I-10 reduced to 1 lane overnight near Gila bridges Sept. 12-14; hearings on widening freeway set this month

Sep 12, 2022

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Interstate 10 Gila River Bridge — Pavement improvement on the Riggs Road and Gila River bridges over Interstate 10 will cause traffic to be reduced to one lane each way March 22-23. [ADOT photo]

Interstate 10 will be reduced to one lane in both directions 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday, Sept. 12, through Wednesday, Sept. 14, near the Gila River bridges east of Maricopa for pavement maintenance, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Pavement is deteriorating on the approaches to the Interstate 10 bridges over the Gila River, forcing upcoming repair work.

Speed limit will be reduced in the work zone and ADOT advises drivers to slow and use caution around maintenance personnel and equipment.

Developing a project to replace the aging I-10 bridges over the Gila has been ongoing since the summer of 2019. ADOT, in collaboration with the Gila River Indian Community, Federal Highway Administration and Maricopa Association of Governments, launched a study that includes an environmental review and an engineering assessment to evaluate options.

The existing river crossings have quarter-mile-long bridges in each direction, each carrying two lanes of traffic over the river. They are critical pieces of infrastructure on I-10, a Key Commerce Corridor that connects Arizona’s two largest metropolitan areas and supports significant commercial and economic growth for the region.

ADOT plans to replace the aging Interstate 10 bridges over the Gila River, where erosion is taking a toll.

The study process evaluates options for length, height and location of the new bridges and assess the benefits and impacts of replacement options, as well as ways to avoid, reduce or mitigate potential impacts.

Replacing the Gila River bridges is separate from plans to widen Interstate 10 along the 26-mile stretch from Chandler to Casa Grande that has two lanes in each direction. ADOT this week conducted the first public hearing to seek comments on its recommendations for improving that stretch, known as the Wild Horse Pass Corridor.

Remaining hearings are:

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Vista Grande High School, 1556 N. Arizola Road, Casa Grande.
Thursday, Sept. 15, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at District 4 Multipurpose Building, 2230 N. Home Run Drive, Sacaton.
Virtually Tuesday, Sept. 20 , 5:30-9 p.m. This hearing can be accessed online or by phone. Online: bit.ly/WHP-EN. Phone: 408-418-9388. Meeting number (access code): 2484 471 6549. Webinar password: WHP2022 (9472022 from phones). Information on how to access Spanish interpretation of the meeting is available on the study website, i10wildhorsepasscorridor.com.

Information presented at each hearing is the same. Details are available on the study website, including agendas and presentation, copies of the draft Environmental Assessment and Design Concept Report, locations of public repositories where printed versions of the documents can be viewed, as well as other study information.

Comments may be submitted during the public comment period through Oct. 9 via written or verbal comments at the public hearings; through the I-10 comment form/map at i10wildhorsepasscorridor.com; emailed to [email protected]; by phone at 602-522-7777; or by mail to I-10 Wild Horse Pass Corridor Study Team | c/o HDR, Inc., 20 E. Thomas Road, Suite 2500, Phoenix, AZ 85012.

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