The I-10 interchange at Palo Verde Road is officially closed permanently as the latest phase of the $600 million I-10 widening project gets underway.
The I-10 interchange at Palo Verde Road is officially closed permanently as the latest phase of the $600 million I-10 widening project gets underway.
Drivers on Palo Verde saw the warnings Friday night, "I-10 EB ON RAMP CLOISED." For drivers who rely on this interchange now, including truck drivers who work in the area, it means adjusting their routes and, for some, a more difficult trip.
"It's going to make it a lot harder to get back on the freeway and get to your next place to pick up another load," Mitch Carter told News 4 Tucson.
Mitch Carter hauls oversized loads for a nearby business and regularly uses I-10.
While he hasn't seen a huge difference in traffic so far, he believes that could change once drivers who used Palo Verde have to find another route.
The closure is part of ADOT's $600 million project to widen and reconstruct I-10 between Kino Parkway and Alvernon Way.
The project is now halfway complete and will eventually widen I-10 to three lanes in each direction.
"ADOT is widening this three-mile section of I-10 to improve capacity and to enhance safety," Garin Groff, an ADOT spokesman said.
For drivers like Carter, the long-term improvements come with some short-term adjustments.
While the Palo Verde interchange is closing permanently, a new interchange at Country Club Road is expected to open this fall.
That will give drivers a new way to access I-10.