Getting There: Ariz.’s freeways earn high marks

There’s an upside to the Valley’s long wait before constructing freeways: Our road networks look great compared to the rest of the nation.

A libertarian think tank’s recent study gave Arizona high marks for the good condition of its interstates, both in the cities and in rural areas. None of our interstate miles were judged to be poor, according to the Reason Foundation.

Click to view a map road work in the Valley

In addition, Arizona is the second-best state in terms of deficient bridges and 15th for urban interstate congestion.

Despite those high marks, Arizona ranked only 26th in overall performance and cost-effectiveness.

Why is that? Perhaps it was the state’s abysmal ranking for fatality rates per 100 million vehicle miles traveled: 48th.

Apparently, the roads here are safe but the drivers are not.

For the record, North Dakota does the best job maintaining its roads and bridges while New Jersey has the worst-performing, least cost-effective highway system in the nation. Massachusetts’ roads are the safest;

Montana’s are the deadliest.

The full study can be found at http://reason.org/ps369.

CHANDLER NOISE HEARING

Noise at Chandler Municipal Airport is the topic of an open house public workshop scheduled for Tuesday night.

Residents can learn about the Federal Aviation Administration’s process to study noise and the analyses completed to date.

Also available for review will be maps with contour lines showing differing noise levels. The maps are developed based on aircraft operations occurring today, as well as predictions on operations at least five and 20 years in the future.

Based on public input and additional technical analysis, the noise exposure maps will be further refined and submitted to the city and the FAA for acceptance.

The workshop will be in the Cotton Room of the Tumbleweed Recreation Center, 745 E. Germann Road. The open house begins at 6 p.m., with a presentation scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

For information, visit www.wilbursmith.com/chandlerpart150 or call (480) 782-3540.

NEWER ASPHALT EASIER TO INSTALL

Ultrathin bonded wearing course. Say what? It’s just a long name for a type of asphalt.

But it’s a newer material used by Gilbert that’s saving money and getting more life and wear out of town roads.

Gilbert has been using the paving material for nearly five years, town spokesman Garin Groff said. Officials decided to switch because it has a number of benefits.

While the cost of the material is more than standard asphalt, officials said it’s cost-effective because it can take more wear over time.

“It can buy time and can sometimes save five, 10 or 15 years for a road instead of having to rebuild,” Groff said.

When crews lay a new layer of standard asphalt on top of existing pavement, they have to grind down several inches of existing road, and the cracks tend to transfer to the new asphalt quickly.

But the new material requires significantly less prep work and has a thin layer of rubber placed beneath the new pavement to absorb previous faults.

It’s also quicker to install and repair, shortening road closures and saving drivers frustration.

So far, the material has been used only on major roads.

But the town may begin using it on residential streets later this year.

CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS

• Traffic will be restricted on Ocotillo Road from Hawes to Ellsworth Loop roads as work continues on the widening of Ocotillo. Traffic will be shifted south.

• Queen Creek Road remains closed between Arizona Avenue and McQueen Road while crews install underground utilities and complete construction on making Queen Creek six lanes.

• Lane restrictions on Chandler Heights Road will remain in place through the end of the month between Higley and Greenfield roads.

• Ellsworth Road north of Rittenhouse Road has been closed as crews complete roadwork. Access to Queen Creek and Ellsworth Loop roads will be blocked for about two weeks.

• Power Road will be closed from Pecos Avenue to the Union Pacific Railroad until Aug. 20 for roadwork.

• There will be lane restrictions the rest of this month on Riggs Road from Val Vista Drive to Lindsay Road.