I’ve already written an entry about the I-10 construction that is just now gaining momentum here in town and here is why I’m writing about it again: After speaking with several prospects/clients/friends I’ve come to the conclusion that most people either didn’t know about the construction, didn’t know the full extent of the expansion, or were misinformed about critical details. And because I think this construction will impact most Tucsonans, I’m going to explain the What, When, Where, and Why… and I suppose the How, just to round it out.
What
A 2 1/2-year project that will expand I-10 from the current three lane to four lanes in each direction between the 29th Street and Prince Road exits. There will also be extra lanes for on/off ramps. Seven new bridges and underpasses will be constructed at the following streets: Grant Road, Speedway Boulevard, St. Mary’s Road, Congress Street, Granada Avenue/Clark Street, 18th Street and 22nd Street.
When
UPDATED 6/22/2007: The closure schedule has been updated by one week. Eastbound I-10 will close from Friday, June 22, 2007, at 10 p.m. to Sunday, June 24, 2007, at noon. Eastbound I-10 traffic will be routed onto the eastbound I-10 frontage road at Prince Road. All eastbound ramps between Prince Road and 29th Street will be closed for the duration of the project.
Westbound I-10 from Prince Road to 29th will close from Saturday, June 23, 2007, at 10 p.m. to Sunday, June 24, 2007, at noon. Westbound I-10 traffic will be routed onto the westbound I-10 frontage road at 29th Street. All westbound I-10 ramps between Prince Road and 29th Street remain closed for the duration of the project.
For the next three weeks there will be several alternating closures of eastbound/westbound I-10 with the frontage roads (outlined in graphic below). After July 1, 2007, I-10 will be closed down to 2 lanes eastbound/westbound from Prince Road to 29th Street for the next 3 years. Frontage roads in both directions are being expanded to 3 lanes to accommodate the increased traffic.
Where
From Prince Road on the north side to 29th Street on the south side. All entrance/exit ramps between these two streets will be closed until the completion of the project.
Why
Because Tucson and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) are once again reacting to a problem instead of anticipating one. What’s worse is that they “can’t” add another lane in each direction to make a 10-lane freeway (which will inevitably be needed), according to a recent Q&A article from the Arizona Daily Star: “This section of I-10 cannot be widened again after this project because there will be no more right-of-way space between the interstate and the frontage road.”
How
Not the most critical section but some people may be interested; The project was awarded as a joint venture to Kiewit Western Company and Sundt Construction, Inc. and was budgeted at $200 million.
Conclusion: Everyone will be impacted by the Tucson I-10 construction project at some point in the next 3 years and it will definitely be a big factor in the Tucson real estate market. Someone who works at IBM (on the southeast side of town) will probably think twice about moving to Continental Ranch or Gladden Farms (northwest side of town). The biggest gripe I have with this project is that the speed limit for the frontage roads and the two lanes open in each direction on I-10 will only be 45MPH. Sure to be a headache for those of you who are already in a situation like above.
Hope this information was helpful, for more detailed info and weekly traffic alerts visit ADOT’s I-10 District page.
Technorati Tags: I-10, Tucson, ADOT, Tucson I-10 construction, Tucson real estate, Continental Ranch, Gladden Farms
2 comments ↓
After a recent trip to California, I realized just how good we have it. I don’t want Tucson to have a 10 lane interstate through it. The 10-14 lane highways are not only an atrocious eyesore, but they only serve to draw more traffic. Let the cross-country travelers take I 10/I 17/I 40 through Phoenix and avoid Tucson altogether.
The only thing we need here is a intercity highway. We are the largest city in the country without one. The voters complain about traffic, yet don’t want to do the right thing and fix it, voting it down every time.
Imformation on employment!
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