Arizona

[Plutonic Panda]

The debate on an incredibly important funding mechanism, prop. 400, continues. Hopefully it gets worked out soon.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-traffic/2023/06/05/maricopa-county-highway-public-transit-prop-400/70219820007/

[Max Rockatansky]

I recently drove the South Mountain Freeway this past April.  I finally got around to uploading something for it on Gribblenation.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2023/06/the-south-mountain-freeway-corridor-of.html

[ethanhopkin14]

I just drove I-10 across Arizona on 7/4/2023.  The shocks blew on my motorhome, so it made the trip worse, but that being said, I-10 between the Colorado River and Phoenix is in bad shape. 

[Max Rockatansky]

The surface quality on much of the state highway system in general is rough nowadays.  That rubberized asphalt aggregate that ADOT went big in on when I was moving away isn't holding up.  US 93 in particular had some monster potholes with surprising frequency. 

[ethanhopkin14]

The surface quality on much of the state highway system in general is rough nowadays.  That rubberized asphalt aggregate that ADOT went big in on when I was moving away isn't holding up.  US 93 in particular had some monster potholes with surprising frequency.

Is it desert soil and monsoon weather related or is it heat related?

[Max Rockatansky]

The surface quality on much of the state highway system in general is rough nowadays.  That rubberized asphalt aggregate that ADOT went big in on when I was moving away isn't holding up.  US 93 in particular had some monster potholes with surprising frequency.

Is it desert soil and monsoon weather related or is it heat related?

From what I recall the first year it was laid down the heat was a huge issue causing it crumble and chunk up into marbles (especially on AZ 101).  I can't fathom that likely bodes well for long term maintenance given the heat coupled with heavy loads over a decade.

[ethanhopkin14]

The surface quality on much of the state highway system in general is rough nowadays.  That rubberized asphalt aggregate that ADOT went big in on when I was moving away isn't holding up.  US 93 in particular had some monster potholes with surprising frequency.

Is it desert soil and monsoon weather related or is it heat related?

From what I recall the first year it was laid down the heat was a huge issue causing it crumble and chunk up into marbles (especially on AZ 101).  I can't fathom that likely bodes well for long term maintenance given the heat coupled with heavy loads over a decade.

Add US-191 in the northeastern quadrant of the state on the Navajo Lands to that list. 

[JKRhodes]

Much of the US 60 Superstition Freeway has had its rubberized asphalt layer ground off and returned to a concrete surface. The original concrete finish had long grooves and was quite loud, but the new milled pattern is much quieter. It's also possible to see the original three lane layout and remnants of the original pre-2002 striping now that the rubberized friction course has been removed. New lane dividers are half white, half black like you would see in Florida.

[Plutonic Panda]

I think Arizona is going back to concrete. That's my one gripe about Phoenix freeways is the blacktop. I hate that with a passion. I love nice concrete.

[JKRhodes]

Rubberized asphalt was wonderful when it was a fresh install, smooth and quiet, and good grip, but unfortunately it tended to break down especially when exposed to sand or dirt. I also remember portions of loop 202 in East Phoenix/North Tempe having horrendous gaps in the ARFC at concrete joints, such that for 1-2 miles drivers were subjected to a constant "thud thud thud."  

Glad we tried it, but also glad we're reverting.

[Sonic99]

Rubberized asphalt was wonderful when it was a fresh install, smooth and quiet, and good grip, but unfortunately it tended to break down especially when exposed to sand or dirt. I also remember portions of loop 202 in East Phoenix/North Tempe having horrendous gaps in the ARFC at concrete joints, such that for 1-2 miles drivers were subjected to a constant "thud thud thud."  

Glad we tried it, but also glad we're reverting.

All the more perplexing as to why they're putting down fresh rubberized asphalt on parts of I-10 on the Broadway Curve project.

[kernals12]

Prop 400 extension passes the legislature!

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/legislature/2023/07/31/maricopa-county-voters-to-decide-on-extending-half-cent-transportation-sales-tax/70499976007/

[JKRhodes]

Downtown Links, dubbed Maclovio Barraza Parkway, opened up between Broadway and 6th Street earlier this year.

Rectangular tubing gantry was replaced with pipe gantry for signal heads on Broadway. No lefts from eastbound Broadway to westbound Maclovio.

Maclovio/AZ 210 approaches complete with Mast arm assemblies on both near and far sides. Looks like something out of sim-city:

https://goo.gl/maps/np7X99oDxtdQd76V6

6th street, once complete, will have benefit of better visibility from Stone Ave, and right lane not dipping into RR underpass approach.

[JKRhodes]

Just stumbled across ADOT's rendering of future upper decking of Indian School Road over I-17. Appears Indian School will have texas style u-turns before it intersects with the I-17 frontage roads:



https://www.flickr.com/photos/arizonadot/sets/72157705482278811/

[Plutonic Panda]

That has to be one of the weirdest renderings I've ever seen for a freeway project.

[The Ghostbuster]

It makes it look like the roadway makes sharp turns both to the right and to the left. Couldn't the DOT have designed the pictures to have the roads go straight instead of curving it cockeyed?

[Sonic99]

If you click on each picture, they're all 3D animations you can use your mouse to look around. In still-form it looks odd but when you click on each of them they render correctly.

[SSR_317]

The surface quality on much of the state highway system in general is rough nowadays.  That rubberized asphalt aggregate that ADOT went big in on when I was moving away isn't holding up.  US 93 in particular had some monster potholes with surprising frequency.

Is it desert soil and monsoon weather related or is it heat related?

From what I recall the first year it was laid down the heat was a huge issue causing it crumble and chunk up into marbles (especially on AZ 101).  I can't fathom that likely bodes well for long term maintenance given the heat coupled with heavy loads over a decade.

Damn, they should've gone with the primary (black) tires (rubber) rather than the alternate (red) ones! {INDYCAR reference for those of you wondering what the hell I'm talking about}

Seriously, I remember similar problems back in 1967 with the road that became US 93 (then US 466) between Hoover Dam & Kingman due to the desert soils. Being Midwesterners, my dad was unaware of the situation with that particular roadway and we stopped to get our tires balanced in Kingman thinking that was the cause of the very rough ride (of course the locals didn't seem to mind selling us something we likely didn't need).

[Plutonic Panda]

ADOT is recommending 34 million to be spent to reopen a section of AZ-88(Apache Trail) that was washed out back in 2019. Currently no solid funding has been identified.

https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/sqlstate40001-serialization-failure-1213-deadlock-found-when-trying-to-get-lock-try-restarting-transactionadot-recommends-34m-in-improvements-on-sr-88/62844

[Plutonic Panda]

ADOT approved the 25 year plan: https://www.azfamily.com/2023/10/20/adot-approves-25-year-transportation-plan/

[The Ghostbuster]

Does anyone know where the 25-year plan can be accessed? I would like to learn more about what they plan on doing in Arizona through 2050.

[Plutonic Panda]

Does anyone know where the 25-year plan can be accessed? I would like to learn more about what they plan on doing in Arizona through 2050.

https://adot2050plan.com/

[machias]

The new effort to keep trucks in the right lane only along I-10, roughly between Casa Grande and Loop 202, doesn't seem to be going well. I've driven that stretch several times in the past month and a lot of commercial vehicles are either ignoring the signs or just disregarding them.

I sent an email to ADOT suggesting the "TRUCKS RIGHT LANE ONLY" reminder signs be installed on the left side of the carriageway in addition to the right side installations.

I know the trucks right lane only regulation through this stretch is fairly new, but I don't know if they're doing anything with serious enforcement.

I really look forward to that stretch being widened to three lanes in each direction. There was talk about it around a year ago but the subject has gone quiet lately.

[Max Rockatansky]

It won't mean much unless DPS tries to enforce it.  Problem is that the segment is so over capacity that something like that won't be easy to do given much traffic there is.

[kernals12]

Why do the roads serving Sky Harbor Airport cross over like this?

My hypothesis is that they want the parking garage to be accessible with right-hand ramps. Any other theories?