It was back in 2011 that we first told you about the improvements being made to I-10 and Prince Road in the Tucson area.
Today, nearly three years later, we’re happy to inform you of the project’s completion!
Since March, motorists traveling along Prince Road at the I-10 junction are no longer inconvenienced when one of the 40-60 trains pass daily through this area of Tucson.
Now, there’s no more waiting for the train to go by! Since ADOT opened the reconstructed Prince Road traffic interchange, motorists now are traveling over – instead of under – I-10.
The new overpass, which was built 30 feet above ground level on the east side of I-10 and slopes down to reach current ground-level, was a key part of a $76.4 million I-10 widening project between Ruthrauff and Prince roads. The project upgraded a two-plus mile section of I-10 by increasing capacity, reducing congestion and improving traffic flow on this highly traveled corridor in Tucson.
Over the past several months, work on the I-10 (Ruthrauff Road to Prince Road) widening project has been completed. Since March, crews have completed landscaping, electrical and barrier installation, sign installation and rubberized asphalt paving.
These improvements will help to increase the flow of traffic through the area and will also contribute toward increasing the safety of the traveling public.
If you’re interested in seeing this project’s progress, please revisit some of our previous posts.
But, before we take a look at the progress, let us first give you an overview of the project…
I-10 from Ruthrauff Road to Prince Road widening
ADOT started construction in September 2011 to widen I-10 between Ruthrauff and Prince roads in Tucson.
Besides widening that portion of I-10 to four lanes in each direction, the project also is set to reconstruct the Prince Road traffic interchange so that Prince Road will pass over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and I-10 (this video gives a good explanation).
The project will also update the on- and off-ramps to provide better connections and access. New landscaping is part of the project, too.
Where things are now
You can see in today’s video that crews recently worked to install 22 girders (each measuring in at about 120 feet) for the bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad. According to Resident Engineer Mindy Teague, the process is a little trickier than some of the other bridges on the project.
“We have to coordinate all of our actions with the trains coming through,” she says.
After the girders have been placed, the next step is to pour the bridge deck, says Tucson District Engineer Roderick Lane in the video.
“There’s kind of a big span between this bridge and the next bridge and that’s all going to be filled with dirt, so it’s really going to open up the whole west side of Prince Road for quite a bit of development opportunity,” Lane says, adding that ADOT has put a lot of effort into making business accessible during construction. “The light is at the end of the tunnel. We’re down to the last six months, or so. You can see everything coming up out of the ground and we really appreciate everybody’s patience and efforts as we move through this.”
Roadway restrictions are planned along I-10 and SR77 (Oracle Road) because of the El Tour de Tucson bicycle race. Drivers should allow extra travel time and consider alternate routes.
In addition, the University of Arizona football game home finale versus University of Oregon kicks off at 1:30 p.m. and significant traffic delays are expected. Football fans should leave early and consider using Kino Parkway or Park Avenue exits as alternate routes off of I-10 to Arizona Stadium.
Detours and road closures will be in place from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23 for El Tour de Tucson: Eastbound I-10 frontage road from Tangerine Road to 22nd Street will be narrowed to one lane. Cyclists will be traveling in the right lane, except within the Prince Road construction project area, where they will be in the left lane briefly and then back into the right lane.
Construction DETOUR:
Due to the construction at Prince Road, vehicles will be detoured to the eastbound I-10 entrance ramp at Ruthrauff Road.
Drivers can take the Prince Road exit ramp to access the frontage road businesses or Business Center Drive.
Drivers leaving this area will be directed by law enforcement to use the right lane to allow cyclists to use the left lane.
Ramp restrictions will be in place on I-10 at Craycroft, Wilmot and Kolb roads. The eastbound I-10 exit ramp at Craycroft Road will be closed. The eastbound I-10 entrance and exit ramp at Wilmot Road will be closed. The eastbound I-10 exit ramp and westbound I-10 exit ramp at Kolb Road will be closed.
Northbound SR 77 from Ina Road to Rancho Vistoso Boulevard will be narrowed to two lanes. Cyclists will be traveling in the right lane and on the shoulder.
Westbound I-10 frontage road traffic will be detoured to eastbound 22nd Street. Eastbound 22nd Street will be restricted to one lane in each direction from I-10 to 4th Avenue. Cyclists will use westbound 22nd Street.
Eastbound I-10 exit ramps at Congress Road and 22nd Street/Star Pass Boulevard will be closed. The eastbound entrance ramps will remain open.
For the most current information about highway closures and restrictions statewide, visit ADOT's Travel Information site at az511.gov, follow us on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511.
Construction got started earlier this fall on a project that’s designed to bring some big improvements for a stretch of Interstate-10 in the Tucson area.
The I-10 widening project from Ruthrauff Road to Prince Road will not only expand the freeway to four lanes in each direction, but will also reconstruct the Prince Road traffic interchange so the road will pass over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and I-10. New landscaping and entrance and exit ramp improvements are also part of the plan.
Right now traffic delays at the Prince Road/I-10 intersection are a frequent occurrence ... that’s because more than 40 trains pass through each day. This often causes traffic to back up onto nearby I-10. (Union Pacific Railroad plans to double the tracks in the near future; so many more trains are expected to pass through the intersection in years to come.)
Tucson District Engineer Todd Emery says in the video above that the plans to lower I-10 and bring Prince Road over the railroad and freeway will help alleviate the daily traffic jams.
Here are some basics on what you should know for this first phase of the project (as of Oct. 3):
Full access to all area businesses will be maintained throughout construction.
Prince Road is closed west of I-10.
Riverpark Drive, La Cholla Boulevard and Business Center Drive just west of I-10 at Prince Road are closed; however easy access to businesses and organizations on the west side of I-10 is possible by exiting I-10 at the Camino Del Cerro/Ruthrauff Road traffic interchange and using the eastbound frontage road.
The I-10 frontage road south of Prince Road will be accessible during construction.
Both the nearby I-10 Miracle Mile and I-10 Camino DelCerro/Ruthrauff Road traffic interchanges will remain open throughout construction.
Construction is scheduled to last about 26 months, so stay tuned. We’ll keep you updated on what to expect during the next phase of construction, slated to begin in fall 2012.
