IRU clears debris on Phoenix highways to get traffic safely moving

ADOT's Incident Response Unit, sponsored by GEICO, responds to all types of crashes across metro Phoenix highways. But, IRU crews will also respond to any type of incident that is blocking a travel lane, which often includes debris that ends up on the freeway.

In July, a semi truck lost its back door and heavy carts it was transporting fell onto the 51st Avenue exit ramp on I-10 westbound, blocking several travel lanes.

IRU crews set up cones to help direct traffic on the exit ramp so drivers could safely navigate around the stopped semi and the debris left behind it. Two IRU members worked together to move the debris off the exit ramp and into the landscaping on the left, pushing the carts with an IRU truck and pulling the remaining debris with a strap attached to the back of the vehicle.

Crews were concerned that more items would fall from the back of the semi if the driver attempted to pull off the highway. So when a tow truck arrived to push the carts dangling at the edge back into the semi, IRU crews shut down the exit ramp temporarily to give the tow truck space to position itself.

After securing the cargo down with straps, IRU crews helped lead the semi off the highway and safely into a nearby gas station.

This is just one example of how IRU helps clear metro Phoenix freeways and get traffic safely moving again.

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