Category Archives: Department of Transportation

Maintenance on 89A in Jerome may cause delays today and tomorrow.

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Delays of up to 15 minutes are possible through Wednesday

JEROME – Maintenance work to remove debris from the shoulders on northbound State Route 89A (mileposts 345 to 346) in Jerome will occur tomorrow, Tuesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 19 between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

SR 89A will be reduced to one lane and crews will direct traffic through the work zone in alternating directions. Delays of up to 15 minutes are expected and drivers should allow additional to reach their destinations.

ADOT advises drivers to proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel. The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage.

ADOT beginning work on US 89 widening project

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Little Colorado River Bridge to be replaced, roadway widened and roundabout installed

FLAGSTAFF – The Arizona Department of Transportation has begun work on a project to expand US 89 from two lanes to four lanes through the community of Cameron within the Navajo Nation, approximately 50 miles north of Flagstaff.

Major work on the $36.7 million project includes widening US 89 to two lanes in each direction between State Route 64 and the Little Colorado River (mileposts 464-467) and removal and replacement of the existing US 89 Cameron Truss Bridge with two new bridges at that location.

Additional improvements on US 89 through Cameron include constructing a roundabout at the existing intersection of US 89 and SR 64, new sidewalks, streetlights, and four pedestrian/livestock underpasses.

Construction is anticipated to be completed in two major phases with completion expected Fall 2016.

Traffic delays may occur during construction with traffic reduced to one lane. Directional signage and flaggers will be present during construction. ADOT advises motorists to be alert for construction equipment and personnel, and to proceed through the work zone with caution.

Blasting is over, I-17 climbing lane project moves to next phase

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ADOT Photo

ADOT Photo

ADOT project to ease congestion along southbound uphill stretch near Camp Verde

PHOENIX – One of the most visible projects on Interstate 17 is moving onto the final phase of construction.

Since the January 2013 start of the $11.8 million safety improvement project south of Camp Verde, the Arizona Department of Transportation has moved approximately 350,000 tons of dirt and boulders from Copper Canyon to clear a path for the construction of the first-ever climbing lane (and third travel lane) on southbound I-17.

When complete, the additional southbound lane through the final two miles to the top of Copper Canyon will make it easier for motorists to pass large trucks and slow-moving vehicles whose speed drops because of the sustained grades along this stretch of highway (mileposts 280-282), which is the primary travel route linking Phoenix and Flagstaff.

Since early 2013, motorists traveling late at night on I-17 (primarily between 11:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m.) have had to plan ahead to avoid more than 70 planned one-hour closures required to safely remove the rock material from the mountainside of Copper Canyon. Those restrictions ended with the final overnight blasting closure on Feb. 18, but additional lane restrictions are anticipated in the future as crews move to pave the new lane.

Southbound I-17 climbing laneWith the blasting phase of the project completed on Copper Canyon and the project 80 percent finished, crews have already begun building the subgrade for the new pavement on the climbing lane, which will add a third travel lane for motorists to climb to the top of the steep Copper Canyon.

ADOT will start final paving operations for the project in early summer when temperatures are ideal for this type of work.

In addition to the climbing lane, ADOT is also building a two-mile-long merging lane between the State Route 260 junction and General Crook Trail traffic interchange (mileposts 285-287), which is located just before the approach to Copper Canyon. The merging lane will allow larger vehicles to gain speed before merging onto I-17 while also providing more room for passenger vehicles traveling past slower traffic.

I-15 bridge improvement work progresses in Virgin River Gorge

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virginriverbridgeMotorists reminded to plan ahead for delays; traffic switch to begin on March 3

PHOENIX — Construction work on a series of bridge rehabilitation projects along the Interstate 15 Virgin River Gorge corridor in Arizona is underway, and motorists traveling between Mesquite, Nevada, and St. George, Utah, should plan ahead for delays in both directions through the work zones, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

On Monday and Tuesday, March 3-4, northbound and southbound traffic is scheduled to be switched to the northbound lanes at Virgin River Bridge No. 2 and Bridge No. 3 (both at milepost 13, approximately 15 miles north of Mesquite, Nevada) and Bridge No. 7 (milepost 22, approximately 15 miles south of St. George, Utah) to allow work on the southbound bridge deck surfaces to begin.

I-15 will be narrowed to one lane in each direction at each of the bridge locations and delays are expected. Anticipated completion for this $2.8 million improvement project is this summer.

Drivers should allow 15 minutes extra travel time weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Additional delays may occur on weekends due to heavier traffic volumes and special events — including spring break from mid-March through late April.

Next month, ADOT is expected to start the reconstruction of Virgin River Bridge No. 6 (milepost 16, approximately 21 miles south of St. George, Utah). This significant $27 million rehabilitation project will include the replacement of the bridge’s superstructure (girders, deck and railings), as well as widening the roadway through the narrow passage of the gorge.

With limited alternate routes due to the remote location of the I-15 Virgin River Gorge corridor, ADOT urges drivers to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, slow down and drive carefully through the work zone, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions. Unscheduled restrictions or closures may occur, and construction schedules are subject to change.

Blasting overnight on I-17 south of Camp Verde ends next week

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One-hour closure expected in both directions next week between 11:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.

The last overnight closure for blasting on Interstate 17, south of Camp Verde, takes place Tuesday night.

I-17 will be closed in both directions between 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, and 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb.19, for the final blasting operation for the climbing lane project on Interstate 17.

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.

Once blasting is completed, work will then take place behind the concrete barrier currently in place along the highway, and no further full highway closures are expected.