Arizona

[74/171FAN]

I found this on widening I-10 from Chandler to Casa Grande.  (https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/could-arizona-finally-fund-widening-i-10/75-73b16863-e200-4651-b5c6-58d6515afb8e)

[Pink Jazz]

I noticed ADOT is starting to make a move towards straight mast arms for new traffic signal installations. I wonder what the reason for the change is.

The City of Phoenix has used straight mast arms for years.

[ztonyg]

I noticed ADOT is starting to make a move towards straight mast arms for new traffic signal installations. I wonder what the reason for the change is.

The City of Phoenix has used straight mast arms for years.

Where have you seen the straight mast arms?

The newer ADOT signals along I-17 (Happy Valley Rd and Pinnacle Peak Rd) use the typical ADOT mast arms.

[Pink Jazz]

I noticed ADOT is starting to make a move towards straight mast arms for new traffic signal installations. I wonder what the reason for the change is.

The City of Phoenix has used straight mast arms for years.

Where have you seen the straight mast arms?

The newer ADOT signals along I-17 (Happy Valley Rd and Pinnacle Peak Rd) use the typical ADOT mast arms.

There are some at the new Loop 202/Lindsay Road interchange in Gilbert, as well as along SR 24.

[ztonyg]

I noticed ADOT is starting to make a move towards straight mast arms for new traffic signal installations. I wonder what the reason for the change is.

The City of Phoenix has used straight mast arms for years.

Where have you seen the straight mast arms?

The newer ADOT signals along I-17 (Happy Valley Rd and Pinnacle Peak Rd) use the typical ADOT mast arms.

There are some at the new Loop 202/Lindsay Road interchange in Gilbert, as well as along SR 24.

Thank you. I've seen some photos of those and they look like the generic straight mast arms found in many other parts of the country. The Phoenix style looks "different" to me.

I'd imagine the straight mast arms are cheaper than the slanted mast arms which really only seem common in Arizona and California.

I think the reason ADOT switched is probably cost. I believe it's the same reason ADOT has switched to installing DMSs on "T" poles on the right hand side of freeways instead of mounting them overhead on monotube gantries.

[Pink Jazz]

I think the reason ADOT switched is probably cost. I believe it's the same reason ADOT has switched to installing DMSs on "T" poles on the right hand side of freeways instead of mounting them overhead on monotube gantries.

I also noticed many of these new DMS on "T" poles are the front access type instead of walk-in.

[Pink Jazz]

While ADOT has not yet put out an RFP for its next DMS vendor, ADOT has is preparing to award Daktronics a contract to refurbish its older Daktronics DMS that were installed 2007-2014. The older Daktronics DMS are LED character matrix. I wonder if it is possible to convert these to color full matrix using the same DMS housing. This is a sole source contract, since according to ADOT many of the components are proprietary to Daktronics.

[ztonyg]

While ADOT has not yet put out an RFP for its next DMS vendor, ADOT has is preparing to award Daktronics a contract to refurbish its older Daktronics DMS that were installed 2007-2014. The older Daktronics DMS are LED character matrix. I wonder if it is possible to convert these to color full matrix using the same DMS housing. This is a sole source contract, since according to ADOT many of the components are proprietary to Daktronics.

I'm surprised they're refurbishing them. There used to be a number of them along the E/W segment of the Loop 101 Pima Freeway and N/S segment of Loop 101 Price Freeway S of US 60 and they were all ripped out and replaced with the color full matrix DMSs (most on "T" poles) during the widening of those 2 segments of highway.

Also I would guess that the first "straight" mast arm ADOT installed in metro Phoenix might have been one at US 60 (Grand Ave) and Bethany Home Rd. It's an "extra" set of signals for E/B drivers on Bethany Home Rd and I stumbled upon it the other day. Based upon Google street view it was installed between February and December of 2020.

https://goo.gl/maps/NzME4WQ5qaj4pABi6

[ethanhopkin14]

Are there any surviving colored Loop state shields in the Phoenix area?  Also, when was the last time to anyone's knowledge they were still a few left?  I seem to think I remember some in 2001. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Are there any surviving colored Loop state shields in the Phoenix area?  Also, when was the last time to anyone's knowledge they were still a few left?  I seem to think I remember some in 2001.

Plenty of blue 101s in Scottsdale the last time visited, on freeway not so much.

[KeithE4Phx]

Are there any surviving colored Loop state shields in the Phoenix area?  Also, when was the last time to anyone's knowledge they were still a few left?  I seem to think I remember some in 2001.

Plenty of blue 101s in Scottsdale the last time visited, on freeway not so much.

The brown Loop 202 signs have all been replaced.  At least I don't recall seeing any in several years.  I believe there are still one or two black Loop 303 signs still around, at least as of last year.  I try to avoid the 101 like the plague, so I have no idea if there are any blue signs left. 

[Zonie]

I don't think there are any blue 101 signs on the mainline, but there are plenty on the approaches.

[Pink Jazz]

The brown Loop 202 signs have all been replaced.  At least I don't recall seeing any in several years.  I believe there are still one or two black Loop 303 signs still around, at least as of last year.  I try to avoid the 101 like the plague, so I have no idea if there are any blue signs left. 

I remember the last (badly faded) survivors of the brown Loop 202 shields were at Country Club (SR 87) and the Loop 202 Red Mountain in Mesa. Not sure if they are still there.

[KeithE4Phx]

The brown Loop 202 signs have all been replaced.  At least I don't recall seeing any in several years.  I believe there are still one or two black Loop 303 signs still around, at least as of last year.  I try to avoid the 101 like the plague, so I have no idea if there are any blue signs left. 

I remember the last (badly faded) survivors of the brown Loop 202 shields were at Country Club (SR 87) and the Loop 202 Red Mountain in Mesa. Not sure if they are still there.

I don't believe they are, either on the freeway itself or on Country Club.

In any case, you'd think that ADOT would have learned its lesson from the 1950s & '60s, when all state and US highway signs were color coded, depending on the direction.  I remember seeing a lot of them fading by the time that was discontinued in the mid '60s.

https://www.arizonaroads.com/maps/1961-4.jpg

[Max Rockatansky]

The brown Loop 202 signs have all been replaced.  At least I don't recall seeing any in several years.  I believe there are still one or two black Loop 303 signs still around, at least as of last year.  I try to avoid the 101 like the plague, so I have no idea if there are any blue signs left. 

I remember the last (badly faded) survivors of the brown Loop 202 shields were at Country Club (SR 87) and the Loop 202 Red Mountain in Mesa. Not sure if they are still there.

I don't believe they are, either on the freeway itself or on Country Club.

In any case, you'd think that ADOT would have learned its lesson from the 1950s & '60s, when all state and US highway signs were color coded, depending on the direction.  I remember seeing a lot of them fading by the time that was discontinued in the mid '60s.

https://www.arizonaroads.com/maps/1961-4.jpg

And yet the entire country has Interstate shields which are infamous for red color fade.  Certain colors like blue and green hold up really well in the sun, it really just depends on what is used.

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/rRMr38u2CdUtaqPg8
What was behind the greenout on this and the other sign for old US 93 if you pan right?

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://goo.gl/maps/rRMr38u2CdUtaqPg8
What was behind the greenout on this and the other sign for old US 93 if you pan right?

Trailhead Parking

[tsmatt13]

Anyone knows what the stub ramps on Loop 303 here are for? There are quite a few sets of them randomly in the area. While I know 303 will get a proper interchange with I-17 sometime in the future, I still don't really know what these are for.

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7678464,-112.1417714,3519m/data=!3m1!1e3

[pderocco]

Anyone knows what the stub ramps on Loop 303 here are for? There are quite a few sets of them randomly in the area. While I know 303 will get a proper interchange with I-17 sometime in the future, I still don't really know what these are for.

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7678464,-112.1417714,3519m/data=!3m1!1e3

Looks like they're planning for various diamond interchanges along the loop to surface roads that will be built as the area gets developed. The entirety of CR-215 around Vegas was built this way.

[KeithE4Phx]

Anyone knows what the stub ramps on Loop 303 here are for? There are quite a few sets of them randomly in the area. While I know 303 will get a proper interchange with I-17 sometime in the future, I still don't really know what these are for.

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7678464,-112.1417714,3519m/data=!3m1!1e3

Looks like they're planning for various diamond interchanges along the loop to surface roads that will be built as the area gets developed. The entirety of CR-215 around Vegas was built this way.

Looks like there are extensions planned for 35th, 51st, and 67th Avenues at some time in the future, and the Loop 303 has been built accordingly.

[tsmatt13]

https://azdot.gov/projects/central-district-projects/loop-303-lake-pleasant-parkway-i-17-improvements

Found the Arizona DOT page addressing this project; it says the ramps will be for the 67th, 51st, and 43rd Avenues. Construction is actually set to begin in the autumn of this year.

[J N Winkler]

https://azdot.gov/projects/central-district-projects/loop-303-lake-pleasant-parkway-i-17-improvements

Found the Arizona DOT page addressing this project; it says the ramps will be for the 67th, 51st, and 43rd Avenues. Construction is actually set to begin in the autumn of this year.

ADOT has actually just advertised the contract for 43rd and 51st Avenues (TRACS number F042401C).

Edit:  Because of the form of phased construction ADOT has employed at these interchange locations, which routes current mainline Loop 303 traffic down what will eventually be the exit and entrance ramps, the traffic control is minimal and covers just seven sheets in a 643-page plans set.

[roadfro]

Anyone knows what the stub ramps on Loop 303 here are for? There are quite a few sets of them randomly in the area. While I know 303 will get a proper interchange with I-17 sometime in the future, I still don't really know what these are for.

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7678464,-112.1417714,3519m/data=!3m1!1e3

Looks like they're planning for various diamond interchanges along the loop to surface roads that will be built as the area gets developed. The entirety of CR-215 around Vegas was built this way.

Not the entirety of the Las Vegas Beltway was constructed this way.

The portion of CR-215 between the southern I-15 heading west and north to about Tropicana Avenue originally opened along what is now the frontage roads, and the freeway was eventually built in the middle. The portion of CR-215 between roughly Aliante Pkwy and the northern I-15 interchange was built more on the freeway alignment but temporarily diverted along the eventual on/off ramps at most of the interchanges to access the cross streets until the overpasses were constructed. Most of the rest of the beltway was constructed as actual freeway directly (including most of everything currently signed as I-215), or using some other interim measure.

[AzNate]

The brown Loop 202 signs have all been replaced.  At least I don't recall seeing any in several years.  I believe there are still one or two black Loop 303 signs still around, at least as of last year.  I try to avoid the 101 like the plague, so I have no idea if there are any blue signs left. 

I remember the last (badly faded) survivors of the brown Loop 202 shields were at Country Club (SR 87) and the Loop 202 Red Mountain in Mesa. Not sure if they are still there.

I don't believe they are, either on the freeway itself or on Country Club.

In any case, you'd think that ADOT would have learned its lesson from the 1950s & '60s, when all state and US highway signs were color coded, depending on the direction.  I remember seeing a lot of them fading by the time that was discontinued in the mid '60s.

https://www.arizonaroads.com/maps/1961-4.jpg

The group of button copy signs on Country Club south of the 202 was the last to have brown shields on them I believe. I can confirm they were basically completely faded for quite a few years before ADOT finally replaced them.

Last street view from 2019 before the shields were replaced:
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.4532583,-111.8396149,3a,75y,0.53h,95.02t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sAHO08KEoZaj6Vkw9JR286A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[roadman65]

I was noticing that I-17 on and old map by Enco, was not built over US 89 like you would think.  It appears US 89 had a more convoluted alignment between Phoenix and Flagstaff serving Prescott and then having an Alternate route to head back to I-17 of today.

US89 doubled back east along US 66 instead.


Also AZ 85 north of Gila Bend was also part of US 80 as I-8 replaced AZ 84 to Casa Grande. Though it's odd AZ 84 was not US 80 ALT or another X80 designation at the time I-8 was not part of history as I am sure it was used by cross country motorists as a de facto bypass of Phoenix back then.