ADOT plans new safety corridor to Rocky Point

Thanks to the Arizona Department of Transportation, parents should have less to worry about if their children are driving to Rocky Point for spring break.

ADOT is working with officials from Sonora, Mexico, to establish a safety corridor along Mexico Route 8, driven by many Arizonans to the beaches and resorts of Rocky Point (also known as Puerto Peñasco).

ADOT announced it will help train law enforcement and military officials patrolling the highway, sharing expertise on clearing crashes and restoring traffic flow.

Such measures have been shown to reduce the risk of secondary accidents, which can be more serious than initial crashes, ADOT said.

The idea came up as ADOT officials were in Hermosillo, Sonora, recently to help truck drivers better prepare for safety inspections at commercial

ports of entry, according to Tim Lane, director of ADOT’s enforcement and compliance division.

“We started talking about creating a safety corridor, and leaders from both Arizona and Sonora liked the idea right away,” Lane said. “We hope to learn from each other and make a safer environment for everyone.”

The safety corridor also will include signs flashing safety messages in English and Spanish. Sonora will share traffic and road conditions with 511 and az511.gov, which keeps tabs on traveler-related updates relating to accidents, construction projects, road closures and more.

ADOT officials said the safety corridor should be in place by spring break, which begins in mid-March.

Rocky Point is a popular destination for Arizonans, particularly for college students on spring break who want to take advantage of Mexico’s legal drinking age of 18.

During the first 10 months of 2017, more than 910,000 people entered Arizona at Lukeville, many of them Arizonans returning from Rocky Point, according to ADOT.