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[Sonic99]

Take a look at the fifth picture in the link below to see how I-10 would have split off west at the Durango Curve.  The photo shows one of the original overpasses that would have carried I-10 westbound traffic under the I-17 southbound to I-10 eastbound lanes:

https://www.azcentral.com/picture-gallery/travel/arizona/road-trips/2017/04/18/phoenix-area-freeway-history/100619786/

The aerial, dated 1963, shows the 17 where it made a significant turn at the Durango Curve.  The Broadway Curve, is on 10, and is sort of the opposite corner of the downtown freeway complex.  The aerials in the AZ Republic article clearly show the shortage of Freeways during the early growth decades of Phoenix.

I'm not sure what you are attempting to clarify here, as the Broadway curve wasn't mentioned in the post you quoted. The original intent was for the E-W portion of what is now I-17 was supposed to simply be I-10, with I-17 starting at the Durango curve and extending to the north. The original interchange built at what is now the "Split" by Sky Harbor originally had the through-lanes continue west, not turn north as they do now. The plan was for what is now the 51 to start there. When everything got shuffled around in the 70's and they moved the I-10 alignment to the current layout, they filled in the bridges at the Durango curve, and ultimately in the 80's tore down and reconfigured the Split to the configuration it has today.

[The Ghostbuster]

If the original Interstate 10 alignment in the Phoenix area had been constructed as proposed, would it have taken as long to construct as the realignment? After all, existing Interstate 10 in Phoenix wasn't completed until August 10, 1990.

[brad2971]

If the original Interstate 10 alignment in the Phoenix area had been constructed as proposed, would it have taken as long to construct as the realignment? After all, existing Interstate 10 in Phoenix wasn't completed until August 10, 1990.

The eventual alignment of I-10, and the controversy over "helicoil" interchanges, can be interpreted simply as the Arizona DOT and metro Phoenix taking its time to get I-10 right. End result is the 8-10 lane (not including auxiliary lanes) work of fine engineering you see today, with up to 16 lanes (6+2 HOV in each direction) through the Broadway curve starting next year.

They COULD have built it on the initial alignment, and very likely would have built it sooner. At the same time, the whole of I-10 from Buckeye to downtown Phoenix would have looked today like what we see on I-17 from the Durango Curve to I-10, and that would have been...inadequate to say the least.

[Sonic99]

Worth noting that during construction on the Broadway Curve project, some WB I-10 traffic is shifted over to the future "C/D" lanes from Broadway Rd over to just short of 40th St. They've got a "lane split" both directions so they can build the supports for the future SR143 flyovers in the center. Also quite a few of the sign gantries have gone up. Most still without signage, but you're starting to get an idea of what the finished product will look like next year.