TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — If you’re a frustrated driver, you have some things to look forward to in the five-year plan ADOT just approved.
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has approved $571 million in projects that widen highways or improve interchanges across the state during the five years.
One project close to the Phoenix area that was approved provides more funding to widen Interstate 17 north of the Valley near Anthem. The project will continue to add lanes along I-17 between Anthem Way and Sunset Point, which began in 2022.
Another project approved is $400 million to widen Interstate 10 between Loop 202 in the southwest Valley and State Route 387.
Garin Groff of ADOT said, “One of the biggest elements of this five-year program is expanding I-10 going from four to six lanes between Casa Grande and Phoenix. This is going to be a project that we hope to begin within this calendar year at the Gila River bridges and then keep working on the project during the course of that five-year program.”
In northern Arizona, projects approved include widening State Route 260, and an interchange between Interstate 40 and U.S. 93.
"Additionally, the plan will invest more than $2.5 billion in pavement preservation projects across Arizona over five years, upgrading 400 lane miles of pavement from fair and poor condition to good condition," ADOT said in a release.
SOUTHERN ARIZONA PROJECTS
At Classic Industries they love cars and fix more than a few that had a tough life on rough roads. Mechanic Nathan Dominguez says the idea of wide, smoother freeways sounds great.
“Any road that can be a little bit wider means more traffic can go in and out, means less you know, less buildup of traffic so it can make a lot easier a lot easier for people to go through the streets and everything like that.”
One upgrade in ADOT’s 5-year plan comes close to the Tucson shop.
It will smooth out the two miles of I-10 from Valencia to Alvernon and widen it from two lanes in each direction to three lanes.
Other highlights of the $817 million slated for Southern Arizona include $185 million for the I-10-Kino Traffic interchange and $156 million for the Country Club Road interchange.
High-profile projects for Cochise County include a total of almost eight miles of pavement rehab on State Road 90 between I-10 and Sierra Vista.
And the “T” in ADOT does not just mean ground transportation, the five-year plan pours more than $33 million of local, state, and Federal money to improve runways at Tucson International Airport.