SignalsAZ.com Prescott News Podcast - Arizona Highways Set for Major Upgrades This Year
Episode Date: January 22, 2026Send us a text and chime in!In addition to prioritizing affordability and protecting Arizona’s quality of life, Governor Katie Hobbs’ Executive Budget proposal includes strategic transportation in...vestments that safeguard Arizona’s investment in state highways, enhance safety, and help rural communities. The Executive Budget includes an ongoing investment of .2 million from the State Highway Fund to address increased construction materials prices and extend the life of highway infrastructure to prevent more costly repairs in the future. It also includes .4 million from the State Highway Fund to meet baseline needs for 487.5 new lane miles statewide, many of them added by the Interstate 10 Broadway Curve... For the written story, read here >> https://www.signalsaz.com/articles/arizona-highways-set-for-major-upgrades-this-year/Check out the CAST11.com Website at: https://CAST11.com Follow the CAST11 Podcast Network on Facebook at: https://Facebook.com/CAST11AZFollow Cast11 Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/cast11_podcast_network
Transcript
Discussion (0)
Text to Speech audio articles made possible on the Cast11.com podcast network by Fane Signature Group.
In addition to prioritizing affordability and protecting Arizona's quality of life,
Governor Katie Hobbs' executive budget proposal includes strategic transportation investments
that safeguard Arizona's investment in state highways, enhance safety, and help rural communities.
The executive budget includes an ongoing investment of $5.2 million from the state highway fund
to address increased construction materials prices and extend the life of,
highway infrastructure to prevent more costly repairs in the future. It also includes $11.4 million
from the state highway fund to meet baseline needs for 487.5 new lane miles statewide, many of them
added by the Interstate 10 Broadway Curb project, as well as the new Interstate 17 flex lanes
in the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway. This reasonable and responsible budget proposal benefits Arizona
families by helping ADOT maintain a transportation system that safely connects people and empowers
the economy, ADOT Director Jennifer Toth said. Among other transportation priorities, the executive
budget includes a one-time deposit of $10 million from the general fund to the state match advantage
for rural transportation, smart, fund administered by ADOT. This program helps ensure that municipalities
and counties in greater Arizona are competitive when seeking federal transportation grants.
It helps cover the cost of developing and submitting grant proposals and reimburses matching funds
required for grants, as well as design and engineering services expenses associated with grant
proposals. Created in fiscal year 2023, the smart fund has awarded $55.2 million in state funds that have
allowed rural communities to leverage $174.6 million in competitive transportation grants. These include
$4.4 million for a new connector road to support the new commercial port of entry coming to Douglas,
$3.3 million for the Ruby Road Bridge over Petrero Creek in Santa Cruz County, and $3.7 million
for a U.S. 89 flood mitigation project in Coconino County.
ADOT is responsible for planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating the state's
highway transportation system, which includes more than 7,000 miles of interstates, freeways
and principal arterial roadways and more than 8,500 bridges.
The department also provides driver license and registration services, is responsible for
commercial vehicle enforcement and registration compliance, operates the Grand Canyon National Park Airport
and maintains the state fleet. For more information on ADOT, please visit Ozdot.gov. Catch up with more
local news stories on signalsaz.com. Subscribe and be the F1 RSD 2-No.
