Ruthrauff Road set to close at I-10 for two-year interchange project

PHOENIX – Over the weekend beginning the evening of Friday, Feb. 14, the Arizona Department of Transportation will close Ruthrauff Road at Interstate 10 for a two-year project to modernize the interchange serving a growing area of northwest Tucson.

ADOT will maintain access to area businesses throughout this project, which is creating a bridge carrying Ruthrauff Road over both I-10 and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks as well as widening the freeway.

“We’re excited to build a safer interchange that also will mean no more traffic delays when trains pass by I-10,” said Rod Lane, ADOT’s Southeast District engineer. “While we understand projects this big can make it challenging for commuters and businesses, we want the community to know customers can still access those companies near the work zone through the entire project.”

ADOT and area officials are working together to maintain a smooth traffic flow at I-10 and Orange Grove, Sunset and Prince roads, the interchanges immediately west and east of Ruthrauff Road. The new Ruthrauff Road overpass is expected to open to cross-traffic by fall 2021, with the interchange ramps opening later in the year.

Utility relocation on the $129 million project began in 2019, and construction began in early January.

Work to close Ruthrauff Road/El Camino del Cerro at I-10 is scheduled to begin the evening of Friday, Feb. 14, and continue through the morning of Sunday, Feb. 16. The following closures and restrictions will then be in place:

• Ruthrauff Road and El Camino del Cerro will be closed to all traffic between Highway Drive/Davis Avenue and the business entrances west of I-10.
• All ramps between I-10 and Ruthrauff Road/El Camino del Cerro will close except for the westbound I-10 off-ramp, which will remain open to provide access to westbound I-10 frontage road businesses only.
• The eastbound frontage road will be converted to a two-way road south of Sunset Road. There will be no access to El Camino del Cerro from the frontage road.
• The eastbound frontage road will be converted to a two-way road northwest of Commerce Drive. There will be no access to or from El Camino del Cerro from the frontage road.
• The westbound frontage road will close northwest of Prince Road.

Other major improvements include:

• Widening I-10 to four lanes in each direction
• Widening Ruthrauff Road and El Camino del Cerro to two lanes in each direction near I-10
• Reconstructing the I-10 frontage roads to connect to the elevated interchange

For more information, please visit azdot.gov/RuthrauffTI.