Down along the I-10 freeway into the heart of downtown Phoenix there lies a tunnel, the Deck Park Tunnel. And deep in the midst of that tunnel lies the ruins of a once-planned city bus terminal.

Instead of a housing place for city buses, the space in the middle of the tunnel wall separating east- and westbound traffic lies dormant...or does it?

A trek down into the dark subterranean depths by a brave soul reveals compartments hidden from view of the traveling public. The never-utilized transit bay, tight passages and low-lit areas can fill the mind with scary images. What will one find down in these dark, dank hollow areas? The secret lab of a mad scientist? Perhaps the lair of a monstrous creature?

Actually, one finds a control room staffed not with fellows named Igor, but ADOT employees who monitor the operations of the Deck Park Tunnel. This control room was once the original location of the ADOT Traffic Operations Center. These employees manage tunnel operations to ensure the lighting is working properly amongst other duties.

But, every so often an employee can hear a distant howling in the tunnel. Could it be a werewolf? Or perhaps it’s one of the four large ventilation fans helping to pull fresh air through the tunnel. These fans operate on 750 horsepower engines and are controlled in the tunnel control room.

Tunnel crews run these massive fans once a week to ensure they are in good working order.

Ok, so maybe the headless horseman or Frankenstein’s monster aren’t lurking in the depths of the Deck Park Tunnel. But just like you wouldn’t walk under a ladder or let a black cat cross your path, every good Phoenican knows you still need to hold your breath while passing through the tunnel on I-10.

Over the past decade, and likely longer than that, various engineers at ADOT have looked at ways to upgrade the original lighting system in the Interstate 10 Deck Park Tunnel north of downtown Phoenix. Well, by George (or maybe Thomas Edison?), it’s nice to be able to report that the job is done.

ADOT crews have completed the installation of more than 1,500 new LED lights inside the I-10 Tunnel, which will turn 31-years-old in August. The $1.4 million project actually involved the switching of fixtures - new ones holding the LED lights replaced old ones that had held now outdated high pressure sodium bulbs - with work done during staggered overnight freeway closures over the past several months. 

In addition to the improved lighting providing a safety enhancement, ADOT anticipates the use of LED lights in the tunnel will reduce energy consumption by more than 60 percent and produce more than $175,000 in annual energy savings. So far the savings have been slightly better than those figures.

The new LED bulbs produce an improved, brighter white light in the tunnel compared to the outdated yellow-toned high pressure sodium lights that have been replaced. Since LED lights last longer than the high pressure sodium bulbs, crews will not have to replace them as often.

ADOT also worked to get the new lighting project done faster than anticipated. The agency recruited employees from across the state to come to Phoenix to help speed the installation work. That meant fewer overnight freeway closures, savings on the traffic control signs and barricades needed for closures as well as less inconvenience for drivers who have to detour when closures are in place.

As with the old lighting system, the improved LED tunnel lights are now set at appropriate transitioning levels during daylight and nighttime hours to allow a driver’s vision to adapt given outside lighting levels. For example, the system runs fewer lights at night because of lower nighttime light levels outside the tunnel.

So the next time you drive in the I-10 Deck Park Tunnel we hope you’ll notice the improved lighting. We certainly think the better lighting was worth the wait - and the hard work that went into making it all possible. 

When it comes to driving through the Interstate 10 Deck Park Tunnel north of downtown Phoenix, it’s important that you’re not left in the dark.

It has taken a few visits to the idea factory to explore possible ADOT projects to upgrade, and actually replace, the original lighting system dating back to when the famous tunnel opened in 1990 as part of the “Final Mile” of I-10 constructed across the entire U.S.

Fortunately, the waiting has paid off with an innovative project being installed by ADOT crews that has now reached a milestone with work to add new LED lighting in the westbound side of the tunnel finished.

That means more than 1,500 of the LED lights are now lighting the way for westbound I-10 drivers using the tunnel. ADOT crews are slated to complete the eastbound installation this summer as more light fixtures are provided by a manufacturer.

While previous project ideas were considered more expensive, ADOT found a company that could provide LED lighting fixtures that work in the same locations as the original high pressure sodium lights. The result is a $1.4 million safety enhancement project that includes the “in-house” installation work by an ADOT team.

An initial review of the new westbound lighting is already showing a more than 60 percent reduction in energy consumption. We’re estimating annual energy savings of more than $175,000, which by my limited math skills would mean the project will pay for itself in less than 10 years.

The new LED lights in the Deck Park Tunnel are providing a noticeably improved, brighter and whiter level of light compared to the yellow tone of the old, outdated high pressure sodium lights. The new bulbs certainly will last longer, no doubt having a positive effect on maintenance work and costs. 

As with the old lighting system, the improved LED tunnel lights will be set at appropriate transitioning levels during daylight and nighttime hours to allow a driver’s vision to adapt given outside lighting levels. For example, the system will run fewer lights at night because of lower nighttime light levels outside the tunnel.

So ADOT has reached the halfway point with the I-10 tunnel lighting upgrades. We’ll keep you posted on when the next installation work on the eastbound side will require an overnight closure so crews can do even more work. As always, please focus on safe driving, especially as we head into the summer travel season.  

In October 1989, the Oakland Athletics swept the San Francisco Giants to win the World Series after the third game was delayed more than a week because of the Loma Prieta earthquake; Larry King got married for the sixth time; and Phoenix was only ten months away from officially connecting Interstate 10 from coast to coast.

Today’s Throwback Thursday photograph comes to us from deep inside the still-under-construction Deck Park Tunnel. The crews here are working hard to make sure all aspects of the structure’s integrity are being assembled just in time for its August 1990 debut.

And now, 31 years later, almost a quarter million motorists travel through downtown Phoenix’s favorite underpass on a daily basis.

Of course, as we revel in reminding our dear readers, the Deck Park Tunnel isn’t really a tunnel at all! In fact, it’s a series of 19 connected bridges. Of course, “traffic is flowing fine through the 19 connected bridges” rolls off the tongue just as nicely as “Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?” or “The horse raced past the barn fell.”

But Valley drivers are keen to take it one step further by just calling it “The Tunnel.” And we’re okay with that.

It’s definitely a case of “out with the old and in with the new” when it comes to the lighting system inside the Interstate 10 Deck Park Tunnel north of downtown Phoenix.

The Arizona Department of Transportation has been pursuing a project to replace the original tunnel lighting system for several years now. After all, the Deck Park Tunnel opened to traffic in August 1990 and the old style high-pressure sodium lighting system has been in use for all the 30-plus years since. An upgrade has been much needed.

Following consideration of various project ideas over time, enough funding was identified for a $1.4 million project that is now underway. New LED lighting fixtures are being installed, over the course of the next few months, to replace the old fixtures that held the sodium lights.

A test installation was done with a small section of lights last year and more of the new lights were put in during January above the westbound I-10 right lane within the tunnel. In fact, you might have noticed the “whiter” LED lights that are in versus the “yellow/amber” glow of the old lights.

The project team anticipates needing several Friday night closures of I-10, in either direction, over the next few months in order to change out the more than 3,200 fixtures that help light the way when you’re traveling through the tunnel.

The new LED lights are energy efficient and can be expected to last well over twice as long as their sodium predecessors. The anticipated annual energy savings are more than $175,000. Those savings will over time help pay for the cost of installing the new system.

So be prepared for ADOT to let you know which Friday nights will be used for closures so the lighting improvement work can advance this spring. Our Weekend Travel Advisory is a good thing to subscribe to via azdot.gov/Subscribe.

At age 30, the Deck Park Tunnel is getting a new look and you’ll notice a difference. As some experienced models might tell you – it’s all about the lighting.  

We're blowing out the candles for the Deck Park Tunnel as it turns 30! 

You may have noticed the Deck Park Tunnel was closed this past weekend, but there was no birthday makeover happening. The closure was to allow crews to perform regular maintenance. Our video from earlier this year explains the work crews do each quarter to keep the 30-year-old tunnel looking its best.    

Let's go back to the beginning and the tunnel opening in August 1990. Before the Deck Park Tunnel officially opened to traffic on Aug. 10, the public was allowed to walk, ride and tour the tunnel. When it began taking traffic in 1990, the tunnel was touted as the final segment that connected Interstate 10 from coast to coast. The 2,500 mile interstate begins in Santa Monica, California and ends in Jacksonville, Florida and took more than 30 years to complete. Interstate 10, just in Arizona, is nearly 400 miles long. 

Before we continue, it's important to note the Deck Park Tunnel isn't actually a tunnel. It consists of 19 side-by-side bridges. On top of all of those bridges is Margaret T. Hance Park. The 32-acre city park is more than just a green space. It's home to Arizona Humanities, Burton Barr Central Library, Cutler Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center, Irish Cultural Center, Japanese Friendship Garden, and Phoenix Center for the Arts.

Now, back to the Deck Park Tunnel, also known as the Papago Freeway Tunnel. The tunnel has much more going on than the 290,000 vehicles that travel through it each day. It is home to more than 3,000 lightbulbs, 4 large ventilation fans and one hidden lane. That single lane goes between the east- and westbound tubes and was meant to be an express bus lane. It's not in use and is closed to the public. The tunnel is also home to a control room. It was the original location for the ADOT Traffic Operations Center. Today, ADOT employees who manage the tunnel and its operations work in that control room. You can see the original control panel in the photo to the left.

We hope we've given you a good background on the Deck Park Tunnel and that you've gained a new appreciation for the birthday girl the next time you drive through it! If you'd like to learn more about the tunnel, visit the ADOT Blog.

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications

Finished in August 1990, the Deck Park Tunnel – officially the Papago Freeway Tunnel – consists of 19 side-by-side bridges and was the final segment put into place that made I-10 a coast-to-coast route.

But a key part of the tunnel’s operation isn't visible to drivers of the quarter million-plus vehicles traveling through it every day.

Built adjacent to the freeway, and also located under Margret T. Hance Park, are vent rooms housing equipment that keeps the tunnel lit and well-ventilated. Each helps pull fresh air through the tunnel thanks to giant fans that can run at up to 750 horsepower.

However, those fan don’t run 24/7, or even a majority of the time. Traffic itself is usually sufficient to generate enough moving air. Even in the early morning hours, a stiff breeze runs through the fan room without the machinery being on.

In the absence of a sufficient breeze, these fans will automatically kick in. If the need arises, the fans can also clear smoke from the tunnel.

Crews run the fans once a week to make sure they're ready to go when needed.

One of the subterranean rooms also served as the original home of ADOT’s Traffic Operations Center. There, operators had access to the first traffic cameras on I-10. The mile-long tunnel had eight cameras, only four of which transmitted video. Today that space is a control room for the tunnel’s staff.

That control room is now run by modern software, but if crews are feeling nostalgic for the '90s they can always switch on the original control panel on the wall and monitor things there.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Every once in a while we reach back in ADOT Blog archives for a little slice of history. This one involves a spilled load of produce past its prime.

By Caroline Carpenter / ADOT Communications

No one looks forward to rotten fruit salad, but it’s even worse when there's a semitrailer full of it.

Five years ago today a semi carrying a load of rotten fruit crashed into a wall of the Deck Park Tunnel, spilling its load into the westbound lanes of I-10 and requiring a memorable cleanup by ADOT crews.

 

 

The fruit was strewn across the freeway, and one tunnel wall was damaged.

Crews using construction equipment spent the better part of a hot July day shoveling rotten melons and then hosing down the tunnel. It's an example of why it can sometimes take quite some time to reopen a crash scene.

Engineers determined the damage to the tunnel wall wasn’t structural. By the end of the day, all lanes had reopened in the tunnel.

To see more ADOT videos, please visit our YouTube channel at youtube.com/ArizonaDOT.