Arizona Department of Transportation

🏆ADOT wins award for interchange construction!🏆 A recent Arizona Department of Transportation project that constructed Loop 303 interchanges at 43rd and 51st avenues near Interstate 17 is a winner in the 2024 America’s Transportation Awards competition that includes a focus on community development. The $70 million Loop 303 project earned a West Region award in the “Quality of Life/Community Development, Medium Project” category in the national competition among state departments of transportation. The competition is sponsored by AASHTO, an association representing highway and transportation departments nationwide, as well as AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. ADOT partnered with the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), the regional transportation planning agency, and city of Phoenix to accelerate construction of the Loop 303 bridges and ramps to address current and future traffic growth near the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. plant in the north Valley. The interchanges were completed in September 2023, several years sooner than originally planned. “This project is an example of great teamwork and cooperation among partnering organizations,” said ADOT’s Central District Administrator Randy Everett. “It took a lot of hard work by staff at MAG, city of Phoenix, ADOT and the contractor, Fisher Sand and Gravel, to deliver this project on the accelerated schedule.” The award was presented this week at the annual meeting of WASHTO, which represents departments of transportation in the West. Construction of new Loop 303 interchanges at 43rd and 51st avenues was funded through the dedicated Proposition 400 half-cent sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004. The project is part of the Phoenix area’s Regional Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Investment Plan managed by MAG. The new interchanges were designed to help manage future transportation needs in the area, support the Phoenix area’s growing semiconductor footprint and its supply chain, and allow for community development, including businesses and services.

🙌 Arizona Highways magazine wins 16 awards for excellence 🎉 Arizona Highways, the world-renowned magazine highlighting Arizona’s scenery and stories, earned a total of 16 awards for excellence in visuals, writing and production at the recent annual conference of regional magazines from across North America. The magazine, published by the Arizona Department of Transportation, won three first-place Gold Awards from the nonprofit International Regional Media Association. A panel of magazine industry experts judges its annual awards competition. “What a true honor it is to be recognized by our industry peers for the incredible work done by the Arizona Highways team,” Arizona Highways Publisher Kelly Mero said. Arizona Highways received the following awards: 🥇 Gold ▪️ Headline & Dek: Robert Stieve, “Dam Shame” ▪️ Single Photo: Guy Schmickle, “Schnebly Hill Monsoon” ▪️ Photo Series (35,000 or more circulation): “Flavor of the Months” 🥈 Silver ▪️ Website of the Year ▪️ Magazine Photographer of the Year (35,000 or more circulation): Joel Hazelton ▪️ Travel Feature: Morgan Sjogren, “A Long Strange Trip” ▪️ Profiles (35,000 or more circulation): Matt Jaffe, “The Grand Master” ▪️ Column: Robert Stieve, June, October and November 2023 ▪️ Illustration: Sam Ward, “Who Shot First?” 🥉 Bronze ▪️ Public Issues: Annette McGivney, “In Hot Water” ▪️ General Feature (35,000 or more circulation): Lawrence W. Cheek, “It’s Looking Up Downtown” ▪️ Portrait Photo: William Allard, “Henry Gray” ▪️ Overall Art Direction (35,000 or more circulation): August, October and November 2023 🏆 Merit ▪️ Historic Feature (35,000 or more circulation): Kathy Montgomery, “What a Place to Call Home” ▪️ Art & Culture Feature: Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi, “According to Custom” ▪️ Essay: Kelly Vaughn, “Learning on the Fly” Founded in 1925, Arizona Highways is dedicated to promoting travel to and through the state of Arizona. In addition to the world-renowned magazine known for spectacular landscape photography, Arizona Highways publishes travel guide books, calendars and other products to promote travel in Arizona. The magazine has subscribers in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Learn more at arizonahighways.com and irmamagazines.com.

Arizona’s highways have existed almost since statehood in 1912, but the agency overseeing them, the Arizona Department of Transportation, is marking its 50th anniversary this month. It’s all because state lawmakers, facing a booming population and accelerating transportation needs, decided to consolidate the Arizona Highway Department and Arizona Aeronautics Department as of July 1974. Since then, ADOT employees throughout the state have expanded the state’s transportation infrastructure, implemented new technologies and innovations, and provided safer and more efficient ways to keep travelers moving safely. Governor Katie Hobbs marked this month’s milestone with a letter to ADOT staff highlighting the agency’s accomplishments and innovations, including not just highways but the AZ511 traveler information system and AZMVDNow.com, the online portal through which Motor Vehicle Division customers can conduct dozens of transactions. “Most importantly, it is ADOT’s dedicated employees, past, present, and future, who shape our state’s transportation system through public service and leadership that ensures AZ families make it to their destinations safely,” Governor Hobbs said. When ADOT was created, there were about 5,800 miles of state highway and the interstate system in Arizona was 86% complete. Since then, ADOT has added more than 1,100 miles to the state’s transportation system. “Our state is more connected than ever,” ADOT Director Jennifer Toth said. “ADOT employees have worked hard over the decades to expand and improve Arizona’s transportation system. Because of that, people can safely travel throughout our state and businesses can grow.” ADOT has had seven other directors over five decades, including Mary Peters, who became administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). In 2006, Peters became U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Former ADOT Director Victor Mendez also served in Washington, D.C., as FHWA administrator for five years, and then was U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation from 2014 to 2017. ADOT is fortunate to have a handful of employees who have been along for all 50 years. “I get to work with and learn from some of the best and brightest people,” said Ed Green, a 62-year state employee who started with the Arizona Highway Department and now is a hazardous material coordinator in ADOT’s Environmental Planning Group. “Not only ADOT, but the world has changed with the inclusion of available technologies that make our tasks easier and quicker,” said Tami Wollaston, who started as a draftsman nearly 51 years ago and currently is a transportation engineering specialist in ADOT’s Roadway Engineering Group. “Over time this agency also has included necessary environmental and cultural features along state highways,” said LeRoy Brady, chief landscape architect in ADOT’s Roadway Engineering Group and a 50-year employee. “We’ve improved highways while maintaining Arizona’s unique beauty.”

Like many large organizations or companies, ADOT has a internal publications aimed at keeping employees up-to-date on agency issues. Back in July 1974, when the state legislature created the Arizona Department of Transportation when it combined the Arizona Highway Department, Arizona Aeronautics Department and motor vehicle services agency into one entity – ADOT – the employee newsletter Newsbeat was born. Newsbeat succeeded Hiway Drumbeats, which had been the employee newsletter for the Arizona Highway Department. Let’s skim through the 8-page Volume I, Number 1 edition of Newsbeat from July 1974, and see what was shared with those very first ADOT employees in July 1974: 🛣️ Unsurprisingly, the cover story features an article about seven people appointed to permanent or temporary administration positions, including WIlliam Ordway, who will forever be the first Director of ADOT. 📐 Arizona Governor Jack Williams recognized 600 engineers in Arizona, including several from the Highway Division, for their contributions to the field of technology. 🚘 A photo showed barrels filled with out-of-state license plates that, according to the caption, is “indicative of the population influx into Arizona.” Back then, plates were separated by their type of metal, steel or aluminum, and were sold as scrap or recycled. ⛰️ Another photo showed three men checking up on a project I-17 south of Flagstaff. At the time, five major projects were in various stages of construction on I-17, which was completed in 1978. 🎳 Arizona Highways Magazine claimed the Highway Bowling League title. Individuals honors for the high series (gross) went to Gene Stair, 639, and Carl Wisser’s 264 was tops in high game (gross). 🛑 Robert Schnee, a welder in the Equipment Shop, designed and built a signpost pulling jack that made the task safer. According to the caption, “Each jack cost $65 to build, but the safety factor is worth the cost many times over.” Five decades later, ADOT employees are still showing their ingenuity, inventing things like the guardrail crab and pokey picker upper, that increase safety and work efficiency and save money.

It’s been 50 years since we officially became the Arizona Department of Transportation! From maintenance crews to the Motor Vehicle Division, thousands of dedicated employees statewide work together to make ADOT run and help get drivers and passengers safely home. This video only shows a fraction of our employees, but we couldn’t do it without every single one of them. Here’s to 50 more years! 🎉

ADOT technicians have some help in conducting safety-based maintenance inspections of the more than 50 freeway pump stations in the Phoenix area. Drones are being used to inspect and monitor for cracks, leaks, worn parts or other problems within pump stations. The drones give techs access to areas that are difficult to access, including upper sections of pipes that lift stormwater from a pump station’s storage well. Drone inspection of pump stations was first tested in February and we anticipate it will allow technicians to more than double the number of maintenance inspections they conduct each year.

Follow up Certification FAQ session to answer the most commonly asked DBE questions regarding the USDOT DBE/ACDBE Final Rule updates and changes. Register: https://lnkd.in/ga9vcgaX

Learn how ADOT protects water quality through implementing the Stormwater Management Plan. A virtual workshop available at azdot.gov/stormwater has details and explains how you can ask questions and provide input.

Picacho Peak stands out as the signature landmark along Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson. Next to the freeway, a transportation landmark entering its fifth monsoon season stands ready to activate when blowing dust dangerously reduces visibility. During Monsoon Awareness Week, we're reminding drivers how this first-of-its-kind system works to enhance safety with signs that can lower the legal speed limit and message boards that post urgent updates. It stretches along 10 miles of I-10 between Eloy and Picacho, an area with a history of blowing dust and storm-related crashes. The system has operated as designed since the start of the 2020 monsoon season and has activated during an estimated 50 blowing dust events. It’s achieving positive results too: Roadway sensors show motorists are slowing down in the dust detection zone when the system automatically reduces speed limits. Thirteen visibility sensors mounted on posts along the freeway use light beams to determine the density of dust particles in the air. Once visibility drops to certain levels, the system activates overhead message boards and the variable speed limit signs. As drivers approach the area, they are greeted by signs saying “Caution: Variable Speed Limit Corridor.” Then a series of programmable speed limit signs every 1,000 feet can change the legal speed limit from 75 mph to as low as 35 mph. More electronic signs are posted in the corridor to remind drivers of the temporary speed limit. Drivers will also see overhead electronic message boards in and near the corridor that alert them to blowing dust and warn them to slow down. Speed feedback signs will inform drivers of their real-time speeds. An important reminder: The variable speed limits are enforceable, meaning drivers can get cited for exceeding the temporarily reduced speed limit. This technology cannot replace common sense when it comes to driving in dust storms. While drivers will get almost instant warnings about hazardous driving conditions within the 10-mile corridor, the safest decision drivers can make is to delay travel if a severe storm is on the move. If caught in a dust storm, drivers should take the next exit if possible. When no exits are nearby, drivers should pull off the roadway, turn off lights and take their foot off the brake.

With monsoon season almost here, ADOT crews have been cleaning and unclogging dozens of pump stations so they can operate at peak capacity when heavy rains arrive (we’re getting rain this summer, right?). Our heavy monsoon rain storms wash trash and litter down storm drains and into pump stations, which remove water from freeways when it rains. When too much trash accumulates, drains become clogged and water is slow to drain from freeways. Because too many people can’t be bothered to not litter, ADOT crews clean each of the 68 pump stations in the metro Phoenix area. A hydro vac truck helps, but it takes a full crew an entire day to clear a single pump station. It’s a dirty, necessary job to keep pump stations running at peak performance.