The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has reached the halfway mark on a $106 million project to construct a free-flowing interchange that will reduce delays on the main route between Las Vegas and Arizona.
This milestone comes just 15 months into building a new connection between Interstate 40 and U.S. 93 in west Kingman. Instead of traffic stopping for a signal on Beale Street at I-40, one mile of new ramps will allow traffic to flow freely between I-40 and U.S. 93.
Some of the most visible progress on the interchange includes building new structures.
On I-40 above Clack Canyon, part of a bridge is taking shape that will carry traffic from southbound U.S. 93 to eastbound I-40. Along U.S. 93, tunnels are now in place that will allow future U.S. 93 traffic to pass over Beale Street and Fort Beale Drive.
The future Beale Street underpass, which will enable drivers to access Beale Street and downtown Kingman, is being constructed just east of the current U.S. 93 alignment. Crews are placing rebar and forms and pouring concrete to form the structure's walls. The beginning of the underpass structure is now visible.
Heavy earthwork is taking place on the south side of U.S. 93, where the widening is taking place. Tall cuts of earth and rock are being removed and hauled to other areas of the project, where the material will be used on the widening of I-40 and near the Fort Beale Drive underpass.
Two miles of new sound walls along both sides of I-40 are being constructed. The walls are being installed between Stockton Hill Road and approximately 3⁄4 mi. west to the White Cliffs area. The westbound wall is under construction. The sound wall construction is expected to last 18 months.
Work is under way on the new continuous freeway-to-freeway connection between U.S. 93 and I-40. Crews are cutting a path through the bluffs north of the existing U.S. 93 approach to I-40, as well as constructing the new bridge foundation.
Construction will continue to involve daytime and nighttime work, including nighttime closures of U.S. 93 for rock blasting. The closures, when needed, will only be scheduled from 8 to 9 p.m. on weeknights. This involves a section of U.S. 93 between the I-40/U.S. 93 interchange and the U.S. 93/State Route 68 interchange, starting this week and continuing through October.
ADOPT is maintaining two lanes of travel in each direction during peak travel times, with lane restrictions limited to off-peak hours. Drivers may continue exiting both U.S. 93 and I-40 at Beale Street to access businesses, Route 66 and downtown Kingman.
Construction is expected to continue into 2027, when the interchange will open with 6 mi. of widened or newly constructed roadway. The project includes five new bridges, two bridge widenings, four bridge rehabilitations and 2 mi. of sound walls.
The project is creating a mile of new highway carrying traffic northwest of the existing interchange at I-40 and Beale Street. Other features include:
• widening more than a mile of I-40 in both directions between the new interchange and Stockton Hill Road;
• adding a merge lane on US 93 northbound;
• widening and/or rehabilitating four bridges on I-40;
• building sound walls along a portion of I-40 to the west of Stockton Hill Road; and
• constructing drainage features
The interchange is designed to handle projected traffic growth for the next 25 years.
