I-10

State budget provides funding for full I-17 widening project north of Valley

State budget provides funding for full I-17 widening project north of Valley

I-17 101 traffic interchange

State budget provides funding for full I-17 widening project north of Valley

State budget provides funding for full I-17 widening project north of Valley

May 31, 2019

PHOENIX – With planned Interstate 17 flex lanes between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point set for construction starting by 2021, the state budget approved by state lawmakers and signed by Governor Doug Ducey provides the additional funding needed to also complete widening I-17 south of where the flex system will be built.

This $130 million investment to complete new third lanes in both directions of I-17 between Anthem and Black Canyon City is one of many in the budget that will expand and preserve transportation infrastructure across Arizona. Appropriations from the State General Fund include $10 million for an ADOT study on adding lanes to Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson and $10.5 million for preserving state highways to extend the life of existing pavement.

“As Governor Ducey and members of the legislature recognize, investing in critical transportation infrastructure will drive Arizona’s 21st century economy. Our leaders are investing today to support Arizona’s future prosperity,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “As we expand critical commerce corridors and safeguard our state’s $22.6 billion investment in our transportation system, it’s equally important to keep roads in our rural communities safe and reliable.”

In addition to baseline funding for transportation and infrastructure, the budget includes more than $95 million in appropriations from the State General Fund for targeted transportation projects that will improve safety and spur economic development in Greater Arizona. This includes $28 million for expanding US 95 between Yuma and Yuma Proving Ground, that region’s largest employer. There is $20 million to help build two Interstate 40 interchanges needed to accommodate growth in Kingman, with the city providing the remainder of the funding required.

ADOT has been working to advance projects to improve traffic flow and safety along 23 miles of I-17 between Anthem and Sunset Point north of Phoenix. More than $190 million was already committed to building flex lanes north of Black Canyon City as well as adding 7 miles of a third southbound lane directly south of that project.

Investing an additional $130 million over three years will allow ADOT to complete all sections of new third lanes between Anthem and Black Canyon City. Combined with the flex lanes, this increased capacity will enhance safety and help address traffic flow challenges and backups that occur due to crashes and when many drivers are traveling to or from Arizona’s high country on summer weekends.

The Maricopa Association of Governments is providing $50 million in regional funds to help fund the widening of I-17 between Black Canyon City and Anthem.

The I-17 flex lanes will operate as a separate two-lane roadway carrying one direction of traffic at a time depending on the greatest need along the steep 8 miles between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point. With gates at each end and separated by concrete barrier from the current southbound lanes, the flex lanes will be able to carry heavier northbound traffic on a Friday or southbound traffic on a Sunday. They also can keep traffic moving if there is a closure in that stretch.

Required environmental studies for the I-17 corridor are scheduled to be completed by this summer, with the projects scheduled for completion by 2023.

The budget commits $10 million from the State General Fund to an ADOT study, in collaboration with the Maricopa Association of Governments and Gila River Indian Community, on adding a lane in each direction and improving interchanges on I-10 between Phoenix and Casa Grande. Completing a design concept report and environmental study will determine needs and costs, and establish how the improvements will be phased. This process is on track to begin this year with an accelerated 18-month timeline.

The $51.1 million in funds, including $10.5 million in additional funding from the State General Fund, will allow ADOT to preserve the road surface along more miles of state highway through treatments known as fog seals and chip seals. These investments are critical to extend the life of existing pavement by sealing road surfaces against the ravages of weather, heavy use and time.

The budget’s other transportation infrastructure investments from the State General Fund include:

  • $18 million for counties and cities and towns
  • $10 million for local aviation projects
  • $6.5 million for Mesa to construct a State Route 24 bridge over Ellsworth Road
  • $2.8 million for Globe to repair or replace the Jesse Hayes Road over Pinal Creek

Take a look at I-17 interchange projects on the rise

Take a look at I-17 interchange projects on the rise

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Take a look at I-17 interchange projects on the rise

Take a look at I-17 interchange projects on the rise

May 28, 2019

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications

How do you start rebuilding two interchanges on a busy metropolitan interstate? From the ground up, of course.

Drivers on Interstate 17 north of the Loop 101 can't have failed to notice the work being done in the median and the shoulder at Pinnacle Peak and Happy Valley roads. Crews have been hard at work since November on this project, but it's only in the past month and a half, following utility, underground pipe and box culvert work, that they've started getting the project vertical.

As you can see in the video above and the photo slideshow below, both featuring work at Pinnacle Peak Road, we are making progress erecting bridge abutments and piers to eventually hold the girders for bridge decks at these new interchanges.

Once the piers are ready, we'll schedule closures of I-17 to put the new girders into place. But before all that happens, take a look at how the project is going so far.

You can learn more about the project at its page on our website.

I-17 - Happy Valley and Pinnacle Peak_052219

Westbound I-10 exit at Orange Grove opens to traffic

Westbound I-10 exit at Orange Grove opens to traffic

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Westbound I-10 exit at Orange Grove opens to traffic

Westbound I-10 exit at Orange Grove opens to traffic

May 24, 2019

PHOENIX ‒ The Orange Grove Road exit ramp from westbound Interstate 10, closed to traffic for driver safety during the reconstruction of the Ina Road interchange, has reopened to traffic this morning.

Also opening this morning are the westbound frontage road from Orange Grove to Cortaro roads. The eastbound frontage road connecting Cortaro and Ina roads also is open.

On Ina Road four lanes are now open from I-10 east to Camino de las Capas. Lane restrictions west of I-10 will be reduced over the next few weeks as crews complete final work in that area.

One of the largest projects in southern Arizona in recent years, the $128 million Ina Road interchange reconstruction included removing the I-10 overpass at Ina Road and building new bridges to carry Ina Road over I-10 and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. It also included widening Ina Road from I-10 to west of the Santa Cruz River and replacing a single bridge over the river with two, two-lane bridges. The finished work also includes multi-use paths that connect to The Loop.

Work began in February 2017, with Ina Road reopening in March 2019 and freeway ramps opening in April 2019.

Ina Road is the third major I-10 interchange reconstruction project, following similar efforts at Prince and Twin Peaks roads. Work is expected to begin in late 2019 on a fourth interchange project at Ruthrauff Road.

I-10 West off-ramp at 43rd Avenue closed until September

I-10 West off-ramp at 43rd Avenue closed until September

I-17 101 traffic interchange

I-10 West off-ramp at 43rd Avenue closed until September

I-10 West off-ramp at 43rd Avenue closed until September

May 14, 2019

PHOENIX – Drivers who normally would use the westbound Interstate 10 exit ramp at 43rd Avenue should plan on using an alternate route until late September.

The westbound I-10 off-ramp at 43rd Avenue closed this week for an ongoing Arizona Department of Transportation project to add another lane along the freeway. 

Drivers should plan to use alternate routes, including exiting at 51st Avenue, while the westbound off-ramp at43rd Avenue is closed through the summer.

For updates about freeway conditions and restrictions visit ADOT’s Travel Information site at az511.gov or call 511.

ADOT plans and constructs new freeways, additional lanes and other improvements as part of the Regional Transportation Plan for the Maricopa County region. The primary funding source for regional freeway improvements is a half-cent sales tax approved by county voters in 2004. More information about ADOT projects and the regional plan is available at azdot.gov/projects.

Counting down to the final tasks at I-10 and Ina Road

Counting down to the final tasks at I-10 and Ina Road

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Counting down to the final tasks at I-10 and Ina Road

Counting down to the final tasks at I-10 and Ina Road

May 6, 2019

By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications

I-10 and Ina Road_041819

We are so close.

Ina Road opened over Interstate 10 in March. It’s a straight drive from Silverbell Road west of I-10 to Thornydale Road east of I-10. In April, ramps connecting Ina Road to I-10 were busy with traffic almost as soon as they opened.

This month we’re focused on the few remaining touches. Recently we paved the eastbound frontage road south of Cortaro Road. On Ina Road west of I-10, we’ve recently put the elements in place for the new traffic signal at Starcommerce Way, and we’re preparing to add pedestrian railings on the new westbound bridge over the Santa Cruz River. The slideshow above has quite a few views of our recent progress.

The Orange Grove exit from westbound I-10, which closed two years ago for driver safety, also should open this month. We need to bring the Ina Road exit ramp to full capacity first.

In June, barring anything unexpected, we will open the entire roadway so customers can easily get to their favorite businesses. We’ll also open the new multiuse paths along the Santa Cruz River.

We hope you like what we created. More lanes to accommodate the area’s growth. A larger, better interchange with I-10. No more waiting for trains to clear the tracks just east of I-10. Combined with the city of Marana’s beautification project east of I-10, Ina Road will be ready to accommodate the area’s needs for decade to come.

What’s next? We’ll be moving about 5 miles down I-10 to Ruthrauff Road, where we’ll build a new interchange like the ones we’ve done in recent years at Prince Road, Twin Peaks Road and now Ina Road, taking Ruthrauff over the railroad tracks and putting I-10 at ground level. We’ll spend the summer making final preparations and begin construction this fall.

VIDEO: See how far we've come with the South Mountain Freeway at I-10

VIDEO: See how far we've come with the South Mountain Freeway at I-10

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VIDEO: See how far we've come with the South Mountain Freeway at I-10

VIDEO: See how far we've come with the South Mountain Freeway at I-10

May 2, 2019

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications

As we shared this week, ADOT has reached a milestone at the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway interchange rising at I-10 in west Phoenix. During a weekend closure of eastbound I-10, crews placed the last 21 of 186 bridge girders that will support transition ramps.

Though there is still plenty of work left to do, at a moment like this its always nice to zoom out a little and see what we've accomplished so far. You can do that with the video above as we show you an overview of the five future ramps and some of the finer architectural details.

To learn more about this interchange and other aspects of ADOT's largest single highway project ever, please visit SouthMountainFreeway.com.

Girder placement to begin on new I-10 bridges in Casa Grande

Girder placement to begin on new I-10 bridges in Casa Grande

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Girder placement to begin on new I-10 bridges in Casa Grande

Girder placement to begin on new I-10 bridges in Casa Grande

April 29, 2019

PHOENIX ‒ Drivers on Interstate 10 and Jimmie Kerr Boulevard in Casa Grande should watch for overnight restrictions and possible delays over the next two weeks as Arizona Department of Transportation crews place girders for new I-10 bridges over Jimmie Kerr Boulevard.

Work is scheduled to begin Tuesday night, April 30, and continue until about Thursday, May 9. Restrictions will be in place from 8 p.m. each night until 6 a.m. the following morning.

Two new two-lane bridges carrying I-10 traffic opened in January. Crews are now working on additions to those bridges to accommodate a third lane and a shoulder in each direction.

I-10 will remain open throughout the work, with lane restrictions planned near Jimmie Kerr Boulevard (milepost 198). Drivers should watch for signs to indicate which lane is closed.

Jimmie Kerr Boulevard will be closed occasionally at I-10 during the work. Westbound drivers can enter westbound I-10 at Jimmie Kerr Boulevard, exit at Florence Boulevard, then take I-10 eastbound to the Jimmie Kerr Boulevard exit. Eastbound drivers take Trekell Road south to I-8, then go east to I-10 and exit at Sunland Gun Road (exit 200).

ADOT is widening a 4-mile section of I-10 from Earley Road to east of Interstate 8 (milepost 196-200). The project is expected to be complete by late summer.

Along with a similar project widening a 4-mile section of I-10 near Eloy, the work will create a six-lane freeway from Casa Grande through Tucson. The second project, which includes an innovative dust detection zone, is scheduled for completion by early fall.

Eastbound I-10 to close west of downtown Phoenix this weekend

Eastbound I-10 to close west of downtown Phoenix this weekend

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Eastbound I-10 to close west of downtown Phoenix this weekend

Eastbound I-10 to close west of downtown Phoenix this weekend

April 25, 2019

PHOENIX – Motorists traveling from the West Valley toward downtown Phoenix this weekend should allow extra travel time and plan ahead to avoid a closure of eastbound Interstate 10 (Papago Freeway) between 67th and 51st avenues due to construction of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Eastbound I-10 will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday, April 26, to 4 a.m. Monday, April 29, in west Phoenix.

To avoid delays on eastbound I-10, motorists should consider alternate routes, including the Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) west of Interstate 17, or exiting I-10 sooner and taking local streets to re-enter past the closure point.

The closure will allow two large cranes to safely set 21 concrete beams over the eastbound I-10 travel lanes that will support the HOV flyover bridges connecting I-10 with the South Mountain Freeway.

Eastbound I-10 traffic can exit at 67th Avenue and detour either to the eastbound I-10 access road or McDowell Road before re-entering the freeway at 51st Avenue; however, heavy delays are likely. In addition, the eastbound I-10 on-ramps at 91st, 83rd, 79th and 75th avenues will be closed to help reduce traffic backups.

In addition, a portion of 59th Avenue will be closed in both directions between McDowell Road and Roosevelt Street from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28 to paint one of the flyover bridges.

The 22-mile South Mountain Freeway is scheduled for full completion in 2020, although traffic is expected to be using the freeway earlier. It will provide a long-planned direct link between the East Valley and West Valley and a much-needed alternative to I-10 through downtown Phoenix. Approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985 and again in 2004 as part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan, the South Mountain Freeway will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system in the Valley.

For information on the project, visit SouthMountainFreeway.com.

Take a tour of two projects improving I-10 between Casa Grande and Tucson

Take a tour of two projects improving I-10 between Casa Grande and Tucson

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Take a tour of two projects improving I-10 between Casa Grande and Tucson

Take a tour of two projects improving I-10 between Casa Grande and Tucson

April 23, 2019
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I-10 and Jimmie Kerr_041819

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications

We are in the home stretch now for projects widening Interstate 10 in Casa Grande and between Eloy and Picacho. When this work is done later this year, I-10 will be three lanes in each direction all the way between Casa Grande and Tucson, all thanks to improvements ADOT has made in recent years.

As we mentioned in a release this week about upcoming work, new eastbound lanes near the State Route 87 junction between Eloy and Picacho are expected to open in mid-June, with full completion of this project in the fall. Similar work between Early Road and Interstate 8 in Casa Grande is scheduled to wrap up by late summer.

I-10 and SR 87 Drone_041819

We've been talking about these projects and what they mean for this busy corridor for a while now. So instead of repeating ourselves, we'll just show you where we are at. You can peruse all the ongoing bridge work happening on I-10 in Casa Grande (specifically, at Jimmie Kerr Drive and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks) in the top slideshow and then take a high-level peek at the new travel lanes and interchange near Eloy.

We hope you enjoy this look at both projects almost as much as you'll enjoy a wider I-10 in a few months.

Eastbound I-10 ramp at SR 87 to close for seven weeks

Eastbound I-10 ramp at SR 87 to close for seven weeks

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Eastbound I-10 ramp at SR 87 to close for seven weeks

Eastbound I-10 ramp at SR 87 to close for seven weeks

April 22, 2019

PHOENIX ‒ The eastbound on-ramp to Interstate 10 at State Route 87 will close for seven weeks on Monday, April 29, allowing Arizona Department of Transportation crews to take important steps toward completion of the project to widen I-10 north of Picacho Peak.

By the time a new on-ramp opens in mid-June, it is expected to connect with new eastbound lanes. When those new lanes open, also in June, I-10 will be a six-lane freeway from milepost 209 to 213.

During the closure, drivers can reach eastbound I-10 by taking westbound I-10 to Sunshine Boulevard (exit 208), then entering eastbound I-10.

Crews also are about to begin work on components of an innovative dust-detection zone in a 10-mile area from Eloy to Picacho Peak. Initial work includes installing foundations for electronic message boards that will provide safety information to drivers during dusty conditions. Crews also will install about 10 miles of fiber-optic cable that will connect radar and other equipment in the area from milepost 209-219.

The dust detection zone also will include short- and long-range radar to identify blowing dust in the area, electronic message boards to get information to drivers, variable speed limits to slow drivers during potentially dangerous conditions and closed-circuit cameras to allow ADOT’s Traffic Operations Center to see conditions in real time.

Work is expected to be complete this fall. Combined with a related project widening 4 miles of I-10 in Casa Grande, the work will create a six-lane freeway from Casa Grande to Tucson. Work on the Casa Grande project is expected to be completed by late summer.