Paving the way to a payoff this summer on I-10 widening project in Tucson
Paving the way to a payoff this summer on I-10 widening project in Tucson
We recently shared the news that the I-10 widening project in the Tucson area is 40% percent complete, which at first glance might not seem like it means much to drivers.
Yet drivers can expect a payoff later this year, long before the project is 100% complete.
That’s because by late summer, traffic that is now temporarily diverted onto frontage roads will return to the rebuilt freeway.
When the project is complete, that section will feature four lanes in each direction, rather than the three lanes motorists previously had on the old freeway in the area. That extra lane will eliminate a bottleneck on I-10, an important feature of the project to widen and rebuild the interstate between Ina and Ruthrauff roads.
Once traffic is back on the freeway, another important change will occur. The westbound exit ramp at Orange Grove Road will close so crews can complete work to rebuild that interchange.
The Orange Grove interchange will then fully reopen by the end of 2024, restoring access to one of two interchanges that closed for the widening project.
The other interchange at Sunset Road will then become the focus of construction activity in 2025. Work crews will work on the interchange as well as an extension of Sunset Road to the east so it connects with River Road. That extension is funded by Pima County and will open in late 2025, along with the Sunset interchange itself.
The entire project is on schedule to be completed in late 2025. For more information, please visit azdot.gov/i10ina2ruthrauff.