Largest set of contracts awarded for Recovery Act projects
August 6, 2009
17 contracts include state’s biggest interstate project under ARRA
PHOENIX – In an effort to keep Recovery Act projects on the fast track to construction, the Arizona Transportation Board today awarded contracts to 17 highway projects statewide. The action raises the total number of Recovery Act projects now under contract to 41, nine of which are under construction.
The board held its regular monthly meeting today in Payson. Most of the bids for these 17 projects were well under estimates by the Arizona Department of Transportation, producing a considerable cost savings for additional stimulus work.
The state’s largest Recovery Act interstate highway project—the widening of I-10 from Sarival Avenue to Verrado Way—produced a cost savings of $7 million dollars when comparing the low bid to the state estimate. ADOT has seen a total of $26 million in cost savings to date. The cost savings are attributed to the current trend of low bids for projects due to the downturn in the economy, higher competition for projects, and a decrease in construction materials costs.
A total of 48 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects have now been advertised, gone through the bid process, or have been awarded contracts. Nine more have yet to be advertised. Some statewide ARRA projects include multiple projects listed under one heading, which accounts for the higher number of projects than the original list of 41. Additional ARRA projects are expected to move forward, due to the cost savings—providing for more improvements to the state highway system, while putting more Arizonans back to work.
The 17 ARRA projects that received contracts today are:
- I-10: Verrado Way to Sarival Avenue in Maricopa County (widening and other improvements)
- I-10: Picacho to Picacho Peak in Pinal County (widening to three lanes in each direction)
- I-10: Luzena to Bowie in Cochise County (repaving east of Willcox)
- I-40: West of Flagstaff in Coconino County (pavement sealing)
- I-40: West of Flagstaff in Coconino County (replacement of safety fence)
- I-40, SR 87, SR 264: in Apache and Coconino counties (pavement sealing in northeastern Arizona)
- SR 86: East of Why in Pima County (shoulder widening, turn lanes, and repaving)
- SR 86: Camino de Oeste in Pima County (traffic signal, intersection improvement, and repaving)
- SR 86: West of Tucson in Pima County (repaving 2.6-mile segment)
- SR 87: Payson to Pine (replacement of safety fence)
- US 93: Southbound Ranch Road in Mohave County (construction of divided highway)
- US 70: Eighth Avenue in Graham County (intersection improvements)
- SR 95: Peligro to Clarks in La Paz County (repaving and culvert lining)
- US 180: Holbrook to Petrified Forest Road in Navajo County (replacement of safety fence)
- SR 177, SR 288: in Pinal and Gila counties (pavement sealing in east-central Arizona)
- SR 277: East of Heber in Navajo County (pavement sealing)
- San Luis port of entry in Yuma County (intersection to provide access to new port of entry)
ADOT will receive an estimated $350 million in ARRA funds for highway projects around the state. Here’s how the funds will be distributed: Maricopa County will receive $130 million for five projects, Pima County will receive $46 million for eight projects, and the 13 other counties in Greater Arizona will receive $175 million for 28 projects.
For more information about ADOT’s ARRA projects, log on to www.azdot.gov/recovery.
