AVONDALE, AZ — The ABC15 Operations Safe Roads team is asking questions about a stretch of the I-10 heading westbound.
Multiple drivers wrote in saying they can’t see the lanes, especially during rush hour.
Drivers say this is in the area between 67th and 91st avenues, which is under construction.
“I was driving from here to see a friend in Avondale on I-10 typical afternoon traffic, stop and go,” said Sean Burgess
Suddenly in the bright sun, heading westbound near 67th Avenue, Burgess was lost on the road.
“Next thing I know everyone is slamming on the brakes,” said Burgess. “Then I noticed I can’t see the lines and then I noticed cars fighting over the same lanes.”
Working in insurance and having been hit before, Burgess had a dash cam rolling.
The most problematic areas appear to be when people are merging off of streets like 67th Avenue or even further up like 75th Avenue.
In the dashcam, you can hear Burgess say, “Nobody can see the lines on the road, so everybody is merging into each other.”
Burgess said the sun makes the temporary lines very hard to see, then the old lines are still visible, and there’s also etching on the road that adds to the confusion.
ABC15 got multiple complaints about this area between 67th and 91st avenues.
“All you have are white lines on gray pavement and when you are facing the glare from the sun and you have five lanes of traffic and nobody knows where their lane is,” said Greg Norris.
Norris was driving with his wife when they found themselves in the chaos.
ABC15 asked ADOT about the striping and they said this is all temporary.
“Help is on the way in that we are doing the permanent striping weekend by weekend,” said ADOT spokesperson, Doug Nintzel.
In the area Norris and Burgess had issues, ADOT anticipates crews will get permanent striping down the weekend of the May 13.
But we asked ADOT what drivers are supposed to do in the interim.
“Well it’s going to be a matter of using caution,” said Nintzel. “We understand, we’ve heard concerns as well but it’s a matter of being careful out there. Trying your best as far as following the lanes that are there.”
They also recommend, if drivers are concerned, to try a different route because they say there’s no quick fix.
“We’ve been advising drivers think about using McDowell Road, think about using Buckeye Road, alternate routes that would get you around,” said Nintzel.