ADOT Adds to Massive Current Project Load

By Scott Blair

Last month ADOT launched its largest freeway improvement project so far this year along nine miles of Loop 202 in Phoenix and Tempe. The $189 million Red Mountain Freeway Improvement Project is due for completion in late 2010.

Contractor Kiewit-Sundt (joint venture) and ADOT are using design-build to reduce the amount of time needed to complete the improvements. Final design of key components of the project will occur while construction is underway, allowing flexibility and limiting the need for time-consuming changes in the field.

The project will provide new eastbound lanes between State Route 51 and Loop 101, as well as additional westbound lanes between Loop 101 and Scottsdale Road. Crews also will add new merge lanes between some traffic interchanges to help with traffic flow.

In addition, crews started working on 7 mi of new HOV lanes along Loop 202 in north Mesa, between Loop 101 and Gilbert Road. The $20.5 million project is scheduled for completion in fall 2010.

The Loop 202/Red Mountain Freeway carpool lane project is the latest in a series of projects to expand the HOV lane system along Valley freeways. Along Loop 101 in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe and Chandler, 30 miles of HOV lanes are currently under construction; all are expected to be completed by the end of 2009.

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ADOT also put the $85.7 million first round of ARRA-funded state highway construction projects out for bids, just weeks after formal identification by the State Transportation Board.

Six of the projects will have their bid results revealed on Friday, April 24th (all costs are ADOT estimates):

• S.R. 87 safety improvements, Payson to Pine, $8.6 million
• S.R. 160 repaving, Navajo Highway 59 to Dennehotso, $6 million
• U.S. 60 repaving, Timber Mountain to Seneca; $5 million
• S.R. 160 repaving, Kayenta to Navajo Highway 59; $4.4 million
• S.R. 160 repaving, US 89 to Van's Trading Post; $4.1 million
• U.S. 89 pavement preservation, Townsend Rd. to Fernwood

Other projects out for bid include:

• I-10 repaving, Rita to Houghton roads, $6 million
• I-10 widening, Sarival Ave. to Verrado Way, $43.2 million
• S.R. 83 repaving, Sonoita North; $2.75 million
• S.R. 80 repaving and median, Tombstone; $1.95 million
• S.R. 95 passing lane, Bouse Wash area; $1.8 million
• U.S. 191 intersection improvements, Black Hills Back Country Byway $750,000
• I-40 deck repair of Black Creek Bridges; $700,000
• S.R. 86 deck repair of Santa Cruz River; $200,000
• S.R. 70 improvements, Eighth Avenue intersection; $191,000

The remaining 27 economic recovery projects will be advertised in the near future.

ADOT Accolades

The Arizona chapter of the American Public Works Association recently named ADOT as winner of its Project of the Year award for the reconstruction of the I-17/Carefree Highway interchange.

“We’re very proud of this project, the skilled project team and this award because it affirms ADOT’s commitment to safely completing critical work on time, within budget, and in cooperation with drivers and the community,” says ADOT State Engineer Floyd Roehrich.

The $19.6 million project, completed last October, was designed with input from local community members. Drivers are now using a larger, modern I-17 interchange at Carefree Highway that can handle increased volumes of traffic. Traffic signals have replaced old stop signs. Drivers of larger vehicles are now able to make left turns without waiting a long time for gaps in traffic. Pulice Construction Inc. was the prime contractor on the project. HDR Inc. of Phoenix served as the design engineering consultant.

Due to creative construction sequencing, the project was completed on time and without significant disruption to traffic flow. During the 17-month duration of the project, only one major weekend closure of I-17 occurred, to demolish the old Carefree Highway Bridge. Even still, the project team was able to cut the length of that closure in half, limiting the impact on drivers.

The project will now be judged against other entries on the national level.

The award program promotes excellence in the management and administration of public works projects by recognizing the alliance between the managing agency, the consultant/architect/engineer, and the contractor who, working together, complete a project. The award is based on criteria such as construction management techniques, safety performance, community relations and environmental protection.

APWA represents public agencies, private sector companies and individuals dedicated to providing high quality public works goods and services. Founded in 1937, the association is the largest and oldest organization of its kind in the world, with chapters throughout North America.

State Budget Woes

Acting on a request from State Treasurer Dean Martin, ADOT has repaid $110 million in funding obligations ahead of schedule to help stabilize the state’s general fund.

Board Funding Obligations are used by ADOT to pay contractors and other expenses for highway work around the state while the agency awaits reimbursements from the Federal Highway Administration and other sources. In essence, the funding obligations are short-term loans made by the State Treasurer to ADOT to provide bridge funding to narrow the timing gap between expenditures and reimbursements. Without this additional operating capital, there is a possibility that ADOT will have insufficient cash balances in the State Highway Fund to make payments to contractors and will not be able to meet other obligations without borrowing funds internally from other accounts. As a result, ADOT contractors and their sub-contractors may have to wait longer for payment.

The $110 million repayment comes at a time when ADOT is preparing to launch construction on the first of 41 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects totaling $350 million. With all federally funded projects, ADOT pays for work up front, submits a reimbursement request to the federal government, and then pays contractors. This contractor payment previously was accelerated using funding obligations.

“We recognize and want to emphasize that the action by State Treasurer Dean Martin to recall the Board Funding Obligations was not one of choice, but a clear requirement based on state statute, legal advisement and current state cash flow,” says ADOT interim director John Halikowski. “While the Board Funding Obligations are critical elements of ADOT’s operations and the successful engagement of highway work around the state, these unprecedented times require the implementation of fiscal strategies that are difficult, but necessary, to focus available funds on those most critical elements of the state budget.”

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