Tucson: I-10 widening delayed again

[colin]

Future I-10 widening delayed (lower part of page)

The project had been delayed significantly last year due to the City and ADOT looking into a Downtown tunnel alternative (big waste of time). They have already been closing ramps and underpasses so I'm not sure what the point of doing this now is.

Either way, we're again looking at another delay to the completion date. I'd hate to this stretch of I-10 become one of those "always under construction" freeways like so many in the Valley (looking at you, Maricopa Freeway).

[convulso]

J. harvey C! this stretch of I-10 is about as uncomplicated as you can get. tucson (or maybe it's just pima, or the state) is great at drag-assing its road projects. the river road widening; alvernon north; craycroft to sunrise...eternities, all. maybe things were different before i came a' beotchin.'

...due to the City and ADOT looking into a Downtown tunnel alternative (big waste of time).

[colin]

I agree with you. Actually, in Houston, they put that stretch of 59 between the existing below-grade stretch west of Mandell east to 288 under a couple of years ago and I think the city is just better for it. I remember how going under that ugly overpass on Montrose felt and now it's a nice, arched bridge. It did certainly bring the area back together.

However, Tucson's not only different from almost any other metro, but also, just on the other side of our only glorious freeway, we have the daunting Santa Cruz Sandbox, which not only is butt-ugly, but also cannot be crossed without a bridge.

When they were talking about the tunnel and "re-uniting" that's what I didn't quite understand: re-uniting what? The two sides of the river north of Congress have historically been very different and would more than likely remain so. It would have been a nice addition to the whole Rio Nuevo thing (the "Rio Nuevo" thing actually on the river) but it was never worth the cost, and I don't think that it was even worth the time.

I know at some point, someone, somewhere has planned a "Riverwalk" on this thing, and I'm certain that I've seen renderings where the river actually has water in it. It would be nice to restore it to its original character, but then you would be at a loss when the floods come, like the one we had just this past summer, which is why it and the Rillito were built like that in the first place.

[traal]

In Arizona, about 42,800 drive at least 90 minutes - one way

Commuters say the trip [between Tucson and Phoenix] gets more stressful and expensive every year. Traffic is increasing, and vehicles are traveling at 75 mph or faster. Gasoline prices continue to hover near $3 a gallon. And the major widening project has closed the main freeway ramps leading to Tucson's downtown and the University of Arizona for the next 2 1/2 years.

[colin]

I can't imagine spending 90 minutes each way and $200 every week on a commute, no matter how much nicer Tucson is. It would be much more reasonable to get together with a few coworkers and rent an apartment during the week.

[traal]

They really do need 3 lanes on that stretch though because of the truck traffic.

[colin]

As traffic increases and cuts into their profits, won't they just move more and more cargo by rail?