County Highway Projects Among First To Receive Stimulus Funding

By Tammy Gray-Searles
   Two projects in Navajo County are among the first 14 transportation projects slated to begin statewide using federal economic recovery funding.
   Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) officials announced March 25 that the 14 projects, at a total cost of $85.7 million, will go out to bid this week and be under way by early summer.
   The two projects included on the list in Navajo County are both repaving projects on State Route 160, with one project to be completed between Navajo Route 59 and Dennehotso at an estimated cost of $6 million, and the other between Kayenta and Navajo Route 59 at an estimated cost of $4.4 million.
   “These projects will both extend and create jobs in our vital construction industry, with impacts on other sectors of the economy,” Governor Jan Brewer noted in a press release. “This is a big economic boost that also provides Arizonans with much needed highway improvements. Much of this money quickly returns to local economies across the state, helping to provide the recovery we need. I have worked with my staff to ensure that Arizona is well prepared to move forward with this economic recovery program to advance our infrastructure upgrades and, hopefully, gain additional funding through this federal program.”
   Projects slated to start in neighboring counties include deck repairs on Black Creek Bridge along Interstate 40 in Apache County, at an estimated cost of $700,000; repaving of State Route 160 between US 89 and Van’s Trading Post in Coconino County, at an estimated cost of $4.1 million; repaving of US 60 from Timber Mountain to Seneca in Gila County, at an estimated cost of $5 million; and safety improvements on State Route 87 between Payson and Pine in Gila County, at an estimated cost of $8.6 million.
   The work on State Route 87 represents the largest expenditure outside of Maricopa County, with the largest project on the list expected to cost $43.2 million for widening Interstate 10 in Maricopa County between Sarival Avenue and Verrado Way.
   Remaining projects, not included in the list of 14 to begin this summer, must be completed within three years. The State Transportation Board has already approved all of the projects, and ADOT officials noted that they will be advertised for competitive bidding in the near future.
   Those projects in Navajo County include:
   * Spot repairs and maintenance in the Holbrook District, $2 million.
   * Pavement preservation on Highway 180 near the Petrified Forest, $615,000.
   * Enhancements on Highway 260 between Porter Mountain Road and Woodland Road, $481,000.
   In addition to the funds for roadwork, the board also approved $100,000 for a rural regional planning study for the White Mountain Apache Tribe and $100,000 for a transit planning study for the City of Winslow.
   The board previously approved additional projects in Apache County, including:
   * Retrofitting on Interstate 40 near Dead River Bridge at milepost 316, $280,000.
   * Pavement preservation on Highway 160 near Red Mesa and Teec Nos Pos, $6 million.
   * Improvements on Highway 160 near Teec Nos Pos, $600,000.
   * Pavement preservation near the junction of Highways 61 and 180, $2.7 million.
   * Pavement preservation on Highway 191 just south of Chinle, $5 million.
   * Construction of a passing lane on Highway 191 near Wide Ruins, $2.4 million.
   * Pavement preservation on Highway 191 at the Interstate 40 junction, $8.5 million.
   * Pavement preservation on Highway 260 near the Greer rodeo grounds, $7 million.
   “It takes a lot of teamwork to prepare these projects, get people back to work and reinvest in economies around the state, noted ADOT Interim Director John Halikowski. “There’s been a tremendous cooperation between ADOT, regional planning associations, local governments, the transportation board and the Federal Highway Administration in getting these vital improvements accelerated on the ‘Road to Recovery.’ Ultimately, all of us as Arizonans benefit from these improvements to our state transportation system.”