Tucson

Another interchange upgrade is underway in the Tucson area

Another interchange upgrade is underway in the Tucson area

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Another interchange upgrade is underway in the Tucson area

Another interchange upgrade is underway in the Tucson area

By Garin Groff / ADOT Communications
January 13, 2020

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.

ADOT to hold Small and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Conference

ADOT to hold Small and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Conference

I-17 101 traffic interchange

ADOT to hold Small and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Conference

ADOT to hold Small and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Conference

September 13, 2019

PHOENIX – An Arizona Department of Transportation conference in October will help owners of small businesses and those qualifying for ADOT’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program to become more competitive within the highway industry.

The ADOT DBE and Small Business Conference, to be held Oct. 22-23 at the Casino Del Sol Resort in Tucson, will include an orientation for new and prospective DBE firms, 15-minute “speed” appointments with agencies and prime contractors, and an opportunity to learn about ADOT programs designed to help you build your business. 

The goal: helping small businesses and those owned by members of socially and economically disadvantaged groups compete for transportation projects that receive federal funding.

With a theme of “The Spotlight Is On You,” workshops at the conference will focus on People Power, Smart Transportation and Finding Projects.

Although the conference is geared toward disadvantaged business enterprises and small businesses, it’s open to all businesses, public agencies, vendors and community partners with an interest in transportation.

For more information and to register, please visit the ADOT’s DBE Supportive Services Program page at azdot.gov/DBESupportiveServices.

Running late? New smart signals may make your morning

Running late? New smart signals may make your morning

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Running late? New smart signals may make your morning

Running late? New smart signals may make your morning

November 20, 2018

Tucson Traffic Signals

By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications

A few minutes might not seem like much, unless you’re running late on a Monday morning and the boss is waiting to greet you. Then the last thing you want to see is a traffic signal ahead.

But if you’re driving south of Oracle Road (State Route 77), headed toward downtown Tucson, that signal just may be the best news of your morning.

ADOT engineers in Tucson have installed Pima County’s first adaptive traffic signals in an 8.5-mile section of Oracle between Tangerine and Rudasil roads. Sensors in the roadway measure the speed and volume of traffic and send the information to a computer that can adjust the length of the signals to improve the flow of traffic – including modifying left turn signals.

2018-1120-traffic-sensor-map

Traffic sensor map

The system, funded by ADOT and the Regional Transportation Authority, was installed this summer. So far the results are good news for the estimated 60,000 drivers who use the roadway each day from places like Oro Valley.

Travel times in the area have been reduced by about 10 percent – about two minutes off the morning southbound commute that used to take as long as 20 minutes. We’ve seen a similar improvement for northbound commuters headed home in the afternoons.

A side benefit: Oracle is a safer road during the busiest periods. Traffic signals are timed to match the speed limit during non-peak hours. That means driving the speed limit will get you where you’re going just as fast as the driver who insists on speeding.

From now on, you have a few extra minutes in the morning. Enjoy, thanks to the smartest traffic signals you may ever see.

VIDEO: Renovated Sacaton Rest Area reopens along Interstate 10

VIDEO: Renovated Sacaton Rest Area reopens along Interstate 10

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VIDEO: Renovated Sacaton Rest Area reopens along Interstate 10

VIDEO: Renovated Sacaton Rest Area reopens along Interstate 10

November 15, 2018

By Steve Elliott / ADOT Communications

ADOT rest areas are far more than places to – well, you know.

Among other things, rest areas provide opportunities to stretch legs, walk pets, have picnic lunches and safely use phones and other mobile electronic devices.

We understand it's a hardship when a rest area closes for a long renovation, and we appreciate your patience while we upgraded facilities at the I-10 Sacaton Rest Area between Phoenix and Casa Grande.

Located at about 30 miles southeast of Phoenix near State Route 387, Sacaton is the only ADOT pit stop along I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix.

Our video team was on hand as Sacaton reopened last week to show the improvements and talk with travelers. We hope you enjoy the video above as well as the many upgrades at; this well-used rest area.

Coming soon to I-19 Tucson: the braided ramp

Coming soon to I-19 Tucson: the braided ramp

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Coming soon to I-19 Tucson: the braided ramp

Coming soon to I-19 Tucson: the braided ramp

September 10, 2018

By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications

How did the freeway cross the road?

It sounds too simple. Every time a freeway crosses a major street there’s an interchange. For years, engineers have chosen from two primary designs: a diamond interchange with four on- and off-ramps connecting the freeway with the street, and a cloverleaf that uses a combination of long straight ramps and four circular ramps that look a little like a four-leaf clover.

If only life were that simple.

The options for engineers today are endless. Some of the options are already in use or planned in Arizona. There’s the Single Point Urban Interchange, like the one was just constructed on Interstate 19 and Ajo Way, where all ramps come to a single point and are controlled by a single traffic signal. A diverging diamond design, which is planned for Happy Valley and I-17 in Phoenix, two South Mountain Freeway interchanges and Houghton and I-10 in Tucson, eliminates left turns across traffic by having drivers make a temporary shift to the left side while crossing the freeway.

Ramps themselves can add another twist. For the southbound on-ramp at Ajo Way and I-19, our engineers wanted to make it easier for drivers to merge while getting on or off I-19.

Introducing a braided ramp.

To prevent drivers getting on and off the freeway from having to maneuver around each other, in a braided configuration one ramp is elevated, passing over the other ramp.

At Ajo Way and I-19, the southbound on-ramp will pass over the top of the Irvington Road exit ramp. It looks a little like braided hair. You can see a demonstration of how a braided ramp works in the video above, which was made by the city of Round Rock, Texas.

The drivers never cross paths, enhancing safety.

Second phase of I-19/Ajo Way improvement begins in Tucson

Second phase of I-19/Ajo Way improvement begins in Tucson

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Second phase of I-19/Ajo Way improvement begins in Tucson

Second phase of I-19/Ajo Way improvement begins in Tucson

July 25, 2018

PHOENIX – About three months after completing the first phase of improvements to the interchange of Interstate 19 and Ajo Way in Tucson, Arizona Department of Transportation crews have begun the second half of the project.

Work on water and sewer lines to clear the way for the project started this week. Drivers likely won’t see restrictions on area roads until this fall.

The $32 million project includes building a new bridge over the Santa Cruz River, widening Ajo Way between I-19 and Holiday Isle Boulevard, replacing the pedestrian bridge at Michigan Street and creating a braided ramp south of Ajo Way (State Route 86). The Pima Association of Governments, the regional transportation-planning agency, is contributing about $6 million toward the cost.

The braided ramp will have the entrance ramp to southbound I-19 at Ajo Way going over the exit ramp for Irvington Road. The design avoids having drivers maneuver around each other as they enter or exit the freeway. Some of the work to create the braided ramp was completed during the first phase of the project.

Work on the second phase is expected to take about 18 months and should be complete in January 2020.

Improvements during the $54 million first phase included a wider Ajo Way bridge over I-19, new ramps and new interchange design with a single set of signals controlling traffic flow. Other improvements included a wider Irvington Road exit lane, noise walls from Ajo Way south to Irvington Road, a wider Ajo Way east of I-19, a repaved Elizabeth Drive and a reconstructed Lamar Avenue.

Signaling a commitment to southeast Pima County

Signaling a commitment to southeast Pima County

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Signaling a commitment to southeast Pima County

Signaling a commitment to southeast Pima County

July 25, 2018

Tucson project Map

By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications

From the time Interstate 10 arrived in Tucson in 1965, we've worked to make sure the freeway kept pace with Pima County’s growth.

Growth in southeast Pima County is translating into more vehicles on I-10. Since 2012, average daily traffic on I-10 at Kolb Road has increased by nearly 20 percent to almost 50,000 vehicles each day.

That’s the reason behind the work we’ll be doing for the next seven months where I-10 meets Rita, Wilmot and Kolb roads. We’re replacing stop signs at the end of each exit ramp with traffic signals that will move traffic more efficiently on and off the freeway and reduce delays when you’re trying to get home at the end of a workday. We’re also adding lanes on the eastbound exit and westbound on ramps at Rita Road.

That’s not all. Two years from now we will rebuild the traffic interchange at Houghton Road with a diverging diamond design. It’s safer and moves traffic more efficiently than traditional interchanges.

Right now we’re adding a new surface to the bridge at Wilmot Road to make it last for years to come, just as we did at Craycroft Road last year. We’re using a temporary bridge to maintain two lanes of traffic in each direction and avoid delays.

As this area of Pima County grows, we're right there with you.

Tucson MVD gets facelift

Tucson MVD gets facelift

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Tucson MVD gets facelift

Tucson MVD gets facelift

July 19, 2017

By Doug Nick / ADOT Communications

Everybody likes an upgrade, right? And even though the Motor Vehicle Division continues to make it easier for our customers – you – to get things done with us online, there are those times when a visit to an MVD location is needed.

Sometimes, an office needs a facelift.

For the good folks in Tucson, an upgrade of MVD’s Regional Service Center – the largest MVD office in the Old Pueblo – was definitely in order, and MVD has delivered.

We took an office that was designed for a different era (think back to when MC Hammer still made hit music) and turned it into an efficient, open environment that serves 21st century customers.

We ripped out walls that interrupted foot traffic. We installed energy-efficient LED lights, expanded our vehicle road test and inspection areas, and modernized our infrastructure to accommodate the rapidly changing computer environment for our employees.

One thing we didn’t change was our ongoing commitment to improvement. The time it takes to get in and out of our urban offices statewide is below 30 minutes and often lower.

MVD’s vision is to get you out of line and safely on the road. At the Tucson Regional Service Center, our “facelift” made that a little bit easier.

Last call for comments on this phase of the Sonoran Corridor study

Last call for comments on this phase of the Sonoran Corridor study

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Last call for comments on this phase of the Sonoran Corridor study

Last call for comments on this phase of the Sonoran Corridor study

July 11, 2017

Sonorah Corridor Study Map

By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications

When Arizona Department of Transportation engineers met with the community in Tucson and Sahuarita a month ago to talk about the proposed Sonoran Corridor, a mid-July deadline to comment at the start of a three-year environmental study must have seemed far in the future.

Don’t look now, but that deadline will be here before the weekend.

As with any important project, you will have more chances during the three-year study to let us know what you think about the proposed Sonoran Corridor, which would connect Interstate 10 and Interstate 19 south of Tucson International Airport. But now is the time to make your feelings known if you want your input included during this initial scoping phase.

Our first step will be to study a range of possible corridors for their potential social, economic and environmental impacts. If there’s a route through the study area that you like or don’t like, this is the time to share that with us so we can take your input or concerns into account as part of our study. In about three years, we’ll likely come back to discuss a possible route in more detail.

Under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, the Sonoran Corridor has been designated as high-priority route that would support the economy of southern Arizona and the entire state while, relieving congestion at the interchange of I-10 and I-19 in downtown Tucson.

We want to hear from you before the deadline of Friday, July 14. Here’s how:

  • Complete an online comment form at azdot.gov/SonoranCorridor.
  • Visit gg.mysocialpinpoint.com/sonorancorridor to select any part of the study area that’s important to you, drop a virtual pin onto it and leave your comments. This interactive tool is available in Spanish too.
  • Email your comments to [email protected].
  • Mail your comments to: Sonoran Corridor Tier 1 EIS Study Team, c/o ADOT Communications, 1655 W. Jackson St., Mail Drop 126F, Phoenix, AZ 85007 (must be postmarked by 5 p.m. Friday, July 15, 2017, to be included in the project record during the scoping phase).

There also is a toll-free bilingual information line: 855.712.8530.

We have no route, timetable or funding for the Sonoran Corridor so far. What we have is a chance for you to let us know your thoughts. For more information on the Sonoran Corridor, visit azdot.gov/SonoranCorridor.

Sonoran Corridor: A map without a route

Sonoran Corridor: A map without a route

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Sonoran Corridor: A map without a route

Sonoran Corridor: A map without a route

June 6, 2017

Sonoran Corridor Vicinity Map

By Tom Hermmann / ADOT Communications

If you look closely, there seems to be something missing from the map of the Sonoran Corridor that accompanies this blog. Just south of Tucson International Airport, somewhere near where the map identifies PIMA COUNTY.

The map with our announcement of public meetings on the Sonoran Corridor doesn't show the Sonoran Corridor.

There’s a good reason for that: So far, it does not exist. No route. No timetable. No funding.

The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act designated the Sonoran Corridor – a route that would connect Interstate 10 and Interstate 19 south of the airport as a high-priority corridor that would diversify, support and connect the economy of southern Arizona. It also would reduce congestion at the interchange of I-19 and I-10 and reduce travel distance in southern Arizona.

Twice this week – Wednesday in Tucson and Thursday in Sahuarita – ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration will welcome the public to scoping meetings on the project. We’re working to identify 2,000-foot wide corridors that could someday be the site of the route. Over about the next three years we will study the economic and environmental impact of building the Sonoran Corridor in those areas. We’ll also study the impact of not building a road.

This week’s meetings will be at Wednesday at the Radisson Hotel Tucson Airport (4550 S. Palo Verde Road) and Thursday at the Santa Cruz Valley United Methodist Church (70 E. Sahuarita Road, Sahuarita). Both meetings start at 5:30 p.m. with presentations beginning at 6 p.m.

There will be more chances to speak up on this project, but there may be no better time than while we’re just starting our environmental studies. We hope you’ll join us.

For more information on the Sonoran Corridor or to find other ways to comment, visit azdot.gov/SonoranCorridor.