Improvements on the way to Tucson area I-10

Construction got started earlier this fall on a project that’s designed to bring some big improvements for a stretch of Interstate-10 in the Tucson area.

The I-10 widening project from Ruthrauff Road to Prince Road will not only expand the freeway to four lanes in each direction, but will also reconstruct the Prince Road traffic interchange so the road will pass over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and I-10. New landscaping and entrance and exit ramp improvements are also part of the plan.

Right now traffic delays at the Prince Road/I-10 intersection are a frequent occurrence ... that’s because more than 40 trains pass through each day. This often causes traffic to back up onto nearby I-10. (Union Pacific Railroad plans to double the tracks in the near future; so many more trains are expected to pass through the intersection in years to come.)

Tucson District Engineer Todd Emery says in the video above that the plans to lower I-10 and bring Prince Road over the railroad and freeway will help alleviate the daily traffic jams.

Here are some basics on what you should know for this first phase of the project (as of Oct. 3):

• Full access to all area businesses will be maintained throughout construction.
• Prince Road is closed west of I-10.
• Riverpark Drive, La Cholla Boulevard and Business Center Drive just west of I-10 at Prince Road are closed; however easy access to businesses and organizations on the west side of I-10 is possible by exiting I-10 at the Camino Del Cerro/Ruthrauff Road traffic interchange and using the eastbound frontage road.
• The I-10 frontage road south of Prince Road will be accessible during construction.
• Both the nearby I-10 Miracle Mile and I-10 Camino DelCerro/Ruthrauff Road traffic interchanges will remain open throughout construction.

Construction is scheduled to last about 26 months, so stay tuned. We’ll keep you updated on what to expect during the next phase of construction, slated to begin in fall 2012.