I-8

Spanning more than 350 miles from its westernmost point in San Diego to its eastern terminus at the Interstate 10 junction in Casa Grande, Interstate 8 is a primary route for travel in the Southwest.

Here’s the history of how the highway came to be.

Did you know that several Arizona highways can bring you into locales named for various types of flora?

Try out this delectable dessert dip with a kick, inspired by one of Arizona's interstates!

Three ramps closed for several months

Project began in spring 2017 with a stop for winter commerce

Project scheduled for completion Nov. 1

Work to be completed by Nov. 1

Utility works begins March 26, with construction starting in May

PHOENIX – Drivers heading to Southern California through Yuma should plan for delays on Interstate 8 with California Department of Transportation repairs closing one of two westbound lanes over the Colorado River.

YUMA – With half the work completed on schedule, Arizona Department of Transportation crews are calling time out on the project to build a new traffic interchange at Interstate 8 and Araby Road so that agricultural traffic can move without restriction during the busy winter season.

Work on the modern roundabout north of I-8, which connects with exit and entrance ramps from westbound I-8, will end Friday, Oct. 27. Work on the roundabout on the south side of I-8 is scheduled to resume in the spring.

YUMA – The Yuma area’s first modern roundabout for a freeway interchange has opened at the Giss Parkway ramps connecting with Interstate 8.

Some work remains on the $2.5 million project to replace a T intersection for the on- and off-ramps from westbound I-8, the last exit before drivers reach the Colorado River. The project also includes improved lighting, signage and drainage, as well as accommodations for cyclists.

Work began in March and will be completed this fall.

YUMA ‒ Farm equipment operators will have a one-hour window each morning to move through the Araby Road work zone at Interstate 8.

The Arizona Department of Transportation has designated 10-11 a.m. daily as a travel window for farm equipment operators to move through the area where ADOT crews are building new roundabouts at the Araby traffic interchange. Travel is restricted to one lane in each direction during the work, which will continue until about Nov. 1.

YUMA ‒ One of the Yuma area’s largest road construction projects in recent years will begin in mid-July, but preparations for the work mean road closures and restrictions on Araby and Gila Ridge roads at Interstate 8 will begin as soon as the July 4 holiday ends.

YUMA – The Arizona Department of Transportation will begin construction of two new roundabouts at the interchange of Interstate 8 and Araby Road in Yuma this summer in order to help traffic flow in a busy area and accommodate future growth.

On Friday, the Arizona State Transportation Board awarded an $8 million contract to J. Banicki Construction Inc. with an expedited start date to begin the first phase of the project in mid-July.

YUMA – A modern roundabout that will make it easier for drivers to exit westbound Interstate 8 at Giss Parkway in Yuma should be ready for travelers this fall.

The $2.5 million project to replace the existing intersection of the westbound I-8 exit at Giss will begin Monday, March 27. It is the first of three major Arizona Department of Transportation projects planned for the Yuma area in 2017. Work also is scheduled for the 4th Avenue Gateway area and the Araby Road interchange with I-8.

PHOENIX – Arizona is on track to receive a $54 million federal grant helping fund two key widening projects, and adding traffic-management technology that includes a dust storm detection and warning system, along Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson.

PHOENIX – Drivers traveling along Interstate 8 in Yuma should expect delays next week as Arizona Department of Transportation crews make improvements to the pavement between the California state line and Fortuna Road.

Drivers should expect one-lane restrictions on sections of the freeway between midnight and 3 p.m. each day. On Monday, June 6, the right lane will be closed in both directions from the state line to Avenue 3E (exit 3). On Tuesday, the left lanes will be closed.

Most of the signs ADOT produces have to be pretty big so drivers can read them, but one of the newest is simply massive… At 16x16 feet, a new sign welcoming motorists to Arizona is among the tallest in the state. It recently was installed on Interstate 8 near Yuma; however, it was made in Phoenix, and as you can imagine, moving a sign that size isn’t a simple task (see video above and photo slideshow below).