ARIZONA STATE EDITION
A Supplement to:
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July 24 2016 Vol. I • No. 15
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” Your Arizona Connection – Dennis Hogeboom – 1-877-7CEGLTD – dennishogeboom@cegltd.com
U.S. 60 Interchange Project Includes Building a New Bridge By Chuck Harvey
ADOT photo
CEG CORRESPONDENT
Crews began construction of a new overpass on Bell Road over Grand Avenue (U.S. 60) in Surprise, Ariz., in January. The project is part of a $41.9 million interchange project to improve traffic flow at the intersection. The overpass is being built over Grand Avenue and parallels Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway tracks. The overpass will replace the current ground level intersection. Workers have constructed a new 134th Avenue connection to Bell Road as part of the project. “The new 134th Avenue provides a new connection with 134th Drive and maintains access to businesses north of Bell Road on the east side of Grand Avenue-U.S. 60,” said Steve Elliott, assistant communications director of public information at Arizona Department of Transportation. Once completed, new on-ramps and off-ramps located along the center median of Grand Avenue
Using cranes, crews are in the process of installing bridge girders and support piers both east and west of Grand Avenue.
will connect with the Bell Road overpass. The entire project will take 14 months and is scheduled to con-
clude by spring 2017. Most of the heavy construction is scheduled to be finished by late this year. Coffman Specialties Inc. of San
Diego, Calif., is contractor for the project, with approximately 30 subcontractors at the project site. The overpass replacement is a
design-build project. Coffman Specialties submitted a proposal to design and build a Bell Road bridge to allow for continuous traffic flow on Grand Avenue. Currently, a traffic signal is in use on Grand Avenue at Bell Road. Also, railroad tracks run parallel with Grand Avenue. That tends to slow traffic flow on Grand Avenue and Bell Road. “Traffic congestion has increased with growth in Surprise,” Elliott said. “Time spent waiting for trains to cross Bell Road contribute to that.” The project is designed to maintain traffic flow on Grand Avenue and Bell Road and is part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan. Bridge Work Currently Under Way Using cranes, crews are in the process of installing bridge girders and support piers both east and west of Grand Avenue. By July 10, most the girders used for the oversee INTERCHANGE page 4
Board OKs ADOT’s Five-Year Construction Program The Arizona Department of Transportation’s five-year construction program for state highways promotes commerce through investments in major freight and travel corridors, supports Greater Arizona through key projects and highlights the agency’s commitment to not only maintaining but improving the quality of pavement, bridges and other infrastructure. Meeting in Holbrook, the state Transportation Board voted to adopt the agency’s 2017-2021 Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction
Program, which determines projects in Greater Arizona, the Maricopa County region and the Pima County region that will receive funding during the period. “Major freight corridors that connect Arizona to Mexico and large neighboring U.S. markets will benefit from key expansion projects in this Five-Year Program,” John Halikowski, ADOT director said. “Improvement projects along some of Arizona’s busiest corridors will not only provide better mobility but help enhance trade, commerce and economic development.
Meanwhile, we are protecting Arizona’s $20 billion investment in highways and answering Gov. Doug Ducey’s call to continuously improve our value to this state.” Because of additional funding available through the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, ADOT will be able to move forward on a quicker timeline with four major projects that will improve key commerce corridors: widening Interstate 10 in Pinal County from state Route 87 to Picacho and from Earley Road to Interstate 8, and widening two stretches of US 93
between Wickenburg and Interstate 40. Once the two I-10 projects are complete, ADOT will have reached its goal of widening the entire stretch of I-10 between Casa Grande and Tucson to a six-lane divided highway. Other projects programmed for funding include improving state Route 189 in Nogales to enhance the flow of commerce between the port of entry and Interstate 19. A long-sought railroad overpass on state Route 347 in Maricopa will move forward see TRANSPORTATION page 2