SR 86

Good ol' Why, Arizona.

This unincorporated community in southern Arizona of just over 160 people (as of the last census) always ranks high on the list of weird town names in Arizona, and often makes the list for the most unusual place name in the country.

So what does an off-kilter town name have to do with transportation? There are a couple of theories about the name's origin that float around, but, believe it or not, the most repeated answer comes down to highways.

For the next few weeks we’ll be putting things in place to begin what will be an 18-month project.

Major projects in Tucson in 2018

Some of the Arizona Department of Transportation’s biggest projects this year will occur in southern Arizona.

ADOT will continue replacing the interchange at Ajo Way (State Route 86) and Interstate 19 in Tucson. A project to create a modern interchange at Ina Road and I-10 in Marana will advance to include a two-year closure of Ina Road starting Feb. 15, making way for construction of a bridge carrying a widened Ina Road over the interstate and Union Pacific railroad tracks.

TUCSON – Built in 1935 as a two-lane roadway through sparsely populated areas, State Route 86, also known as Ajo Way, has developed into a vital link in Tucson’s transportation system as development and traffic increase on the city’s southwest side.

To help the community keep up with residential and commercial growth, the Arizona Department of Transportation is planning major improvements to this east-west corridor connecting with Interstate 19.

We’ve got an interesting time-lapse video to share with you today that shows the installation of a wildlife underpass on SR 86.