One of ADOT’s major priorities while rebuilding the I-10/Houghton Road interchange is to minimize disruptions and closures, which means we’ve got to move really fast when we close a roadway.

If you’ve driven through that interchange in the last couple months, you’ve seen that our crews have moved so quickly that they’ve transformed the landscape on half of the interchange in less than two months. This photo from the project team shows the work so far, including constructing bridge piers for a new overpass on the west side of the interchange, regrading everything on the east side of interchange and building up the earth for new ramps.

That’s a lot of progress for a project that kicked off Aug. 24.

We closed two of the interchange’s ramps in late August, with a goal of rebuilding and reopening them before Thanksgiving. Those ramps – the westbound exit ramp and eastbound on-ramp – are already taking shape and should be paved by early November.

We’ll rebuild the ramps on the west side of the interchange as well, but they will remain open through the project except for an occasional nighttime restriction or closure. Likewise, only occasional overnight restrictions and closures will be needed on Houghton Road. And, I-10 will remain open, though drivers should expect overnight lane restrictions at times.

The new $24.4 million interchange east of downtown Tucson is expected to be complete in late 2021. It will feature southern Arizona’s first diverging diamond interchange – a type of interchange where drivers cross and travel on the left side of the overpass while crossing the interstate.

You can read more about the I-10/Houghton Road project and diverging diamonds here. And if you’ve driven through north Phoenix recently, you may have noticed ADOT opened Arizona’s first major diverging diamond interchange earlier this month at I-17 and Happy Valley Road. The Phoenix interchange won’t be fully complete until late this fall, but the major elements are in place if you’re looking to get a feel for what’s coming to I-10 and Houghton Road in southern Arizona next year.

I don’t get the opportunity to visit Nogales as often as I’d like, but the rolling green hills of Santa Cruz County seem to welcome me back with open arms as I exit Interstate 19 on that unique left exit to this quaint, little town I call home.  It is such a special place. 

I don’t think local residents really recognize how special our hometown is until they depart and live elsewhere. But, at the end of the day, or at the end of I-19, there’s no place like home. And, these days, our home is getting a remodel. 

The “remodel” encompasses improving State Route 189 (Mariposa Road) from the international border with Mexico to Grand Avenue. The purpose of the project is to improve traffic flow and safety. 

Nogales is changing and these roadway improvements are going to pave the way for more good things to come, not only for Nogales, but for the state and the nation. In the age of Key Commerce Corridors, Nogales plays a HUGE role in the vitality and fruitfulness of North America! 

To that end, the future is looking like two new “flyover” ramps extending from east to north on Mariposa Road and south to west from I-19, to help hundreds of commercial trucks get to and from the Mariposa Port of Entry on SR 189. 

As a proud Nogales High School graduate (shout out to the Class of 1998!), who was once a teen driver navigating Frank Reed Road and Grand Avenue, I can attest to the fact that it is a good idea to separate teens and other local drivers, like my parents and my tias, from commercial truck traffic. I am relieved to see these improvements do just that at this critical intersection. 

The Arizona Department of Transportation project is going to change the face of Nogales in a good way. Finally, we will have the infrastructure to support all the potential that Nogales has and newcomers will be able to see it as they arrive in our homey little town. Whether it’s a visiting football team from Tucson or delegations from Washington, D.C., these eye-catching engineering improvements are important for both the people who live and work in Nogales as well as others across the nation. More than ever, we are all connected. Investing at our border in Nogales means success for the nation. Bravo Nogales, the unsung hero!

So, will there be some headaches? Claro, que sí, es normal. It is normal to have some growing pains. Will we do everything we possibly can to inform the community so you can plan ahead and work together to try to resolve issues? Claro que si! After serving Arizona residents across the state for nearly 10 years, I can tell you that ADOT is committed to strengthening our communities through developing collaborative solutions. 

Is everyone always going to be happy while construction is underway? Pues, no. But, I promise we will do our best to minimize impacts and keep everyone up to date. This project is near and dear to my heart because I want to see Nogales be poised to win. Do we need everyone to do their part and be patient, flexible and vigilant during construction? Claro que si! This is a team effort, and you also have an important role to play.

What can you do? Informate. Inform yourself. Visit the project website, call us, text us (but, please don’t text us while driving). Cuidado. This is a great new adventure; let’s work together to continue to more forward, or para seguir adelante mi querido Nogales! Y si se les ofrece algo, aqui estamos para servirles (if you need something we are here to help!).

Gracias.

Nine months into a project to rebuild the Interstate 10 interchange at Ruthrauff Road/El Camino del Cerro, drivers have something to look up to.

It’s not just one thing to look up to, but 15 massive new bridge girders that have been set in place to create half of the Ruthrauff Road/El Camino del Cerro structure that will eventually span the interstate in Tucson.

The bridge girders over the new eastbound lanes of I-10 are the most high-profile sign of progress to date on the $129 million project that began in January. They’re visible from quite a distance to drivers on I-10, and for good reason – they’re massive. The girders stretch 138 feet and stand 6 feet tall. Each one weighs in at 158,000 pounds.

The girders are just one part of constructing the bridge, as crews will spend the next couple months building the bridge deck that will eventually carry traffic.

Aside from the bridge girders, crews have rebuilt about one mile of eastbound I-10 with a new concrete surface. Also, retaining walls for the new eastbound frontage road are going in. 

You can expect to see more bridge girders going into place this October, when the structure over the Union Pacfic Railroad to the east of I-10 will start to take shape.

As for the remaining bridge section over westbound I-10, crews will begin that segment in early 2021. By January, we expect to shift both eastbound and westbound traffic onto the new eastbound I-10 lanes. That will allow crews to construct the westbound portion of the bridge while also reconstructing the westbound I-10 lanes.

Once the interchange is complete by late 2021, drivers can cross over the railroad tracks without having to stop for the train.

Don’t forget: ADOT is maintaining access to local businesses through the entire project. For updates and traffic alerts, please visit azdot.gov/RuthrauffTI.

Besides being the first highway project in Arizona to be built using a public-private partnership, the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway is also ADOT’s first freeway to use half-diverging diamond interchanges.

The new section of freeway has two of them – one at Desert Foothills Parkway and another at 17th Avenue.

A diverging diamond interchange (DDI) helps with traffic flow and safety. This type of interchange works by temporarily transitioning traffic to the left side of the road, allowing through-traffic and left-turning traffic to proceed through the interchange simultaneously, eliminating the need for a signalized left turn.

It’s a much easier concept to understand once you see it, so I suggest you check out the ADOT video that simulates driving through the South Mountain Freeway half-diverging diamonds. You can find that video, along with more details at azdot.gov/smfddi.

You might be wondering what the difference is between a half-diverging diamond interchange and a full diverging diamond interchange.

A half DDI is used when one travel direction does not extend past the interchange, limiting access to only three directions. Because Desert Foothills Parkway and 17th Avenue don’t extend south of the freeway, there was no need for a full DDI. If a future connection to the south is needed, it can easily be implemented with the current design.

When you drive it, I hope you notice the innovation and dedication it took to construct the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway. I also hope you’ll go the speed limit, avoid distractions and wear your seat belt. 

Work started today on a project that will bring big improvements to the Tucson area by reconstructing the interchange at Interstate 10 and Ruthrauff Road.

As we shared last week, the project will improve traffic flow and safety for drivers, and it’s the third of its kind in the last several years that ADOT has undertaken in conjunction with the Pima Association of Governments.

Just like the rebuilt interchanges at Ina and Prince roads, this modern design will feature an overpass above the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. More than 40 trains a day pass through Tucson, leading to plenty of backups onto the freeway and delays for drivers on Ruthruaff. And like the Ina and Prince projects, we’ll widen I-10 near Ruthrauff Road so the highway can better serve this growing region.

If you use Ruthrauff Road, or El Camino del Cerro just west of I-10, expect periodic lane restrictions for the next several weeks. Construction activity will ramp up by late February or early March, when the Ruthrauff interchange will close.

We’ll maintain access to businesses on the frontage roads throughout the project.

We expect to complete the interchange in late 2021. Get traffic updates, detour information and project details at azdot.gov/RuthrauffTI.

By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications

Driving along Interstate 10, about halfway between Tucson and Phoenix, you can see that’s something happening off to the east side of the freeway at State Route 87.

Here’s a better perspective. John Dougherty, ADOT’s newly FAA-certified drone pilot, shot this amazing video to capture the whole project from above.

In less than 10 months, crews have built nearly 4 miles of what will become the new westbound lanes of I-10, bridges over both nearby railroad tracks and the future alignment of I-10, freeway ramps and more.

When the work is done about one year from now, drivers will have six new lanes of I-10, a wider new interchange with SR 87 and a dust-detection zone, the first of its kind on US freeways.

Starting Thursday, Oct. 4, SR 87 will close between I-10 and Milligan Road so we can continue work on the new section of SR 87 and complete the new interchange. The closure is expected to continue until mid-December. Drivers can exit I-10 at Sunshine Boulevard and take Casa Grande-Picacho Highway to SR 87. There are no restrictions on I-10.

By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications

The last time you went to the gym, how much weight did you lift? More than 100 pounds? 200?

More than 75 tons, anyone?

Those building a new bridge connecting Interstate 10 and State Route 87 in Eloy didn’t really lift 20 tons, of course. But 30 feet above the ground today, as two cranes lifted huge girders into place, these professionals, securely perched atop bridge piers, made sure these 145-foot girders landed in just the right spot.

And they repeated the process over and over, as shown in the slideshow above.

Precision may be difficult with a heavy girder, but it’s essential. There needs to be the right number of girders across each pier to support the bridge deck and traffic over decades. And each girder must allow room for the one that will connect to the next pier.

Today marks six months since crews began clearing ground for new lanes of I-10 and the new interchange with SR 87. Placing girders on the bridge is another visible sign that work is continuing on schedule.

The project is creating six new lanes of I-10 that will connect with the existing freeway just west and a few miles east of SR 87. Traffic will be moved to the new pavement as soon as this fall, with the entire project scheduled for completion by fall 2019. After this project and another in Casa Grande are complete, I-10 will be three lanes in each direction all the way between Casa Grande and the east side of Tucson.

By Laurie Merrill / ADOT Communications

It had been since Thanksgiving that traffic rolled along Southern Avenue in Laveen near 59th Avenue. There was a good reason for that: Crews needed to move a lot of earth to finish the first phase of a Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway interchange project and reopen this busy road.

On Monday, traffic returned to Southern Avenue between 61st Avenue and 64th Drive. You can see it in the video above and slideshow below.

It’s no stretch to say that the residents are thankful to be using Southern Avenue again. Some, including school bus drivers, waved at us as they passed today.

Other than occasional overnight closures to complete a 125-foot bridge, Southern Avenue will remain open during phase two of the work.

“While closing Southern Avenue was certainly impactful to Laveen motorists in the last few months, in the long run this freeway will alleviate some of the growing traffic congestion on local roadways,” said ADOT Resident Engineer Adam Brahm, who oversees the Salt River segment of construction on the South Mountain Freeway.