I-17 ITS Infrastructure

Maricopa and Yavapai Counties, Arizona

Around 14.5 million people living in rural areas of the United States do not have access to the internet. However, agencies across North America are working hard to solve this problem. In Arizona, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) partnered with Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. to use innovative micro-trenching technology to install internet access in isolated rural areas much faster to those along Interstate 17 (I-17).

In 2021, Kiewit was selected to be the Construction Manager at Risk for a 67-mile project for ADOT. The job: install high-speed/capacity fiber optic backbone infrastructure that will be used for interconnecting Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) field devices and providing infrastructure for rural broadband. This work involved installing a single 2.5-inch multi-duct conduit that contained a 288-strand fiber and other empty ducts that could be used in the future to expand the backhaul and middle-mile fiber.

I-17 from Phoenix to Flagstaff, Arizona includes plenty of rough terrain and congested traffic. Motorists on the route must keep an eye on the busy road as they encounter narrow lanes and a mountainous landscape with an elevation change of about 1,300 feet. As the CMAR, Kiewit would not only be responsible for the construction, but would also bring its expertise, in partnership with the owner’s designer, to provide a constructible, fast, and cost-effective solution, performed in the safest possible manner for both workers and the public, with zero injuries