I-19

Public meeting Oct. 1 for I-19/Irvington interchange improvements

Public meeting Oct. 1 for I-19/Irvington interchange improvements

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Public meeting Oct. 1 for I-19/Irvington interchange improvements

Public meeting Oct. 1 for I-19/Irvington interchange improvements

September 17, 2024

Project in Tucson will improve safety, capacity

TUCSON – The Arizona Department of Transportation invites the public to a meeting Tuesday, Oct. 1, to share plans for and get input on a project that will improve safety and traffic flow at the interchange of Interstate 19 and Irvington Road.

The meeting is scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the El Pueblo Activity Center Multipurpose Room, Building 9, 101 W. Irvington Road in Tucson. The meeting will include a formal presentation at 6 p.m. and the opportunity for the public to ask questions of the ADOT project team and offer comments.

The planned improvements include:

  • Reconstructing the existing diamond interchange and adding a partial cloverleaf ramp for motorists traveling from eastbound Irvington Road to northbound I-19
  • Replacing the Irvington Road bridge with a structure featuring three travel lanes in each direction
  • Widening on-ramps to accommodate future ramp metering
  • Constructing pedestrian and bicycle improvements including new sidewalks, signalized pedestrian crossings and bike lanes on both sides of Irvington Road
  • Installing traffic signals, lighting, signage and striping

The project is still in the design phase, which is expected to be complete by spring 2025. Construction is anticipated to begin in late summer/fall of 2025.

ADOT is accepting comments on the project through Oct. 16 in any of the following ways:

For more information about the project, please visit: azdot.gov/Irvington-I-19-TI.

 

Overnight restrictions scheduled July 29-Aug. 1 on I-19, Ruby Road

Overnight restrictions scheduled July 29-Aug. 1 on I-19, Ruby Road

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Overnight restrictions scheduled July 29-Aug. 1 on I-19, Ruby Road

Overnight restrictions scheduled July 29-Aug. 1 on I-19, Ruby Road

July 28, 2021

NOGALES – Motorists on Interstate 19 and Ruby Road in Rio Rico should expect a series of closures and restrictions in the area from the evening of Thursday, July 19, to Sunday evening, Aug. 1, as part of a project to replace the Ruby Road bridge deck.

The restrictions are needed so work crews can pour concrete on the south half of the Ruby Road bridge deck above I-19. While one lane of Ruby Road will remain open for most of the three-day event, drivers should prepare for a full closure one evening. The following restrictions are scheduled:

Thursday, July 29, starting at 8 p.m. until Sunday, Aug. 1, at 7 a.m.: The westbound lane of Ruby Road will close to all traffic across I-19. The eastbound lane will remain open, except for the additional restrictions noted below on Saturday night. Motorists may use Rio Rico Drive as an alternate route.

Friday, July 30, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning: I-19 will close beneath Ruby Road, and only the eastbound lane of Ruby Road will be open above I-19. All vehicles on I-19 will exit at Ruby Road and will be directed back onto the interstate using the exit and entrance ramps.

Saturday, July 31, from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning: I-19 will close beneath Ruby Road, and Ruby Road will close in both directions over I-19. All vehicles on I-19 will exit at Ruby Road and will be directed back onto the interstate using the exit and entrance ramps. No vehicles will be allowed to cross I-19. Motorists may use Rio Rico Drive as an alternate route.

Sunday, Aug. 1, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.: Ruby Road over I-19 will be restricted to a single lane. Flaggers will allow vehicles to pass in alternating directions. Expect delays of up to 15 minutes.

The bridge deck replacement project will continue through late 2021 and include new concrete barriers, new pavement markings and sign upgrades.

For more information, please visit the I-19/Ruby Road project page

State Route 189 work enters the home stretch

State Route 189 work enters the home stretch

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State Route 189 work enters the home stretch

State Route 189 work enters the home stretch

By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications
April 22, 2021

As March turned into April, Arizona Department of Transportation crews working near the international border in Nogales celebrated the first anniversary of work on State Route 189 the way only roadbuilders can: Moving the last of a combined 8.5 million pounds of concrete-and-steel girders into place.

Last March, Governor Doug Ducey, along with government and business leaders from southern Arizona, broke ground on a project that is expected to create economic growth in Santa Cruz County while making one of Nogales’ busiest roads safer and less congested. 

ADOT is building two ramps connecting SR 189 with Interstate 19. When the work is complete this fall, the ramps will make Nogales a more attractive place for international commerce to enter the US. That’s significant; the Mariposa Port of Entry saw about $25.5 billion in imports and exports in 2019, including much of the winter produce consumed in the U.S.

They’ll also save trucking companies time and money by eliminating the need to stop at three traffic signals, and they’ll make SR 189 safer for Nogales High School students who will no longer have to navigate around those trucks to get to school.

The ramps provide an impressive site for southbound drivers on I-19. The northbound ramp runs for just more than half a mile, while the southbound ramp is just more than one-third of a mile long. They come together just west of Frank Reed Road. The ramps include 122 girders, each averaging about 70,000 pounds and 135 feet long.

Between now and when the work is complete, crews will be pouring concrete decks on the ramps, finishing a new roundabout at Target Range Road and completing the remaining tasks to make SR 189 better for Nogales, better for international trucking and better for Arizona’s economy.

“Better roads,” Governor Ducey said at last year’s groundbreaking, “mean a better future for Arizona.” 

In Nogales, that better future is just a few months away.

Expect restrictions, delays through December for I-19 paving work

Expect restrictions, delays through December for I-19 paving work

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Expect restrictions, delays through December for I-19 paving work

Expect restrictions, delays through December for I-19 paving work

April 15, 2021

PHOENIX – Motorists should plan for lane restrictions and delays on two sections of Interstate 19 through the end of 2021 as the Arizona Department of Transportation completes two paving projects and bridge work.

While some restrictions and paving have been underway since February, drivers should expect new restrictions by late April on the Sahuarita Road bridge over I-19. Traffic on Sahuarita Road, also known as Helmet Peak, will be reduced to one lane in each direction at I-19 through the fall as crews work to replace the concrete bridge deck.

Also in Sahuarita and Green Valley, motorists should plan for lane restrictions between Pima Mine and Duval Mine roads for paving from mid-May through mid-July, and again during September and October. This $12.1 million project will improve roughly 8 miles of I-19.

A second paving project between Tubac and Arivaca began in February. However, drivers should plan for restrictions and paving to resume in May and last through July, with more paving work scheduled in September and October. This $17.1 million project will improve nearly 11 miles of I-19.

A concrete paving project at the Border Patrol station north of Tubac, underway since February, is expected to be completed by late April.

During paving operations, only one lane of traffic will be open in each direction.

Both projects will include new guardrail along with new signs and lane stripes, which will require lane restrictions into December.

The projects are expected to be completed by early 2022. For more information about the projects, please visit Helmet Peak Traffic Interchange at Sahuarita Road/Interstate 19 Pima Mine to Duval Mine Road and I-19 Tubac to Arivaca.

I-19 paving projects begin near Sahuarita, Tubac

I-19 paving projects begin near Sahuarita, Tubac

I-17 101 traffic interchange

I-19 paving projects begin near Sahuarita, Tubac

I-19 paving projects begin near Sahuarita, Tubac

February 9, 2021

PHOENIX – About 19 miles of Interstate 19 near the communities of Sahuarita and Tubac will be resurfaced in 2021 with a layer of rubberized asphalt, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The improvements are planned in two areas, including on a roughly 8-mile segment of I-19 between Pima Mine and Duval Mine roads in the communities of Green Valley and Sahuarita. That $12.1 million project includes replacing the bridge deck at Sahuarita Road, also known as Helmet Peak Road. At the same time, a $17.2 million project will improve nearly 11 miles of pavement between Tubac and Arivaca Road.

While drivers can look forward to an improved surface  on I-19 by the end of the year, motorists should plan ahead for additional travel time on this busy highway that links Tucson to Nogales.

Preliminary work is already underway on the projects, with paving and restrictions scheduled to begin on Thursday, Feb. 11, at the U.S. Border Patrol station north of Tubac. The work at the Border Patrol station is expected to take several weeks as crews replace the asphalt pavement with concrete. Drivers should expect delays during paving operations.

Also starting Feb. 11, southbound I-19 will be narrowed to one lane near the Border Patrol station for about two months. Motorists should expect delays.

Both projects will include new guardrail along with new signs and lane stripes.

Drivers heading through the work zones should budget extra travel time and expect delays while being guided through the alternating lane closures. The speed limit will be reduced to 45 mph in limited cases.

The projects are expected to be completed by early 2022. For more information about the projects visit, Helmet Peak Traffic Interchange at Sahuarita Road/Interstate 19 Pima Mine to Duval Mine Road and I-19 Tubac to Arivaca.

Art of Transportation: Blue mountains mirror real thing

Art of Transportation: Blue mountains mirror real thing

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Art of Transportation: Blue mountains mirror real thing

Art of Transportation: Blue mountains mirror real thing

By Laurie Merrill / ADOT Communications
November 19, 2020

The blue mountains depicted on the wall at Interstate 19 and Ajo Way in Tucson mirror the hills rising behind it – an aesthetic touch that is definitely intentional.

The triangular representations are paired with similarly geometric shapes in the same bold blue. Birds, butterflies and saguaros adorn the walls of the new construction.

This beautification is but icing on the cake, a visual gift in addition to the the benefits of safety and ease of driving that are the core of the two-phase project that revamped the interchange. Improvements included reconstructing and widening northbound and southbound I-19; creating a “braided” ramp alignment and replacing both the Michigan Avenue pedestrian bridge and the Ajo Way bridge over the Santa Cruz River.

This close-up is among a host of other photos taken of the project by John Dougherty, ADOT's Video Services supervisor, whose images illustrate many of our Art of Transportation blog posts. You can find many more showing off the completed project on our Flickr page.  

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Art of Transportation
We think there is beauty in transportation. It’s not all hard hats and pavement. Art of Transportation is a blog series featuring unique photos our team has taken while on the road or on a construction project.

What's in a name? The reason behind I-17's interstate designation

What's in a name? The reason behind I-17's interstate designation

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What's in a name? The reason behind I-17's interstate designation

What's in a name? The reason behind I-17's interstate designation

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications
April 14, 2020

It's a question that occasionally pops up on our social media feeds: Why is it called Interstate 17?

And it's not the "17" part they are asking about.

Rather, it's the fact that all 147 miles of highway runs between Phoenix and Flagstaff ... and that's it. How can it be called an "interstate" when it never reaches outside of Arizona? The same question can be asked about Interstate 19, which runs 102 kilometers (63 miles) between Tucson and the international border.

If we went solely off Webster's definition of "interstate," it admittedly doesn't make much sense. But when we talk about interstate in terms of highways, we have to turn to a different criteria. 

According to the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, which created the system, called for uniformity in construction standards. These standards were developed by the American Association of State Highway Officials (now the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials or AASHTO) and are the benchmark for any highway that wants to be an interstate. The metrics include having controlled access, design speeds of 50 to 70 MPH depending on terrain, a minimum of two travel lanes in each direction, 12-foot lane widths, a 10-foot right shoulder, and a 4-foot left shoulder.

And the criteria for adding another highway to the system is also straightforward: it must meet the interstate standards, be a logical addition or connection, and be coordinated among all jurisidictions it will pass through.

The Federal Highway Administration also has a fantastic page dedicated to debunking myths about the interstate system. There the agency specifically address highways that don't ever leave their state of origin.

"The key," according to the Federal Highway Administration is "each highway must meet Interstate standards, be a logical connection to the interstate system, connect to an existing route or be a congressionally designated future interstate corridor that eventually will connect on at least one end." 

This definition is why you'll see interstates that are beltways around large metropolitan areas or in places such as Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico that cannot connect to other states. It's also why I-17 and I-19 both can be called interstates.

Though they don't go anywhere nearly as far as I-40 or I-15, both I-17 and I-19 have fascinating histories that can give additional insights into these intrastate interstates.

New pedestrian bridge across I-19 offers easier access

New pedestrian bridge across I-19 offers easier access

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New pedestrian bridge across I-19 offers easier access

New pedestrian bridge across I-19 offers easier access

By Lori Baker / ADOT Communications
March 16, 2020

I-19 Ajo Way Pedestrian Bridge_011720

Drivers in Tucson will notice many changes and upgrades to Interstate 19 between Ajo Way and Irvington Road. But something they can't see from behind the wheel is a big step-up for those living near the freeway.

The newly constructed Michigan Street Pedestrian Bridge over I-19 features new ramps that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The bridge was installed in mid-January to connect city neighborhoods on either side of the freeway. It replaced the old pedestrian bridge, which was not ADA compliant because it had stairs and no ramps.

“The new bridge is well lit, has ramps that comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act, and it is more aesthetically pleasing due to its artwork and more modern design,” said Senior Resident Engineer Chris Page.

You can see for yourself that "aesthestically pleasing" part in the slideshow to the right from our Flickr page.

The pedestrian bridge is part of the $84 million I-19/Ajo Way traffic interchange project, which is in the second of two construction phases.

Other work includes

  • constructing a braided ramp alignment — first of its kind in southern Arizona — connecting Ajo Way with I-19 separately from the I-19 traffic exiting at Irvington Road.   
  • reconstructing and widening southbound I-19 within the project area.
  • widening northbound I-19 to add an auxiliary lane between Irvington Road and Ajo Way.
  • completing I-19 noise walls south of Michigan Avenue and along the south side of Ajo Way between Kostka Avenue and I-19.
  • completing drainage improvements and improving drainage collection features.
  • replacing the Michigan Avenue pedestrian bridge.
  • replacing the Santa Cruz River Bridge on Ajo Way.
  • constructing bank protection and the new Rodeo Wash outlet into the Santa Cruz River.
  • reconstructing and widening Ajo Way from Holiday Isle to I-19.

The first phase included a new traffic interchange at Ajo Way and I-19, major drainage improvements, sound walls, utility relocation and an upgraded traffic light at 16th Avenue.

Throwback Thursday: The when and where

Throwback Thursday: The when and where

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Throwback Thursday: The when and where

Throwback Thursday: The when and where

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications
November 14, 2019

Often when we find historic road construction photos we have to do some guess work on either when they were taken or exactly where. Fortunately, we don't have that problem today.

This photo from the construction of Interstate 19 was clearly labeled as being snapped in February of 1977. So far so good.

But if you look in the upper left corner of the photo, you'll notice the prominent rock outcropping that's part of the background mountain range. Anyone who has spent time in the greater Green Valley or Tubac areas can tell you that it's Elephant Head, a prominent landmark in the Santa Rita Mountains. This is also one of the easiest angles to see why the formation has that name. It's okay, we'll give you a second to squint and make out the head, large ears and trunk. 

Did you see it? Great!

So we were lucky enough that someone to captured this image that tells us both the when and the where. But let's talk about the why for a moment. 

While the earliest portions of I-19 date back to the mid-1960s, it took more than a decade to have one complete interstate going from I-10 in Tucson all the way down to the Nogales. The 11-kilometer (roughly 6.8-miles) section between Chavez Siding Road and Canoa Ranch that this particular section is a part of was finished in 1977. After that, only two more sections, finished in 1978 and 1979, were needed before the 102-kilometer (63-mile) interstate was declared done.

And hopefully the next time you head down south, whether to see the historic Canoa Ranch, shop in Tubac or cross the international border at Nogales, this photo will spring to mind as a reminder to appreciate the view.  

 

Throwback Thursday: Before the town

Throwback Thursday: Before the town

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Throwback Thursday: Before the town

Throwback Thursday: Before the town

April 4, 2019

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications

For today's Throwback Thursday, we have a little "remember when?" treat for people who live south of Tucson. Recognize the interchange in this undated photo along Interstate 19? For the majority of the nearly 30,000 people who live alongside it now, the answer is probably a resounding no.

A similar shot today would find an active adult community on one corner and a shopping center on another. You could possibly see a slew of houses in the background. But given that the highway appears to be under construction, all of that was quite a ways in the future when this photo was snapped.

The image is labeled as being taken at I-19 at Helmet Peak Road. But today it isn't called Helmet Peak Road when it crosses the interstate; it's called Sahuarita Road after the bustling town that incorporated in 1994.

So if you live down south, this is just a fun reminder of the way things use to be.