Ramp traffic signals at three Tucson interchanges will improve traffic flow

TUCSON – Drivers in southeast Tucson will have an easier time getting on and off Interstate 10 after the Arizona Department of Transportation completes work to replace exit ramp stop signs with traffic signals at three interchanges.

Preliminary work – including foundations, curbs and gutters, sidewalks and paving – has already begun at the Wilmot Road interchange at I-10. Once that work is complete in mid-August, work will begin at Kolb Road, and from October through December crews will work at Rita Road. Additional lanes are planned for the Rita Road eastbound exit and westbound entrance ramps.

The signals will improve traffic flow in the area and reduce delays at the end of the freeway exit ramps, especially during morning and evening rush hours.

Growth in the area has led to higher traffic volumes at all three locations. From 2012 to 2017, I-10 traffic counts increased by 18 percent at Kolb Road, 17 percent at Wilmot Road and 13 percent at Rita Road. Average daily traffic on I-10 ranges from nearly 49,000 vehicles per day at Kolb Road to almost 39,000 vehicles per day at Rita Road.

Final work on this $1.75 million project, including fencing, signage and striping, is expected to be finished by late February.