Roadwork stops for no one.
Neither do the emails to Road Runner from Tucson drivers curious about what work is being done and how much longer to expect detours and stop-and-go traffic that accompanies street repairs and improvements.
While Road Runner can’t cover every road paving or pothole patch, here are updates on projects readers have asked about:
Interstate 10-Ruthrauff Road Interchange project
The Interstate 10-Ruthrauff Road interchange project gets underway in a few months, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Preliminary work will occur through the rest of this year, but ADOT says it expects to have a contractor in place early next year to officially start the interchange work.
Soon after New Year’s Day, workers will configure the interstate to run under Ruthrauff. It will also be widened to four lanes in each direction. Ruthrauff will get wider too, to two lanes in each direction.
The work will be similar to the Ina Road interchange project completed last summer. Ruthrauff will be raised over the railroad tracks, putting an end to long waits for drivers waiting for a train to pass.
The frontage roads will connect to the elevated Ruthrauff Road, like they now do in Ina.
Once the project gets going, expect the Ruthrauff exit to close for about 24 months. That, too, is similar to the road closure experienced with the Ina project.
Access to businesses on Ruthrauff will be maintained, ADOT says.
Until a contractor is selected, details regarding expected closures and delays are unknown.
Broadway and Camino Seco road widening
There’s good news for east-side motorists who’ve been waiting to drive on a much smoother Broadway between Houghton Road and Camino Seco.
Base paving started Tuesday on a two-mile stretch of Broadway widened to four lanes, transportation officials say.
The improvements will also include new sidewalks, streetlights, 5-foot bike lanes and a storm drainage system to reduce flooding.
And it’s almost over.
Drivers have been dealing with a 25 mph speed limit — one open lane in each direction — for much of the project, which is part of the voter-approved Regional Transportation Authority plan.
Work started in September 2018 and could be completed in January 2020, transportation officials said.
13-mile Houghton Road Corridor improvements
Drivers on the east side also seem to be enjoying a recently widened Houghton Road. It takes motorists coming to, or from, I-10 over Union Pacific trains.
Houghton has been widened to six travel lanes, with crews opening the final 1.2 miles last week. There’s also a six-foot asphalt sidewalk on the east side of Houghton.
Crews are getting getting ready to take on improvements along Houghton from Valencia Road to Mary Ann Cleveland Way. Motorists should use caution in the area as crews conduct preliminary work near the road.
You can see what’s next at an open house scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at Empire High School, 10701 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way.
Down the Road
Improvements to Houghton Road south of I-10: Construction crews are continuing their road work south of I-10 near Andrada Polytechnic High School.
On Thursday, crews will be conducting striping work on Houghton from East Brekke to East Sahuarita roads until Friday, Nov. 1.
