canyon Boulevard. DETOUR: Southbound Grand Canyon Boulevard traffic will use westbound historic Route 66 and enter westbound I-40 at Country Club Boulevard (exit 161).

The eastbound and westbound I-40 ramps at Grand Canyon Boulevard will NOT be closed at the same time or over Memorial Day weekend.

In early summer, crews will put down new asphalt on 17 miles of I-40 in both directions between Parks and Williams. The project also includes a final layer of asphalt, known as friction course, to further improve the roadway surface, as well as installation of guardrail, striping and signage. The project is scheduled for completion in late 2019.

Motorists should allow extra travel time and plan for possible delays while work is underway.

For more information, please visit the project website.

State Route 179 to be restricted through Oak Creek for chip seal work

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PHOENIX – Those traveling between Interstate 17 and Sedona along State Route 179 will need to plan extra travel time as the highway will be narrowed to one lane between the Red Rock Ranger Station and Chapel Road so Arizona Department of Transportation crews can apply chip seal.

Beginning Monday, May 13, crews will restrict SR 179 to one lane in 3-mile segments through the Village of Oak Creek. Drivers moving through the area should expect long delays as each direction of traffic will alternate through the work zone.

Flaggers and pilot cars will provide traffic control through the work zone. Flaggers will also be on site to maintain access to businesses, communities and local streets throughout the project area.

Drivers can also consider using SR 89A and SR 260 through Cottonwood as an alternate route between I-17 and Sedona.

The project is expected to last for five consecutive days and be completed by the end of the week.

For more information on this project and others, visit azdot.gov.

Drive a big truck in the military? There may be a simpler path to a commercial driver license

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PHOENIX – Veterans of the U.S. military who operated large vehicles as part of their service may qualify for an Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division military skills test waiver when applying for a commercial driver license.

“The waiver is something that deserves more attention because it gives veterans who’ve honorably served this country more opportunities to use those skills once they return to civilian life,” said MVD Field Operations Administrator Mike Cryderman.

He added, “There’s a real need in this country for proficient commercial drivers, and the MVD is committed to assisting veterans with this kind of experience to appropriately get the credentials they need.”

The military skills test waiver applies to veterans who operated a military vehicle equivalent to a commercial vehicle within the last year. The waiver requires the applicant to describe what kind of vehicle he or she operated, such as fifth wheel, truck tractor/semi-trailer, truck trailer combination, or single vehicles that meet certain commercial weight specifications. It also requires the applicant to obtain a commanding officer’s certification that the applicant has commercial driving experience in the military.

Tony Bradley, President and CEO for the Arizona Trucking Association said, “The simple fact is that veterans make great employees and we should encourage every veteran with experience driving heavy equipment to take advantage of the military skills test waiver. By utilizing the skills test waiver these veterans can get credit for the skills they learned in the military and start earning money as a commercial truck driver or heavy equipment operator.”

Potential applicants can find the waiver form (Form 96-0680) at www.azdot.gov/MVD.

Four ADOT projects receive Partnering Excellence Awards

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PHOENIX – To address pavement damage from many harsh winters, the Arizona Department of Transportation engaged a contractor to rebuild a total of 10 miles of Interstate 40 west of Williams near Devil Dog Road. In addition to the complexity of removing and replacing 5 miles of freeway in each direction, challenges included minimizing impacts on travelers and communities while finishing as soon as possible around a winter hiatus when the weather made work impossible.

ADOT and Fann Contracting Inc. navigated these challenges along with others that weren’t anticipated, such as weather, fire restrictions and unsuitable and unstable soil conditions, to deliver the improvement on time while maintaining two-way traffic throughout. Contributing to this success was a defined process called partnering through which the agency, contractors and stakeholders including area governments and utilities agree to goals, a communication structure and a way to resolve issues that arise.

For its efforts on this $34 million improvement, which was completed last fall, the project team, including ADOT personnel and Fann Contracting, recently received an Arizona Transportation Partnering Excellence Award. The I-40 Devil Dog award, one of nine given at the Arizona Conference on Roads and Streets in Tucson, was for projects worth more than $25 million.

Each year, the Arizona Transportation Partnering Excellence Awards recognize teams of contractors and other organizations that have used partnering to foster productive relationships and successfully complete projects through communication, commitment, cooperation and continuous improvement. In addition to ADOT, the awards are sponsored by the Associated General Contractors Arizona Chapter, Arizona Public Works Association, American Council of Engineering Companies, Associated Minority Contractors of Arizona, Arizona Transportation Builders Association, Federal Highway Administration and Maricopa County Department of Transportation.

The Arizona Transportation Partnering Excellence Awards for 2018 honored three other ADOT projects:

  • For projects worth more than $25 million: ADOT and Ames Construction Inc., I-19 Ajo Way traffic interchange
  • For projects between $5 million and $25 million: ADOT and Nesbitt Contracting Co. Inc., State Route 88 improvements between Apache Junction and Tortilla Flat
  • For projects under $5 million: ADOT and Fann Contracting, I-40 Twin Arrows traffic interchange

“Successful partnerships reduce delays, develop positive and effective relationships and help partners identify and solve problems as quickly as possible,” said Michael Carter, ADOT partnering administrator. “Partnering allows ADOT to deliver projects on time and cultivate better working relationships with contractors and stakeholders.”

In 1991, before its partnering program began, ADOT faced 60 legal actions resolved through mediation, arbitration or litigation at a cost of $39.8 million. Today, almost no disagreements over projects give rise to legal actions involving stakeholders, and an ADOT legal team that once handled those actions no longer exists.

To learn more about partnering at ADOT, please visit azdot.gov/Partnering.

Paving along SR 377 to take place over next few weeks

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PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Transportation crews will be improving the road surface along the entire stretch of State Route 377 between Heber-Overgaard and Holbrook over the next three weeks with paving operations.

Drivers in the area should budget extra travel time while sections of the highway are narrowed to one lane. Flaggers will be controlling traffic through the area resulting in delays of up to 30 minutes.

Drivers can also use SR 277 and SR 77 to get between Holbrook and Heber-Overgaard.

The work is part of a $4.4 million project that also includes widening shoulders, extending pipe culverts and adding new permanent pavement markings and signage.

Tow chains, underinflated tires can cause wildfires

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PHOENIX – Summer is right around the corner, and with it comes an increased risk of wildfires along state highways caused by motorists dragging chains, driving on underinflated tires and tossing cigarettes.

Fires along highways not only put people and property at risk but can cause long backups and even extended closures.

Last June, the 377 Fire in Navajo County started when dragging metal on a trailer sparked several fires along 24 miles of State Route 377 between Heber-Overgaard and Holbrook. Those fires grew into a 5,000-acre wildfire that closed the highway for four days and prompted evacuations.

“Simple tasks like properly inflating your tires and taking a moment to make sure nothing is dragging on your vehicle or trailer can significantly reduce the risk of creating sparks that can cause wildfires,” said Dallas Hammit, the Arizona Department of Transportation’s state engineer and deputy director for transportation. “One act of carelessness, like tossing a lit cigarette out the window, can potentially burn thousands of acres.”

According to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, dragging chains is one of the main causes of fires along highways.

“Roadside fires continue to be one of the biggest causes of Arizona’s wildfires every year, especially on heavily traveled highways like Interstates 10 and 17. A majority of these roadside fires are preventable, yet they continue to happen,” said Tiffany Davila, public affairs officer for the Department of Forestry and Fire Management. “Please do your part to help keep wildfire activity low this summer. Before traveling, ensure tow chains are secure and your vehicle is properly serviced. We all need to do our part.”

Here’s how you can help cut down on sparks that start wildfires:

  • Check and secure tow chains, and never substitute parts when towing.
    Make sure nothing is hanging beneath your vehicle and dragging on the pavement.
  • Check tire pressure before you travel. Exposed wheel rims can cause sparks.
  • Don’t park in tall grass, as the heat from parts under your vehicle can start a fire.

For more information on how to prevent fires, please visit wildlandfire.az.gov.