The Bump in the Road (and how to eliminate it)

Over the past several years the soil under the Loop 101 travel lanes, where it abuts the bridge over Camelback Road, has been slowly settling and creating a depression. When vehicles approach the bridge, they encounter a noticeable bump at the bridge deck. ADOT tried several methods to stabilize the roadway, including lifting it with a jack, but they only solved the issue temporarily.

To provide a permanent fix (and an overall smoother ride for motorists), ADOT contractors are using grout stabilization – a well-established construction technique that involves drilling shafts through the roadway and filling them with grout, a “soupy concrete” that fills the voids under the road. When the grout hardens, it creates a strong foundation for the finished road above.

In total, crews will drill and fill more than 400 shafts. The drill bit is nearly three inches in diameter and bores to an average depth of 30 feet.

ADOT was able to integrate the grout stabilization work at Camelback Road into the larger Loop 101 HOV lane project. The roadway stabilization phase of the project is anticipated to be complete by the end of May.

Protect your child with an Arizona ID card

Click on photo for larger view.

As the summer holiday travel season nears, there is an easy step you can take to protect your child in case of an emergency.

Through the ADOT Motor Vehicle Division, you can obtain an Arizona ID card for your child. It looks similar to a driver license, but is used for identification purposes only.

Having a photo identification card for your child is valuable in emergency situations. It assists law enforcement agencies to rapidly distribute your child’s information and photograph in case of an Amber Alert.

Having an ID card also can help prevent against identity theft and may even be useful when traveling in and out of the country.

All ages are eligible to receive a state ID card – even babies. The cost is $12 and you’ll need to bring the child’s social security number and a few forms of identification with you when you stop by the MVD office nearest to you.

Arizona's Scenic Roads

Bell Rock in Sedona is one of the points of interest located along
State Route 179, which has been esignated an All-American Road. 

Whether you’re in the driver’s seat or just along for the ride, Arizona has many scenic roads to make your trip worth taking.

But, what exactly is an official “scenic road” and who makes that determination?

Well, the term “scenic road” often is used to describe several types of roadways offering visual, historic and cultural significance.

Anyone may nominate a road for local and/or national designation. Find out more on the process here. 

ADOT oversees the designating and planning of five types of scenic roads, including:

• Scenic roads offer a memorable visual impression, are free of visual encroachment and form a harmonious composite of visual patterns. Scenic roads are the most commonly designated type. In Arizona there are 18 roads designated as scenic roads.
• Historic roads offer historical importance to the cultural heritage of the state, nation or region, contribute to a historical area or exploration/settlement of Arizona, are easily accessible and unique. There are two historic roads in Arizona.

Rubberized asphalt reduces noise, helps environment

Driving Valley Freeways this time of year?

You might hear about or even experience lane restrictions because of rubberized asphalt paving. “Why,” you ask, “does ADOT schedule rubberized asphalt paving between March and May when so many of us are out and about enjoying the gorgeous weather?”

The answer is that rubberized asphalt is a temperature-sensitive product that can be put down only when the roadway surface is at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit and rising.

Surely this begs a second question: “Why use rubberized asphalt in the first place? What’s the big deal with this stuff?” Well, actually there are several big deals ... rubberized asphalt saves money, improves our quality of life and helps preserve the environment.

On ALERT

When an ADOT road in the greater-Maricopa County area needs to be closed due to a major crash, emergency or weather-related incident, the Arizona Local Emergency Response Team is put to the task.

Otherwise known as ALERT (what a fitting acronym for this team always ready to act!), the group is made up of 10 ADOT maintenance employees who – on top of their regular daytime duties – volunteer to be on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to any emergency call.

Officially, when they’re on duty ALERT drivers can’t be more than 20 minutes away from their truck. But average response time from initial call to an ALERT truck’s arrival on scene is approximately 21 minutes!

So, what’s on the truck?

Everything they’ll need to close a road and direct motorists to a detour route. Traffic cones, flares and glow sticks, signs to direct traffic, water, emergency lighting, flashlights, cameras, and radio communication tools. They also carry a small supply of absorbent material to clean up minor spills and asphalt patch for minor surface repair jobs.

The team doesn’t get called to every single incident on ADOT freeways, but on average handles about 14-20 calls a month (except for one day last month when they had three calls before noon! – See the video above for call No. 2 of that day.)

Transportation Planning, part II

Last week we gave a brief overview of how ADOT plans for future transportation needs through a three-phased approach. We covered the Visioning phase (if money was no object, how would we plan for Arizona’s transportation future) and the Planning phase (given that resources are limited, how should we prioritize the needs identified in the Vision).

Which takes us to phase three: Programming.

The Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program determines which projects will be funded over the next five years. Basically, it serves as a blueprint for future projects statewide and designates how regional, state and federal funding is allocated.

Because budgets are uncertain, the Five-Year Program is updated every year. The first two years are always fiscally constrained, meaning we already know what projects will be funded. But the three remaining years are built on budget estimates and can be reprioritized, which is where you come in.

Dusty Roads



Dust storms can leave drivers unable to see much of the road ahead.


Arizona dust storms sometimes hit suddenly, without much notice at all.

Drivers can be caught very quickly in a blinding wall of dust and debris that leaves almost no visibility. While these storms typically happen between May and September, motorists should be aware year-round of the potential danger these high-wind storms create.

On average, nearly five people lose their lives in Arizona each year because of accidents related to dust storms. Many more are injured.

If you are driving during dust storm season in Arizona be sure to listen to weather reports and check current road conditions before you leave on your trip.

How to tear down two bridges in 10 hours or less

In just 10 hours this past weekend, two bridges in southern Arizona were demolished in order to make way for something new.

All it took was some good planning, plenty of patience from motorists, a few enormous machines, and a ton of work by crews on the sites.

A little bit of background …

In November of 2009, ADOT began work on the I-10 Marsh Station Traffic Interchange in Southern Arizona -- a $10 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act project that includes the extension of Marsh Station Road, drainage improvements, and the construction of a new traffic interchange to accommodate commercial truck traffic.

As it stood, the old Marsh Station Bridge had a clearance of 15 feet -- too low for most commercial trucks to clear. To avoid the bridge, trucks taller than 15 feet have had to maneuver a winding, two-lane, 67-mile detour.

Introducing Valley Freeways Thursdays!

Every Thursday, ADOT produces the Valley Freeways Weekend Closures map, detailing the major road closures planned for the upcoming weekend throughout Maricopa County's regional freeway system. The map is a great resource (if you don't already receive it you can sign up for that and other freeway-specific email updates here), but we want to use the ADOT blog to take the closure information one step further; to tell you more about WHY we're closing the freeways -- about how your tax dollars are being spent to improve your transportation system. 

To kick off what we have deemed Valley Freeways Thursday, we thought we'd start with a quick primer about the system:

Transportation Planning: From Vision to Program

Ever try to figure out how ADOT decided to put a freeway where it did? Or why some roads have wider shoulders than others?

Well, none of it happened by accident. ADOT, like most transportation agencies, takes a three-phased approach to transportation decision making: Vision, Planning and Programming.

In Phase One – the Transportation Vision – basically, the sky’s the limit. If money was no object, what would Arizona’s transportation future look like? No fiscal restraint means everything is on the table.

In 2008 and 2009, ADOT worked with people and organizations throughout the state to develop the transportation vision by reviewing the needs for the next 40 years.  This vision is called “Building a Quality Arizona” and was established with no fiscal constraints. The transportation vision for the state sets the comprehensive foundation for other plans that are fiscally constrained.

Welcome to ADOT's blog!

Transportation is personal. It affects every aspect of our daily lives, giving us the freedom to move where, when and how we want to go. It’s how we get to work in the morning and back home at night. It’s how the products we buy get to stores and how the products we sell get to our customers. It’s how we reach destinations in our state.

Transportation connects people, businesses and our communities. It determines lifestyle choices – where we live and options to get around. It marks milestones in our lives – the excitement of a teenager with a new driver license. It supports economic growth – moving people and goods where they need to go.

At ADOT, we’ve struggled with ways to help people understand that. How do we foster meaningful conversations – not just about a construction project that will affect your daily commute – but conversations that put people in touch with services we provide and involve people in transportation issues and solutions.