Tucson Freeways

[DJStephens]

Can a local (I'm not one) actually point to a specific road that should/could be replaced by a freeway?

Houghton Road.  Should have been part of a "greater picture" 5/8 circumferential.   Would have placed a far greater powered interchange @Exit 275 on I-10 than a ridiculous DDI.  Stack, Turbine, etc.  Growth will continue.  People will continue to move there.  Vehicle trips will continue to increase.   

[jakeroot]

Can a local (I'm not one) actually point to a specific road that should/could be replaced by a freeway?

Houghton Road.  Should have been part of a "greater picture" 5/8 circumferential.   Would have placed a far greater powered interchange @Exit 275 on I-10 than a ridiculous DDI.  Stack, Turbine, etc.  Growth will continue.  People will continue to move there.  Vehicle trips will continue to increase.

Thanks for the input.

I checked the AADT numbers, per the Pima County website. Seems like Houghton is busiest right near the 10 freeway, though I'm not seeing traffic counts much above 22,000. So, not really freeway counts just yet, though certainly well within reasonable for the current (mostly) six-lane expressway. But the counts are higher than ten years ago (ever so slightly), and development patterns being what they are, I don't see any reason to think they won't continue to rise.

So, I could see a freeway out that way. There seems to be a lot of ROW where one could be built, which certainly separates Houghton from, say, Speedway, or Campbell.

[machias]

I'm really impressed with the way construction is being handled along I-10 around the Sunset Rd and Orange Grove Rd interchanges.  Traffic in both directions is shunted onto the frontage roads, maintaining 3 lanes in each directions, and a zone speed limit of 55.

More information here
https://azdot.gov/projects/southcentral-district-projects/i-10-reconstruction-between-ruthrauff-and-ina-roads

[JKRhodes]

Wondering when/if the state plans to reconstruct the Cortaro TI. Building retaining walls and shoehorning extra lanes between the pillars and abutments was a creative solution, but always felt like a temporary fix; one that has been in place 15+ years.

[DRMan]

Wondering when/if the state plans to reconstruct the Cortaro TI. Building retaining walls and shoehorning extra lanes between the pillars and abutments was a creative solution, but always felt like a temporary fix; one that has been in place 15+ years.

A recent version of the Town of Marana's podcast touched on this. Bottom line is, ADOT has completed a study of the area but the main priorities are the current I-10 Ruthrauff to Ina project and the part of I-10 east of I-19 (the oldest part of I-10 in AZ).

This episode is worth a listen - the ADOT rep covers all of this in some detail as well as the basics of how projects are planned and the role of RTA. Search for "Real Talk with the Town of Marana" in Spotify or your favorite podcast platform -- it's episode #28.

[JKRhodes]

Wondering when/if the state plans to reconstruct the Cortaro TI. Building retaining walls and shoehorning extra lanes between the pillars and abutments was a creative solution, but always felt like a temporary fix; one that has been in place 15+ years.

A recent version of the Town of Marana's podcast touched on this. Bottom line is, ADOT has completed a study of the area but the main priorities are the current I-10 Ruthrauff to Ina project and the part of I-10 east of I-19 (the oldest part of I-10 in AZ).

This episode is worth a listen - the ADOT rep covers all of this in some detail as well as the basics of how projects are planned and the role of RTA. Search for "Real Talk with the Town of Marana" in Spotify or your favorite podcast platform -- it's episode #28.

Hearing them discuss Cortaro I sense I'm not alone in thinking it's a goofy intersection . Glad a solution is in the pipeline even if it's not funded or scheduled just yet.

One of the first news releases from ADOT that I read when I first became a roadgeek 20+ years ago had to do with constructing 40 ft frontage roads in the tucson area and eventually placing traffic on them while mainline I-10 was widened.

https://web.archive.org/web/20010622030723/http://www.dot.state.az.us/news/nrel580.htm

Got on at Ina eastbound several weeks ago and first thought was "Wow, it's really happening."

I like that the detour is flanked by curbs instead of jersey barriers. feels like less of a cattle chute, easier to escape the travel lanes to safety in the event of a breakdown.

[DRMan]

Wondering when/if the state plans to reconstruct the Cortaro TI. Building retaining walls and shoehorning extra lanes between the pillars and abutments was a creative solution, but always felt like a temporary fix; one that has been in place 15+ years.

A recent version of the Town of Marana's podcast touched on this. Bottom line is, ADOT has completed a study of the area but the main priorities are the current I-10 Ruthrauff to Ina project and the part of I-10 east of I-19 (the oldest part of I-10 in AZ).

This episode is worth a listen - the ADOT rep covers all of this in some detail as well as the basics of how projects are planned and the role of RTA. Search for "Real Talk with the Town of Marana" in Spotify or your favorite podcast platform -- it's episode #28.

Hearing them discuss Cortaro I sense I'm not alone in thinking it's a goofy intersection . Glad a solution is in the pipeline even if it's not funded or scheduled just yet.

One of the first news releases from ADOT that I read when I first became a roadgeek 20+ years ago had to do with constructing 40 ft frontage roads in the tucson area and eventually placing traffic on them while mainline I-10 was widened.

https://web.archive.org/web/20010622030723/http://www.dot.state.az.us/news/nrel580.htm

Got on at Ina eastbound several weeks ago and first thought was "Wow, it's really happening."

I like that the detour is flanked by curbs instead of jersey barriers. feels like less of a cattle chute, easier to escape the travel lanes to safety in the event of a breakdown.

Agreed, they've done a good job keeping traffic flowing through there and the forethought to build the frontage roads that way is really paying off. But that dropoff to the old quarry on the eastbound side, protected by only a chain link fence, seems to call for some more protection.

[JKRhodes]

Agreed, they've done a good job keeping traffic flowing through there and the forethought to build the frontage roads that way is really paying off. But that dropoff to the old quarry on the eastbound side, protected by only a chain link fence, seems to call for some more protection.

Interested to see how OGR is tied in to the quarry after it's revised to a surface street overpass. Initial thought is a steep inclined approach is not favorable for fully loaded trucks.

[AzNate]

It seems that the Sonoran Corridor freeway project in the Tucson area has progressed from Tier 1 to Tier 2 Environmental Impact Study recently and has been assigned a route number - State Route 410. The selected proposal corridor has also been narrowed down from 2000 ft. to a proposed 400 ft. freeway alignment. SR 410 would be an alternative eastern connection between I-19 and I-10 and also potentially serve Tucson's airport. The study is currently expected to be completed in 2026.
https://azdot.gov/planning/transportation-studies/sonoran-corridor-sr-410-study/sonoran-corridor-sr-410-tier-2-environmental-impact-study-and-design-concept-report

[The Ghostbuster]

I would expect this proposed AZ 410 to be constructed similar to the AZ 210 parkway, since Tucson doesn't construct freeways.

[DJStephens]

Wondering when/if the state plans to reconstruct the Cortaro TI. Building retaining walls and shoehorning extra lanes between the pillars and abutments was a creative solution, but always felt like a temporary fix; one that has been in place 15+ years.

A recent version of the Town of Marana's podcast touched on this. Bottom line is, ADOT has completed a study of the area but the main priorities are the current I-10 Ruthrauff to Ina project and the part of I-10 east of I-19 (the oldest part of I-10 in AZ). This episode is worth a listen - the ADOT rep covers all of this in some detail as well as the basics of how projects are planned and the role of RTA. Search for "Real Talk with the Town of Marana" in Spotify or your favorite podcast platform -- it's episode #28.

Hearing them discuss Cortaro I sense I'm not alone in thinking it's a goofy intersection . Glad a solution is in the pipeline even if it's not funded or scheduled just yet.

One of the first news releases from ADOT that I read when I first became a roadgeek 20+ years ago had to do with constructing 40 ft frontage roads in the tucson area and eventually placing traffic on them while mainline I-10 was widened.

https://web.archive.org/web/20010622030723/http://www.dot.state.az.us/news/nrel580.htm

Got on at Ina eastbound several weeks ago and first thought was "Wow, it's really happening."

I like that the detour is flanked by curbs instead of jersey barriers. feels like less of a cattle chute, easier to escape the travel lanes to safety in the event of a breakdown.

There were frontage roads on I-10, on the western fringes of Tucson, before any of the reconstructions started.  Some of them were two way (similar to rural texas) and some were one lane one way.   

[DJStephens]

I would expect this proposed AZ 410 to be constructed similar to the AZ 210 parkway, since Tucson doesn't construct freeways.

The word "freeway alignment" is used on the document.   It still has that wonky L shape though, am guessing that's their route of least resistance, not the best alignment.   

[The Ghostbuster]

I was aware it said "freeway alignment" on the website, I'm just skeptical that the new road would be constructed as a freeway, given that Tuscon is one of the most anti-freeway cities in the country. Is this new AZ 410 route even needed? It goes through a lot of empty land, and the wonky alignment suggests it would follow a very convoluted route. Perhaps they should expand existing El Toro Rd., S. Alvernon Rd., and E. Old Vail Rd. to four lanes (while also filling in the portions of those roads that have not been constructed yet).

[DJStephens]

Yes am aware of "kooky" politics in the Tucson metro.   Their grid network, in much of the city, saves their asses, to a certain degree.  Much like the NE gridiron has saved a bulk of Albuquerque's ass.   Speedway, 22nd, etc, all are straight, wide, and divided in places, and carry a lot of traffic.  Traffic that in many other locales that would be on a limited access facility.   The east side of Tucson will continue to infill, and load current tiny two lane arterials on it's far east side.  Am guessing the L shape of this proposal is to provide access to the airport, rather than to provide access for the developing E side of the city.   Frankly would have tried to build a limited access spur to the airport, from either 10 or 19, and have this "connector" or state route 410 go in a continous arc, farther to the E and S.  This proposal should have an Interstate sheild, as well.  But again, am sure Tucson's "planning" is considerably worse than the rest of the state's is.