Crews on Tucson's southside are implementing a major traffic shift this weekend as work on the $600 million Interstate 10 expansion moves forward. Drivers will be redirected onto more than a mile of new pavement between Park Avenue and Country Club Road as part of the effort to widen the interstate to three lanes in each direction between Kino Parkway and Alvernon Way. The Arizona Department of Transportation reports the overall project is roughly 40 percent complete, with crews continuing phased construction that will alter access and traffic patterns for months to come.
The highway work has triggered a string of ramp closures and permanent changes that are already affecting motorists and adjacent properties. Park Avenue's on- and off-ramps will be closed as part of the traffic shift, and the westbound Palo Verde on-ramp is being taken out of service permanently. These adjustments accompany the transfer of traffic onto newly laid pavement and are intended to facilitate further construction activity while preserving traffic movement through the corridor.
Owners of businesses that sit alongside the freeway describe daily difficulties stemming from detours, ramp closures and the constant presence of heavy equipment. Purcell's Tire Shop, located near I-10 and Ajo Way, has reported problems receiving and dispatching the large commercial trucks that form the backbone of its business. "We've had a lot of trouble getting big commercial trucks in and out of our property, and that is the core of my business," Laster said, summarizing the operational strain caused by the shifting construction envelope.
The construction zone itself has become a visible feature of the southside landscape, with staging areas, equipment and intermittent lane reconfigurations shaping how customers and delivery vehicles navigate to and from local businesses. Construction staging and heavy equipment at an I-10 overpass near Tucson as expansion work continues, contributing to traffic disruption and pressure on nearby businesses. Operators and patrons alike are encountering altered access points and fluctuating travel times as crews complete sequential elements of the widening project.
State transportation officials say the project is designed to relieve chronic congestion and eliminate pressure points where on-ramps have contributed to backups on an already busy stretch of freeway. "Anyone who has driven this stretch of Interstate 10 knows it is congested, and there is a lot of pressure points at the on ramps, and so we are going to be improving this highway significantly," Groff said, describing the long-term rationale for the current work. ADOT has framed the construction as a long-term investment in traffic flow and driver safety as crews proceed through successive construction stages.
Business owners express a mix of frustration and reluctant acceptance as the work continues. Laster acknowledged that the disruptions have been inconvenient but said he anticipates the finished project will be beneficial. "I know a lot of people don't want change. I am certainly being inconvenienced by it, but I think overall it is something we definitely need," he said. The department estimates the expansion will be completed by mid-2028, a timeline officials say will allow crews to finish reconfiguring lanes, ramps and related infrastructure while managing the impacts to nearby traffic and commerce.
For now, motorists and merchants are adjusting to a construction environment that will remain active for the foreseeable future. Crews are completing pavement, reworking access points and sequencing closures to keep the broader corridor moving as work continues. As the project pushes toward its midpoint, the state emphasizes the eventual goal of a safer, less congested Interstate 10, even as nearby businesses navigate the present-day effects of a large-scale transportation overhaul.