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TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – A $600 million project, which will widen Interstate 10 from Kino Parkway to Alvernon Way, has reached its halfway point.
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The three-mile project — described as southern Arizona’s largest in history — will expand I-10 from two lanes to three lanes in each direction, add a new interchange at Country Club Road, improve the interchange at Kino Parkway, and add bridges over Palo Verde and Irvington.
Garin Groff with the Arizona Department of Transportation said the corridor has long needed the added capacity.
“Certainly we know this is a congested area of I-10 that only had two lanes in each direction,” Groff said.
Groff said the project is part of a broader effort by the department.
“We recognize the need to increase capacity, and this is the first of many projects that ADOT is planning,” he said.
Construction has affected businesses in the area. Monica Jimenez, an assistant manager at Gersons Used Building Materials, said daily sales have dropped significantly since work began.
“We went from having about 42 sales a day to maybe having 16 sales a day, so definitely a lot slower than typical,” Jimenez said.
Jimenez said customer confusion about access has added to the challenge.
“We get about 10 to 15 calls a day just asking if we’re open and how to get to us,” she said.
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Groff said ADOT has worked to keep access open for businesses along the corridor.
“There may be some temporary detours, but we are maintaining access because we recognize it’s an important part of any construction project,” he said.
The new Country Club interchange is scheduled to open this fall. Because it will replace the existing interchange at Palo Verde, the Palo Verde interchange is set to close permanently to make way for upcoming widening work in that area.
Jimenez said she expects the completed project to benefit the business long-term.
“I’m super excited for it to be done, to be honest, because I know in the long run it is gonna be better for business,” she said.
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