News:

Thank you for your patience during the Forum downtime while we upgraded the software. Welcome back and see this thread for some new features and other changes to the forum.

Main Menu

Interstate 11

Started by Interstate Trav, April 28, 2011, 12:58:30 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

sparker

^^^^^^^^^^^
Lithium is also used in psychiatric treatment as a mood stabilizer (a broad hint to get this thread back on track!).  And to reiterate what I stated earlier -- one lithium deposit isn't enough to get action going on an Interstate corridor up US 95 north of Winnemucca; it'll certainly take more regional growth than that -- so a micro-examination of lithium economics is pretty much a moot point for the purposes of this thread.  :rolleyes:


roadwaywiz95

For this upcoming weekend's Webinar presentation, we'll be taking a look at the freeway system in and around Phoenix, AZ, one of America's largest cities and a cultural crossroads of the nation. As part of this presentation, we'll be taking a look at the various plans/proposals for the future I-11 corridor across Arizona.

Coverage will begin on Saturday (5/9) at 6 PM ET and will feature live contributions from members of this forum; we hope to see you there!

Clinched Counties: http://www.mob-rule.com/user-gifs/USA/roadwaywiz.gif
Clinched Interstates & Other Highways: https://travelmapping.net/shields/clinched.php?units=miles&u=roadwaywiz

@roadwaywiz on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, Spreadshirt, and Discord

Also at http://www.gribblenation.org/

nexus73

Quote from: roadwaywiz95 on May 06, 2020, 08:03:11 AM
For this upcoming weekend's Webinar presentation, we'll be taking a look at the freeway system in and around Phoenix, AZ, one of America's largest cities and a cultural crossroads of the nation. As part of this presentation, we'll be taking a look at the various plans/proposals for the future I-11 corridor across Arizona.

Coverage will begin on Saturday (5/9) at 6 PM ET and will feature live contributions from members of this forum; we hope to see you there!



Not being familiar with Arizona signing practices, why is Loop 101 blue while Loop 202 is brown?

Rick
US 101 is THE backbone of the Pacific coast from Bandon OR to Willits CA.  Industry, tourism and local traffic would be gone or severely crippled without it being in functioning condition in BOTH states.

Occidental Tourist

Quote from: nexus73 on May 06, 2020, 09:39:08 PM
Quote from: roadwaywiz95 on May 06, 2020, 08:03:11 AM
For this upcoming weekend's Webinar presentation, we'll be taking a look at the freeway system in and around Phoenix, AZ, one of America's largest cities and a cultural crossroads of the nation. As part of this presentation, we'll be taking a look at the various plans/proposals for the future I-11 corridor across Arizona.

Coverage will begin on Saturday (5/9) at 6 PM ET and will feature live contributions from members of this forum; we hope to see you there!



Not being familiar with Arizona signing practices, why is Loop 101 blue while Loop 202 is brown?

Rick
They're not anymore, but when the first loop freeways were completed they were signed with different colored shields for each loop, as a distinguishing characteristic from each other and other AZ routes.  ADOT abandoned this at some point.

sparker

Quote from: Occidental Tourist on May 07, 2020, 02:18:58 AM
Quote from: nexus73 on May 06, 2020, 09:39:08 PM
Quote from: roadwaywiz95 on May 06, 2020, 08:03:11 AM
For this upcoming weekend's Webinar presentation, we'll be taking a look at the freeway system in and around Phoenix, AZ, one of America's largest cities and a cultural crossroads of the nation. As part of this presentation, we'll be taking a look at the various plans/proposals for the future I-11 corridor across Arizona.

Coverage will begin on Saturday (5/9) at 6 PM ET and will feature live contributions from members of this forum; we hope to see you there!



Not being familiar with Arizona signing practices, why is Loop 101 blue while Loop 202 is brown?

Rick
They're not anymore, but when the first loop freeways were completed they were signed with different colored shields for each loop, as a distinguishing characteristic from each other and other AZ routes.  ADOT abandoned this at some point.

Which was a reiteration or "holdover" from the days in the '50's and '60's when US routes were signed with different colors for (a) each route and (b) each direction per route.  I saw this on my first cross-country trip with my parents back in 1960; my dad didn't know what was going on, so I wrote ADOT (or whatever their predecessor was called) when I got back home and received the answer in a few weeks.  Fun stuff for a 10-year-old!  A few years later I actually called CA's DOH D7 after seeing my first green state highway shield -- wondering why they chose that color.  My best guess was that they didn't want to change any more state shields on BGS's to black-on-white, and that the green would allow them to continue using the white outline on a green background on Interstate highways -- and was surprised to find out I was at least partially correct -- but they claimed the new signs were also easier to see at night (when I started driving, this actually became evident!). 

KeithE4Phx

Quote from: sparker on May 07, 2020, 02:43:31 AM
Quote from: Occidental Tourist on May 07, 2020, 02:18:58 AM
Quote from: nexus73 on May 06, 2020, 09:39:08 PM
Quote from: roadwaywiz95 on May 06, 2020, 08:03:11 AM
For this upcoming weekend's Webinar presentation, we'll be taking a look at the freeway system in and around Phoenix, AZ, one of America's largest cities and a cultural crossroads of the nation. As part of this presentation, we'll be taking a look at the various plans/proposals for the future I-11 corridor across Arizona.

Coverage will begin on Saturday (5/9) at 6 PM ET and will feature live contributions from members of this forum; we hope to see you there!


Not being familiar with Arizona signing practices, why is Loop 101 blue while Loop 202 is brown?

Rick

They're not anymore, but when the first loop freeways were completed they were signed with different colored shields for each loop, as a distinguishing characteristic from each other and other AZ routes.  ADOT abandoned this at some point.

Which was a reiteration or "holdover" from the days in the '50's and '60's when US routes were signed with different colors for (a) each route and (b) each direction per route.  I saw this on my first cross-country trip with my parents back in 1960; my dad didn't know what was going on, so I wrote ADOT (or whatever their predecessor was called) when I got back home and received the answer in a few weeks.  Fun stuff for a 10-year-old!  A few years later I actually called CA's DOH D7 after seeing my first green state highway shield -- wondering why they chose that color.  My best guess was that they didn't want to change any more state shields on BGS's to black-on-white, and that the green would allow them to continue using the white outline on a green background on Interstate highways -- and was surprised to find out I was at least partially correct -- but they claimed the new signs were also easier to see at night (when I started driving, this actually became evident!).

The change from colored Loop signs to standard black and white began about 20 years ago.  The problem was that the colors would fade a few years after putting them up, resulting in many expensive sign replacements.

The Arizona color scheme was unique, AFAIK.  The colors were orange (north), green (south), brown (east), and blue (west).  Originally, in the '50s, the body of the sign was color and the numbers & the word "ARIZONA" were white. By 1961 (the first time I saw these signs), the body of the sign was in color, the lettering was in black, and the body of the state or US shield was white.

Diagonal highways used a combination of both north/south and east/west, depending on the highway.  For example, Grand Ave. in the NW Valley between Phoenix and Wickenburg was signed East/West (brown/blue) US 60 & 70, while US 89 and AZ 93 were signed North/South (orange/green).

I forget the exact year that the color signs went away, but I believe it was sometime in the late 1960s.  They were never used on any freeway exit signs that I remember.
"Oh, so you hate your job? Well, why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called "EVERYBODY!" They meet at the bar." -- Drew Carey

splashflash

#1256
Quote from: sparker on December 11, 2019, 09:47:52 PM
Quote from: splashflash on December 11, 2019, 07:41:48 PM
Quote from: sparker on July 29, 2019, 03:33:18 AM
Quote from: X99 on July 28, 2019, 11:23:57 PM
What's the latest progress on the Vegas-Kingman section of I-11?

Bupkus so far.   Still waiting for ADOT to finalize a decision about a Kingman connection to I-40; so far the front-runner is a close-in western bypass of the Beale St. commercial zone, with a I-40 interchange about a mile or so west of the current 40/93/Beale interchange.  The only existing fully limited access portion of the corridor except for the approach to the Colorado River bridge is the interchange with AZ 68 a couple of miles NW of Kingman; that section was extended about 3/4 mile toward town when the state truck-inspection facility was built adjacent to the interchange a year or so ago.


UPDATE

The study is scheduled for completion in early 2020. The findings of this study will be incorporated into the preferred alignment, and ADOT will advance the project into the final design phase.

ADOT held community open house meetings during the summer of 2019, and will conduct similar meetings to update the public on the study in early 2020. ADOT and FHWA will present the results of the study -, including the investigated alternatives and the recommended alternative, during a public hearing in spring/summer 2020.

Phase 1 of this project, which will create a new TI on westbound I-40 to northbound US 93 and southbound US 93 to eastbound I-40, is currently scheduled for construction in ADOT’s 2024 fiscal year.

https://azdot.gov/planning/transportation-studies/interstate-40-us-93-system-traffic-interchange-study

That's quite a bit sooner than a lot of us anticipated for this project; looks like the I-40-to-Vegas virtual "SIU" is well up ADOT's priority list.   Since most of the remainder will in all likelihood be an upgrade of the existing expressway, it'll be interesting to see the timeframe projected for the rest of that portion of US 93 -- and whether that'll be similar to that of the bypass itself.

https://azdot.gov/projects/northwest-district-projects/us-93-i-40-west-kingman-traffic-interchange-project

https://azdot.gov/sites/default/files/media/2020/05/West-Kingman-TI-Newspaper-Ad.pdf



Public client is occuring for the next month on the US 93 Kingman interchange.  Looks like the former option B, and now Option D3, with only south to east and west to north ramps.  Beale  will remain the east to north and south to west flows, keeping those fuelling stations quiet while reducing costs for ADOT.

sparker

^^^^^^^^^^^
Not at all surprised by the limitations to the project, supplying only the direction of primary traffic flow rather than all options at once.  ADOT, like all agencies, will be facing funding shortages for years to come -- and since they want to start in 2023-24 on this, that won't in all likelihood be sufficient time to get the full funding stream back on line.  At least they'll satisfy -- albiet minimally -- the basic requirements for I-11 continuity.  But it looks like the routing options are down to two -- the ones closest (on either side) to the existing Beale interchange.  At least the process is moving forward despite the current atmosphere -- always a positive sign!

Bobby5280

#1258
IIRC, the "D" option has the shortest length and runs into I-40 just East of the existing US-93 interchange. IMHO, that would be the best choice. The "B" option would overshoot the existing US-93 interchange, forcing Vegas-Phoenix traffic to go even farther out of the way. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the option the businesses along Beale would prefer, other than no freeway connection being built at all.

Aside from the I-11 connection ADOT ultimately chooses to build hopefully they and the town of Kingman will at least take steps to keep ROW open for the other two freeway to freeway connection ramps to be built later.

The vast majority of the traffic will be using the South to East and West to North ramps regardless. The much smaller amount of E>N & S>W traffic will be able to use Beale as a temporary Breezewood connection between I-40 & I-11 until the E>N & S>W freeway to freeway connection ramps are built.

Plutonic Panda

I hope they build direct connect flyovers for the Kingman I-11/I-40 connections.

sparker

Quote from: Bobby5280 on May 08, 2020, 01:29:58 PM
IIRC, the "D" option has the shortest length and runs into I-40 just East of the existing US-93 interchange. IMHO, that would be the most best choice. The "B" option would overshoot the existnig US-93 interchange, forcing Vegas-Phoenix traffic to go even farther out of the way. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the option the businesses along Beale would prefer, other than no freeway connection being built at all.

Aside from the I-11 connection ADOT ultimately chooses to build hopefully they and the town of Kingman will at least take steps to keep ROW open for the other two freeway to freeway connection ramps to be built later.

The vast majority of the traffic will be using the South to East and West to North ramps regardless. The much smaller amount of E>N & S>W traffic will be able to use Beale as a temporary Breezewood connection between I-40 & I-11 until the E>N & S>W freeway to freeway connection ramps are built.

ADOT will likely purchase any necessary ROW for all directional ramps so that they can be constructed at a later time.  Both potential interchange locations have few intervening structures deployed in their respective affected areas (although the more direct east option will likely require some acquisition of such).  Neither will be a "cakewalk" in terms of construction; the easterly option will have to scrape away part of a hillside above Beale, while the latter must traverse a choppy topography with gullies and cliffs with which to contend (but less in the way of buildings -- which is likely why it made the final selection "cut").  Also, the ramps (in both construction phases) of the eastern option will be much more visible from downtown than with its western counterpart; and maintaining the "Old 66" western motif as part of the tourism aspect of the town's economy may well be better served by keeping any sweeping overhead ramp structures out of sight and out of mind -- and the western option is tucked away while the eastern option sits right on the hillside above downtown.  I guess the decision will have to come in short order in order for ADOT to realistically project a 2023 start date, so we'll soon see where the priorities stack up.   

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on May 08, 2020, 02:06:00 PM
I hope they build direct connect flyovers for the Kingman I-11/I-40 connections.

That was essentially the point of the article -- S>E and W>N direct connectors, the ones to be used with through I-11 traffic, will be constructed initially, with the remaining (E>N & S>W) coming later at a time yet TBD. 

Plutonic Panda

This timeline is too far out. Phase one won't start for another 3 1/2 years. It should be starting next year.

mvak36

Quote from: Bobby5280 on May 08, 2020, 01:29:58 PM
IIRC, the "D" option has the shortest length and runs into I-40 just East of the existing US-93 interchange. IMHO, that would be the most best choice. The "B" option would overshoot the existnig US-93 interchange, forcing Vegas-Phoenix traffic to go even farther out of the way. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the option the businesses along Beale would prefer, other than no freeway connection being built at all.

Aside from the I-11 connection ADOT ultimately chooses to build hopefully they and the town of Kingman will at least take steps to keep ROW open for the other two freeway to freeway connection ramps to be built later.

The vast majority of the traffic will be using the South to East and West to North ramps regardless. The much smaller amount of E>N & S>W traffic will be able to use Beale as a temporary Breezewood connection between I-40 & I-11 until the E>N & S>W freeway to freeway connection ramps are built.

I am not sure if I am looking at it correctly, but the D3 alignment (formerly B as mentioned upthread) looks like it will be North of the Beale St interchange/further east on I-40. So it looks like people coming from west of Kingman on 40 will overshoot the current US93 interchange and not the traffic from Phoenix.
https://azdot.gov/sites/default/files/media/2020/05/H7993-West-KingmanTI-Draft-EA.pdf
Counties: Counties visited
Travel Mapping: Summary

sparker

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on May 08, 2020, 02:29:24 PM
This timeline is too far out. Phase one won't start for another 3 1/2 years. It should be starting next year.

Projects such as this are pre-planned within state STIP's -- which distribute funding over a given timeframe (in CA it's 6 years) so projects can be undertaken all around the state.  Even cut down by half, this is still a major -- and expensive -- project.  Given the glacial pace of such things nationwide -- and the likely near-term funding shortfall as a result of the COVID problem -- the fact that it's starting in 2023-24 is in itself a minor miracle! 

Exit58

I'm expecting I-11, at least the portion south of I-10, to be put on ice for the time being due to the economic fallout. A friend down in Maricopa said their Mayor there recently took to Facebook to tell denizens that the widening of the only route into and out of town, SR 347, was most likely going to be put on ice as ADOT expects the budget to shrink and is already planning to cancel projects and give grant money back to the feds. He cited the rarity of an instance like that as proof for the severity of budget issues ADOT is expecting in the future.

Also calls in to question the SR 30 and SR 303 extension projects. Watch the poor 303 get canceled again.

DJStephens

#1265
Appears as if both D3, and J3 are being designed to be largely "out of city limits" while D1 is largely inside.  Any reasoning for that?   Future tax base preservation for "projected" development within city limits, perhaps?   

sparker

Quote from: DJStephens on May 25, 2020, 04:42:38 PM
Appears as if both D3, and J3 are being designed to be largely "out of city limits" while D1 is largely inside.  Any reasoning for that?   Future tax base preservation for "projected" development within city limits, perhaps?   

D1 is a different "bird" than the others, as it provides the shortest/most direct link between the rural part of northward US 93/I-11 and I-40.  Since that one would have to be carved out of the hill behind Beale Street, it's probably not going to be the locale for many roadside businesses -- or be the site of residential development either.  Regarding the others -- maybe someone can enlighten us regarding AZ policies/laws regarding an incorporated city's ability to annex adjoining unincorporated territory.  If the terrain around any of the remaining route options is amenable to commercial development, it will be.  But such development might well be delayed a bit, since the initial interchange plans are only partial movements, with the remainder relegated to the present Beale facility for the time being, ostensibly with signage designating that street as the connector from EB I-40 to NB I-11 and vice-versa.  The Beale auto-service businesses next to the current interchange have been there for over 4 decades; they're not going to go away, especially since they're the most efficient "emergency" or "time-sensitive" facilities along the I-40 corridor between Barstow and Flagstaff; with US 93 from Vegas supplying some additional potential -- and I-11, when significantly completed at least to the NV line, should at least maintain the status quo if not adding a bit more (the marginal secondary-move traffic remaining on Beale should only provide an insignificant impact). 

sparker

Aaaaaand -- D1 it is!  ADOT just received the EIS approval for that interchange configuration; construction is scheduled to begin in late 2023 or early 2024.  The ADOT announcement and documentation can be found at:
https://azdot.gov/projects/northwest-district-projects/us-93-i-40-west-kingman-traffic-interchange-project

Wonder if they'll start doing spot improvements on US 93 between Kingman and the NV state line in the interim.  For the most part, it seems like a much easier and straightforward job than between Wickenburg and Kingman -- especially regarding how to address Wikieup without turning it into a ghost town!

sprjus4

^

According to their project map, US-93 will become I-40  :bigass:

Sub-Urbanite

Time for some I-11 business routes!

qguy


sparker

Quote from: qguy on July 29, 2020, 03:15:52 PM
Quote from: sparker on July 29, 2020, 03:43:40 AM
D1 it is!

Don't you mean D3?

Yeah, that's right; my error.  Looks like they're going to avoid the "backyard" of those Beale businesses by arcing out further up the hill.  Reasonable, seeing as how those auto-related businesses provide a significant portion of Kingman's revenue stream.  It's also easy to see the logic -- albeit prompted by limited available funds -- behind completing the SB>EB and WB>NB connectors initially; there probably isn't substantial long-distance traffic heading east on I-40 that would have cause to turn north on US 93/I-11; the inverse is likely true -- both being obviated by the presence of US 95 as a much more efficient route.  Better to allocate funds to getting more of I-11 built, including revamping the east I-40/US 93 interchange to a higher-capacity free-flowing configuration to accommodate I-11 traffic. 

rte66man

Quote from: sparker on July 29, 2020, 08:09:07 PM
Quote from: qguy on July 29, 2020, 03:15:52 PM
Quote from: sparker on July 29, 2020, 03:43:40 AM
D1 it is!

Don't you mean D3?

Yeah, that's right; my error.  Looks like they're going to avoid the "backyard" of those Beale businesses by arcing out further up the hill.  Reasonable, seeing as how those auto-related businesses provide a significant portion of Kingman's revenue stream.  It's also easy to see the logic -- albeit prompted by limited available funds -- behind completing the SB>EB and WB>NB connectors initially; there probably isn't substantial long-distance traffic heading east on I-40 that would have cause to turn north on US 93/I-11; the inverse is likely true -- both being obviated by the presence of US 95 as a much more efficient route.  Better to allocate funds to getting more of I-11 built, including revamping the east I-40/US 93 interchange to a higher-capacity free-flowing configuration to accommodate I-11 traffic. 

I knew AZDOT was improving the US93 corridor but wasn't aware improvements to the east I40/US93 interchange were even on the radar.
When you come to a fork in the road... TAKE IT.

                                                               -Yogi Berra

sparker

Quote from: rte66man on July 30, 2020, 06:41:25 PM
Quote from: sparker on July 29, 2020, 08:09:07 PM
Quote from: qguy on July 29, 2020, 03:15:52 PM
Quote from: sparker on July 29, 2020, 03:43:40 AM
D1 it is!

Don't you mean D3?

Yeah, that's right; my error.  Looks like they're going to avoid the "backyard" of those Beale businesses by arcing out further up the hill.  Reasonable, seeing as how those auto-related businesses provide a significant portion of Kingman's revenue stream.  It's also easy to see the logic -- albeit prompted by limited available funds -- behind completing the SB>EB and WB>NB connectors initially; there probably isn't substantial long-distance traffic heading east on I-40 that would have cause to turn north on US 93/I-11; the inverse is likely true -- both being obviated by the presence of US 95 as a much more efficient route.  Better to allocate funds to getting more of I-11 built, including revamping the east I-40/US 93 interchange to a higher-capacity free-flowing configuration to accommodate I-11 traffic. 

I knew AZDOT was improving the US93 corridor but wasn't aware improvements to the east I40/US93 interchange were even on the radar.

They probably aren't even programmed right now -- but if the I-11 project proceeds at a reasonable pace, it soon will be on the proverbial radar.  Right now it's a conventional surface-road trumpet with a local access point right on the curve north of the overcrossing.  A trumpet might still work for a permanent interchange, since there will be limited traffic in the "oblique" direction (NB>EB/WB>SB), but the "direct" ramps will need to be high-speed enough to qualify as a system interchange; I've used that interchange and it will require replacement.  Local access can be moved to somewhere on either direction of I-40 or a bit south on I-11.  My preference would be for a standard semi-directional "T", but economics may dictate otherwise.  And since the divided portion of US 93 south of there ends about a mile and a half south of the interchange, it's likely that the completion of that upgrade will be done concurrently with the I-40 interchange. 

kdk

Glad to see this moving forward.  I drive between Las Vegas and Phoenix about once per month and over the past 2 years the biggest bottleneck on the route now is the I-40/93 interchange.
Typically on weekends they will have a portable sign on WB I-40 warning of backups before the interchange due to high traffic volumes.  The SB 93 approaching the stoplight can back up for over a mile often now, even with the improved timing of the stoplight due to the amount of truck traffic.  Tour bus traffic (mainly between LV and the GC)  was adding to conjestion and while that's down a bit now will come back eventually.

As for Kingman concerned about the business along 93 north of 40, they have been planning that for a while.  The city has been focused on the new Kingman Crossing interchange and the planned development around it.  Last update shows completion late spring of 2022.  It's about 3 miles east of the Andy Devine interchange, and lines up with the hospital on the north side.  There's a major retail project planned along with this, and should more than offset lost business on the old 93 route.



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.