Relief is finally coming to East Valley commuters on the US 60.
The ABC15's Operation Safe Roads team consistently received calls to our hotline and emails to our inbox about the rough roadway.
Back in November of 2021, crews removed the worn, rubberized asphalt but left it without repaving the roadway due to a lack of funding.
Now, ADOT tells ABC15 that they are moving up this project about six months ahead of schedule. The whole project has a timeline as tumultuous as the freeway pavement itself.
The ride starts mid-December when Operation Safe Roads got a call into the hotline.
Valley resident, Scott, called us at 833-AZ-ROADS and asked, "When will the resurfacing be complete?"
He was looking for any idea of when the pavement would be fixed on the US 60, especially between Greenfield and Gilbert roads.
"The grooving is deep, and it causes additional wear and tear on tires and vehicles and suspension parts," Scott explained. "It's dangerous. It's not healthy and it needs to be rectified."
We called Scott back to give him the not-so-great news that she had researched back in September of last year. That is the next stop on the timeline.
At that point, ADOT told me it would not be until July that they would start work because of funding.
Thompson then went out and talked with commuters after receiving a handful of emails to roads@abc15.com asking about when the pavement would be fixed.
"What do you think of the road conditions out there?" we asked Dylan Williams. "It could be better. They could be better, for sure."
ADOT told ABC15 they had removed the worn, rubberized asphalt back in November of 2021 because it was creating a bumpy ride with loose pavement.
So, the contractor on the ADOT project, McNeil Brothers, Inc., removed it. However, ADOT had no funding in place at the time for long-term repairs.
The mess began immediately after the removal.
Drivers were forced to navigate through clouds of dust and flying debris in the initial days after the weekend construction project. This led McNeil Brothers, Inc to have to go out not once, but twice to fix it. Workers did not clear the roadway properly the first time around.
Thompson has called their Chandler office on multiple occasions since that time. She has never gotten a response.
Prior to today, January 6, nearly 150 drivers filed claims against the state because of the damage the botched road work caused to their vehicles and ADOA said this totaled more than $85,000 in claims paid out to Valley residents.
ABC15 has learned however, the state has now paid out $277,216 to 197 claims that were filed. A total of 247 claims have been filed so far. The state says it plans to pursue a subrogation claim with the contractor's insurance company to get the funds back.
That brings us to today.
ABC15 has learned ADOT is starting the project to repave the roadway earlier than planned.
You can view full roadwork details here.
However, the contract on this work is the same one that cost so many drivers damage to their vehicles: McNeil Brothers, Inc.
ABC15 asked ADOT for an interview again - as we have since November of 2021 - and they declined. We asked them how drivers should feel confident traveling on this roadway.
In an email, the department wrote: "ADOT and this contractor responded proactively to the situation in 2021 and results were significantly improved when the work near Gilbert Road was completed in early 2022. We will continue to work closely with the contractor in limiting the size of individual work zones to minimize debris and dust that this type of work can create. The project's goal in the coming months is to improve the driving surface of this busy stretch of US 60, making for a smoother ride for drivers.
Drivers can share their experience on the roadway with ABC15 by contacting the Operation Safe Roads hotline. Call 833-AZ-ROADS or email road@abc15.com.