ADOT crews to patrol Valley freeways to respond to crashes faster

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation is working to make traffic flow safer after car crashes on Valley freeways.

The agency said in a press release Tuesday it has established an Incident Response Unit that will work with state troopers and first responders.

Fourteen units will patrol the freeways on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with on-call crews working nights and weekends.

Previously, crews did not patrol roadways and had to visit a yard to pick up vehicles and equipment before responding to a crash, the agency said.

The mobile units will help with traffic control after crashes, remove debris from roadways and help with maintenance.

“Secondary crashes are often worse than the initial incident,” Brent Cain, director of the agency’s Transportation Systems Management and Operations Division, said in the release.

“By having units ready to respond and quickly clearing minor crashes off the road or setting up proper traffic control, it’s going to improve safety for motorists and first responders.”

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