PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is honoring a late civil engineer tasked with managing the development of the Interstate 10 Deck Park Tunnel and final segments of the Papago Freeway north of downtown Phoenix.

On Tuesday, May 7, ADOT Director Jennifer Toth, former ADOT Director and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters and others dedicated the I-10 tunnel in Dean Lindsey’s name with signs outside each tunnel entrance and a plaque in Margaret T. Hance Park. Lindsey guided development of the interstate’s downtown-area segments, including the tunnel, in the 1970s and ’80s. The Deck Park Tunnel, which was part of the “Final Mile” of I-10 across the country, opened to traffic in August 1990. 

ADOT officials, former colleagues and others joined Lindsey’s family in the park, located above the tunnel through which well over 250,000 vehicles pass daily, to unveil a plaque reading “Dean Lindsey I-10 Memorial Tunnel.” The work included close collaboration with the city of Phoenix and the community on the complex development of the tunnel and the city’s Margaret T. Hance Park. 

“Dean Lindsey had a reputation for bringing people together during the design work that allowed I-10 and Hance Park to become realities in the downtown Phoenix area more than 30 years ago,” Director Toth said. “He was a key architect of the early Valley freeway program, and I’m sure he’d want to share this dedication with those who worked beside him.”

That sentiment was shared by a one-time colleague, retired ADOT Chief Deputy State Engineer Bob Mickelson. 

“You can’t overstate the work that Dean put into the Papago Freeway,” Mickelson said. “There were times he was working seven days a week. He was wonderful with people, which was important at a time when planning that section of I-10 was politically charged. He was the right man to lead the planning and design processes for the tunnel project, the I-17 Stack interchange and the I-10 connections with State Route 51.” 

Lindsey began working for ADOT in 1974. He also spent time working in the consultant engineering sector. His daughter Laura Felten summed up her father’s legacy this way:

“Dad loved his work at ADOT and looked back on it with pride. He had many stories about the accomplishments, the camaraderie with coworkers and the problem solving required to deliver projects. Whenever our family drives through the Deck Park Tunnel, we call it ‘PaPa’s Tunnel.’ We are so honored that it now bears his name.” 

Lindsey retired from ADOT in 2006 and passed away in 2023. He was honored with an Arizona Transportation Legacy Award in 2014 during the 63rd Conference on Roads and Streets held in Tucson. The Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names is the official state body that approved naming the tunnel in Dean Lindsey’s honor.  

PHOENIX – Consider making an early start toward State Farm Stadium if you’re planning to spend Tuesday night together with tens of thousands of other Rolling Stones fans. 

With the concert scheduled for 8 p.m. and doors opening at 6 p.m., heavier traffic is likely all down the line on westbound Interstate 10 in Phoenix and on Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) in Glendale as concertgoers join the usual crowd goin’ home. ADOT encourages all drivers to allow extra time and avoid acting like wild horses. We have sympathy for you. 

The situation needn’t ruin your Ruby Tuesday or leave you shattered, however. Those who gotta get away from the Chandler/southeast Valley area might actually get some satisfaction by using westbound/northbound Loop 202 (South Mountain Freeway) to bypass I-10 through downtown Phoenix. Parking lots open at 4 p.m., so if you make an earlier start you just might wind up hanging fire while waiting on a friend who didn’t heed this advice. You can tell them, “Miss you.” 

You can get the real-time lowdown on highway conditions on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov or by calling 511. ADOT also shines a light via its Twitter/X feed, @ArizonaDOT.

TUCSON – Some of the most visible work to rebuild a section of I-10 in the Tucson area is quickly progressing as work crews have now set more than 80 bridge girders in place and installed large sections of the new concrete driving surface.

Work is now 40 percent complete on the Arizona Department of Transportation’s project to reconstruct and widen I-10 between Ina and Ruthrauff roads, with work starting just less than one year ago.

A key element of the project involves placing 217 girders for nine new bridges, and most of those girders along I-10 will be set by the end of March. Meanwhile, work crews have completed 80 percent of concrete paving work and are now turning to concrete drainage features and barriers.

That concrete barrier work is key to a future milestone that will return drivers back to I-10 itself rather than using the current detour along frontage roads. Once the barrier work is complete by late summer, westbound and eastbound I-10 traffic will shift to the reconstructed freeway lanes.

When traffic returns to I-10, crews will then focus on finishing the Orange Grove Road interchange, which is expected to reopen in late 2024. 

After that, work shifts to the Sunset Road interchange. As part of that interchange work, ADOT will construct a project funded by Pima County that will extend Sunset Road east to River Road with new bridges over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and the Rillito River.

The overall project will continue through late 2025, when the Sunset Road interchange will reopen.

ADOT will maintain access to local businesses throughout the project.

Other project improvements include:

• Rebuilding the Orange Grove Road bridges to allow for higher clearance
• New Orange Grove and Sunset road interchanges that will feature additional lanes on entrance and exit ramps to promote safety and reduce delays
• Replacing all nine bridges in the project area, including those over Canada del Oro Wash and Rillito River
• Constructing an access path to the Chuck Huckelberry Loop from Sunset Road
• Related work on lighting, landscaping and drainage

The I-10 project is part of the Regional Transportation Authority’s roadway improvement plan, managed by the Pima Association of Governments.

For more information, please visit azdot.gov/i10ina2ruthrauff.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation will hold a virtual public meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 23, to provide information, gather comments and answer questions about designs to improve the Interstate 10 interchange at Jackrabbit Trail in the Buckeye area.

ADOT’s virtual meeting is scheduled as follows:

• 6 to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 23 
• Participants can register online at azdot.gov/JackrabbitMtg
• You also can use the call in number: 669.444.9171 Participant ID: 264911
• English Webinar ID: 951 5167 6868  Spanish Webinar ID: 948 3052 6118

Planned improvements include:

• Reconstructing the I-10/Jackrabbit Trail interchange and adding traffic signals.
• Widening on- and off-ramps and providing additional turn lanes.
• Widening Jackrabbit Trail to three lanes in each direction between McDowell Road and Van Buren Street.

The project to improve traffic flow and safety at the Jackrabbit Trail interchange is not currently funded for construction. This project is included in the Regional Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Investment Plan.

The virtual meeting will include a presentation by ADOT’s project team and an opportunity for questions and comments from participants. Following the meeting the presentation will be available on the project’s study website at azdot.gov/I10Jackrabbit.

Public comments about the draft recommended improvements at I-10 and Jackrabbit Trail can be submitted through Feb. 7 in the following ways: An online survey at azdot.gov/i10JackrabbitComments; by phone at 623.695.7411; by mail at ADOT Community Relations, 1655 West Jackson St., MD 126F, Phoenix, AZ 85007 and by email at [email protected].

TUCSON – Major improvements are in the works for those who use Interstate 10 in the Tucson area, where new lanes and a rebuilt interchange are on track to open by the end of the coming year.

Motorists can expect a year of many changes as part of the ongoing project to widen I-10 between Ina and Ruthrauff roads. It’s one of several significant projects the Arizona Department of Transportation has planned for southern Arizona in 2024. 

Some highly visible progress on I-10 will begin early in the year as crews place 121 girders for nine new bridges, along with concrete paving for the rebuilt section of freeway.

And while heavy construction will dominate the 4-mile segment of I-10 during the year, it will come with a big payoff. By late 2024, ADOT will shift traffic onto a reconstructed freeway featuring four lanes of traffic in each direction. And the Orange Grove Road interchange will reopen with wider entrance and exit ramps to promote safety and better traffic flow.

The $171 million I-10 project will continue into 2025, when a reconstructed Sunset Road interchange opens. The interchange will feature a connection eastward to River Road thanks to a new bridge, funded by Pima County, that will carry traffic over the Union Pacific railroad tracks and the Rillito River.

Throughout the project, ADOT is maintaining three lanes of traffic through the work zone during daytime hours and maintaining access to businesses. The public can get project updates and traffic alerts at azdot.gov/i10ina2ruthrauff

Beyond Tucson, ADOT is planning projects to:

• Repair the US 191 bridge over I-10 at milepost 131, about 9 miles west of Willcox. The work will include replacing the girders and deck following a crash that severely damaged the bridge in early 2023. Construction will begin in early 2024 and extend through the summer. For more information, please visit azdot.gov/US191BridgeRepair
• Construct dual roundabouts in Florence. The project includes a dual roundabout at State Route 287 and SR 79B in cooperation with the town of Florence and Maricopa Association of Governments. Nearby, ADOT will construct a single lane roundabout at SR 79B and Florence Heights Drive. The project is scheduled to be complete in summer 2024. For more information, please visit azdot.gov/FlorenceRoundabouts

ADOT also has several pavement improvement projects planned in the coming year, including along 10 miles of I-10 near Casa Grande and 20 miles of SR 90 in and near Sierra Vista. For more information, please visit azdot.gov/projects. 

WILLCOX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has secured federal emergency funds for repairs to a bridge spanning Interstate 10 in southeast Arizona that a large truck severely damaged in a fatal crash earlier this year.

The $5.3 million in funding will enable ADOT to rebuild the superstructure, which includes the girders and deck, of the bridge carrying US 191 over I-10 at milepost 331, about 9 miles west of Willcox. After the crash in early May, ADOT worked with a contractor to build a temporary support structure for the bridge and quickly restore I-10 traffic through the area. 

The US 191 bridge has been closed since the crash in early May, cutting direct access from westbound I-10 to southbound US 191 and from northbound US 191 to westbound I-10. Connections with eastbound I-10 remain open, and alternate routes between westbound I-10 and points south on US 191 include Dragoon Road at milepost 318. ADOT has worked closely with stakeholders who are eager to restore access. 

While the public will first see activity at the project site in early 2024, work has already begun off-site to manufacture key components of the new structure. Once the new girders are delivered to the site, the old US 191 superstructure will be demolished so a new structure can be built in its place.

The project is expected to be complete in summer 2024.

TUCSON – A widening and reconstruction project in the northwest Tucson area has transformed a 4-mile segment of Interstate 10 since work began this spring, demolishing travel lanes, multiple bridges and two interchanges that have been in constant use for decades.

With those familiar features now gone, motorists are starting to see the initial signs of the highway’s new features as the Arizona Department of Transportation rebuilds the roadway to add a fourth travel lane between Ina and Ruthrauff roads.

The $171 million project is now 25 percent complete as crews have regraded sections of the roadway, while also placing foundations for nine new bridges that will span washes and reconstructed interchanges at Orange Grove and Sunset roads.

Within the next several months, even more dramatic changes will become apparent as crews begin pouring the concrete roadway surface and hoisting 121 bridge girders into place.

Many of those girders will make up a reconfigured Sunset Road interchange that will carry the roadway over I-10, reversing the old design that had Sunset beneath the highway. As part of the interchange work, a project funded by Pima County will extend Sunset Road east to River Road, with new bridges over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and the Rillito River.

ADOT has minimized construction impacts by maintaining three lanes of traffic on the I-10 frontage roads during daytime hours, with lane restrictions limited to overnight hours. However, traffic will return to the newly rebuilt and widened area of I-10 by late 2024. At that time, the reconstructed Orange Grove interchange will also reopen.

The project will continue through late 2025, when the Sunset Road interchange will reopen.

At Orange Grove and Sunset roads, the new interchanges will feature additional lanes on the entrance and exit ramps to promote safety and reduce delays.

While Orange Grove and Sunset road interchanges are closed, motorists should consider Ruthrauff and Ina roads as alternate routes. 

ADOT will maintain access to local businesses throughout the project.

Other project improvements include:

• Rebuilding the Orange Grove Road bridges to allow for higher clearance
• Replacing all nine bridges in the project area, including those over Canada del Oro Wash and Rillito River
• Constructing an access path to the Chuck Huckelberry Loop from Sunset Road
• Related work on lighting, landscaping and drainage

The I-10 project is part of the Regional Transportation Authority’s roadway improvement plan, managed by the Pima Association of Governments.

For more information, please visit azdot.gov/i10ina2ruthrauff.

PHOENIX – Heavier traffic is likely on westbound Interstate 10 and Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) in the West Valley on Friday afternoon, Aug. 11, prior to the preseason game between the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Fans heading to State Farm Stadium in Glendale should allow extra time and try to arrive early. Stadium parking lots will open at 3 p.m. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Those traveling from the Chandler/southeast Valley region should consider using westbound/northbound Loop 202 (South Mountain Freeway) to bypass I-10 in the downtown Phoenix area. 

Crews working for Glendale will be prepared to close Loop 101 on- or off-ramps near the stadium at times as part of the city’s plan to enhance traffic flow before and after the game.

Fans also should practice patience after leaving the stadium and be prepared for heavier freeway traffic along sections of Loop 101 and I-10 in the West Valley. 

Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov or by calling 511. ADOT also provides information and updates via its Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT. 

PHOENIX –  The Arizona Department of Transportation is advising motorists to plan ahead and expect to use detours as eastbound Interstate 10 will be closed between SR 51 and US 60 from 10 p.m. Friday, June 16, to 4 a.m. Monday, June 19, for bridge work and a traffic shift. During this closure, the following ramps will be closed. 

• Eastbound I-10 on-ramps at Third, Seventh and Jefferson streets, Buckeye Road, 24th, 32nd and 40th streets and Broadway Road
• The loop ramp from southbound SR 143 to eastbound I-10
• Southbound I-17 on-ramps at Seventh Avenue and Seventh Street
• The ramp from southbound I-17 to eastbound I-10
• The westbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) ramp to eastbound I-10
• The southbound SR 51 on-ramp at McDowell Road
• The ramps from southbound SR 51 to eastbound I-10 
• The high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) ramp from eastbound I-10 to eastbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway)

Detour: Use eastbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) to southbound Loop 101 (Price Freeway) to westbound US 60 or Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) to access eastbound I-10 beyond the closure. Drivers traveling on southbound I-17 can use westbound I-10 to eastbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway).

West Valley drivers heading to the Southeast Valley can bypass the closure by using the Loop 202 (South Mountain Freeway). From I-10 and 59th Avenue, travel south and east to connect with I-10 south of Chandler Boulevard.

Please note: Schedules can quickly change because of weather and other unforeseen situations. For the most up-to-date information, we encourage you to download the Interstate 10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project’s free mobile app, The Curve, or visit the Alerts section of the project website before you travel.

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The I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project is identified in the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan, funded by a half-cent sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004 through Proposition 400. MAG identified the need for this project to reduce travel times on I-10 during peak hours; improve airport access; support ridesharing and transit; and prepare the region for future growth projections. Learn more about the major improvements here. 

PHOENIX – A busy 8-mile stretch of Interstate 10 in the West Valley has been widened to three lanes in both directions as an Arizona Department of Transportation freeway improvement project moves into the homestretch.

ADOT’s ongoing $82 million project has widened I-10 by one lane in both directions between Verrado Way and State Route 85. The new lanes are designed to improve safety and overall traffic flow for local drivers in Buckeye and motorists on longer trips in or out of the West Valley.

Weeknight and weekend lane restrictions are still planned while crews take care of final work on the project over the next several weeks. Construction on the two-year project started in July 2021.

In addition to the new lanes, I-10: SR 85 to Verrado Way Improvements is constructing new freeway bridges and reconstructing ramps connecting I-10 with SR 85. Crews also modernized the interchanges at Watson and Miller roads by rebuilding them using the diverging diamond design.

The I-10 project in Buckeye is part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan. It is funded in part by Prop 400, a dedicated sales tax for transportation improvements approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004.