We don’t know about you but the Deck Park Tunnel is feeling 32!

That’s right! The Interstate 10 Deck Park Tunnel opened 32 years ago on Aug. 10, 1990.

While the Deck Park Tunnel has gone through improvements in recent years, the tunnel continues to provide commuting convenience for motorists throughout the Phoenix metro area.

You’ve probably driven through it, but how well do you know the Deck Park Tunnel? Here are some questions and answers to test your skills.

What is the official name of the Deck Park Tunnel?

Is it really a tunnel?

Glad you asked. It’s not actually a tunnel at all. In fact, it consists of 10 side-by-side bridges.

What’s on top of the tunnel, er, side-by-side bridges?

The 32-acre Margaret T. Hance Park , named in honor of Phoenix’s first female mayor, sits atop Deck Park Tunnel. The 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.

How does the “Final Mile” correlate with the Deck Park Tunnel?

Upon completion of the Deck Park Tunnel, it created the nation’s second coast-to-coast interstate, stretching 2,460 miles and across eight states, from Santa Monica, Calif., to Jacksonville, Fla. So the stretch of I-10 between Seventh Street and Seventh Avenue was the “Final Mile” of I-10 to be opened as part of a nationwide construction effort.

I notice it’s bright in there. How many light fixtures are there?

After a recent lighting improvement project, there are more than 1,500 LED lights in the tunnel. They aren’t all powered on at the same time. For example, at night, some lights are off to allow drivers to adjust or be prepared for darker lighting conditions outside of the tunnel.

How many vehicles travel in the Tunnel per day?

On average, approximately 260,000 vehicles travel through the Deck Park Tunnel each day.

If you'd like to learn more about the tunnel, visit the ADOT Blog.

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.