FNF Construction recently finished the repaving of 21 mi. of Arizona State Route 90 near the city of Sierra Vista in Cochise County, with crews completing the final striping along with other punch-list items.

The road has two lanes in each direction with shoulders. Approximately 15,000-18,000 cars and trucks travel on the road daily, with volumes varying across the area.

Work on the Arizona Department of Transportation's (ADOT) $37 million pavement rehabilitation began in April 2024.

The work zone stretched from Moson Road on Sierra Vista's east side (milepost 325) to the Border Patrol station north of Whetstone (milepost 304). The project is taking place in ADOT's Southcentral District.

FNF deployed two crews at times to speed the pace of the project, with one focusing on bridge deck work and the other on paving.

The purpose of the project was to maintain the pavement's structural integrity and to improve the ride and the safety of the existing roadway. Planning began in 2021, with contracts awarded on May 20, 2022.

"The pavement was very worn in areas, especially at the intersection of SR 90/92 in Sierra Vista," said Garin Groff, an ADOT public information officer. "About 700-1,100 trucks travel this area of SR 90, with numbers varying for different sections of the route."

The project also replaced guardrails; installed new sidewalks, sidewalk ramps and signage; repaired curbs and gutters; and placed rumble strips on shoulders and the center line.

The initiative was financed, in part, by a special legislative appropriation supporting ADOT's program to maintain pavements and bridges.

"Most pavement and bridge rehabilitation and replacement projects are scheduled through annual updates to ADOT's five-year construction program and receive federal funding," states an ADOT press release. "and funding generated by users of transportation services, primarily through gasoline and diesel fuel taxes and the Arizona vehicle license tax."

The project was designed in-house by ADOT.

There were a few engineering and design challenges for the asphalt replacement project.

The traffic management plan was based on one lane being open to traffic in each direction as the work progressed. Parts of SR 90 passed through an inhabited section of Sierra Vista, where crosswalks were located.

The repaving began at the northwest end of the project area and worked toward the southeast.

"The crews utilized both day shift and night shift crews for various reasons, including weather and traffic impacts, throughout the duration of the project," Groff said.

Arizona's hot temperatures dictated how much of the repaving could occur at any point.

"Temperature was a core component of when the asphalt could be placed," Groff said. "The crews experienced temperatures that were both too hot and too cold throughout the duration of the project, which is one of the reasons the project utilized both day- and night-shift crews."

The guardrail was replaced toward the end of the project. The placement of rumble strips on the shoulders and the centerline also occurred near the end.

Peak days had a full complement of FNF and subcontractor personnel on site.

FNF has a large fleet of equipment, which it strived to keep well-maintained. The firm said it buys and rents equipment from local and regional dealerships. CEG