A major rebuilding project on an Arizona roadway has received an award from an industry publication, and another project south of Phoenix has been awarded a federal grant, the Arizona Department of Transportation announced recently.
The nine-month process of rebuilding a damaged section of U.S. Route 89 between Page and Bitter Springs received the 2015 Project of the Year award from Engineering News-Record Southwest. ADOT shared the honor with its contractors, FNF Construction and AECOM. The awards are judged by construction industry professionals from across the country.
The roadway buckled in February 2013 following a landslide. Starting in July 2014, crews had to remove 1 million cubic yards of earth and rock to realign a 1,500-foot section of the highway and stabilize the area. The road reopened in March, a few months ahead of schedule, so if you've got a craving for Blue Buddha Sushi Lounge, you'll have an easy drive to get to Page.
In other news, ADOT announced it received a $15 million federal grant toward constructing a railroad overpass on State Route 347 in Maricopa.
More than 60 Union Pacific Railroad trains pass through Maricopa daily, leaving SR 347 — the only direct route between Maricopa and Phoenix — heavily congested at times. ADOT Director John Halikowski said increasing traffic volume and population growth in Maricopa make the $55 million project a priority. It's slated to be built in 2020.
The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant was among about $500 million in grants authorized nationally by the U.S. Department of Transportation, out of more than $10 billion requested in grant applications.