...you have a city of a half-million people, twice as many vehicals, and only one main highway---aaand it's broken.

The City of Tucson is like an tall, gangly, awkward man who grew too tall, too fast during puberty and never really figured out how to move correctly.

Like many towns in the Southwest, Tucson was hit hard by a population explosion. It first boomed when air conditioning was invented and the desert became a bearable dominion. Again with the completion of the Central Arizona Project Aqueduct (CAP) created by the Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968, which help bring plentiful(ish) water to many parts of the Southwest from the Colorado River. And most recently because of what I figure to be a newfound loathing for cold weather by retired Midwestern baby-boomers and various other winter-ditching Americans.

So, Tucson grew fast, and its roads were never able to keep up. Today, the I-10 on the west side of the city connects major city roads on that side of the city alone, but any cross-town journey is sentenced to about a 40-mile-per-hour speed limit and traffic lights, (mostly reds ones), at every intersection.

Map of Tucson. See the I-10 spanning the west side
and no highway running cross-town. The red mark indicates the city's center.

There have been many attempts throughout Tucson's history to build another freeway, but re-working the infrastructure of a poorly-planned city is not cheap, and this city has never had the money. In 2002 the city planned to turn Grant Road--a central, east-west running road--into a mini-highway, but things never panned out. Tucsonans have generally been adverse to major changes in an effort to keep the city "charming" and to stunt out-of-control growth--or mainly just because they hate Phoenix and want to do the opposite of whatever Phoenix does, like build highways for instance. When the city proposed an increase of sales taxes to fund the mini-highway and other transportation projects, many Tucsonans adamantly opposed. Read an archived Tucson Weekly article here.

To add to the mix, this year the Department of Transportation has decided to begin the I-10 Widening Project, which will close most of the highly trafficked exits of Tucson, forcing thousands of motorists to travel the frontage roads. Some exits will be closed completely for short spurts of time.

Worst of all, the project wont be completed for another three years. Looks like this old city will still be walking on new-born Bambi legs for a while longer.

Tucson resident or traveling through?
Here are some FAQ's from the project's Web site:

Frequently Asked Questions

Interstate 10: Prince Road to 29th Street

- Will traffic in neighborhoods around Interstate 10 increase during construction? Traffic that typically uses I-10 is directed to the frontage roads and major streets through a comprehensive sign program and public information campaign. The use of neighborhood streets as alternate routes is discouraged. “Local traffic only” barricades and signs are in place.

- Has the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) been working with the City of Tucson to prepare for this construction project? ADOT officials are coordinating with city officials to prepare for the construction’s impact on traffic and the Downtown Río Nuevo project.

- Will any streets be closed during the bridge replacement work? Traffic on major crossroads such as Grant Road, Speedway Boulevard, St. Mary’s Road, Congress Street and 22nd Street will be maintained during construction. However, motorists should anticipate weekend and nighttime closures during bridge demolition and construction. Turning movements at crossroads will be maintained. The Clark Street bridge is closed until further notice in order to move the bridge 100 feet to the north of the existing bridge at the request of the City of Tucson for the Rio Nuevo circulation plan. The 18th Street pedestrian bridge is closed during construction.

- Will the construction work occur 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Some work is occuring at night and during weekends.

- How will the construction affect the annual Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase? People visiting vendors and businesses along I-10 will have full access to the Tucson Convention Center and the frontage roads.

- What is the posted speed limit on the frontage roads during construction? The speed limit on the frontage roads remains at 45 mph and 40 mph.

- Will the stop signs and yield signs on the frontage roads be removed? The signs have been removed since they are not needed after the I-10 exit ramp closures. After the construction is completed and the exit ramps reopen, the signs will be reinstalled.

- Will the traffic signals along the frontage roads be timed? ADOT will make every effort to optimize traffic flow on the frontage roads.

- How will people be notified of the traffic impacts of construction? An aggressive public information campaign was implemented just prior to and during the ramp closures to inform the public about the traffic impacts.