One of Sundt’s projects in Tucson will be a little over the top, in a good way.
Our joint venture team starts work in July reconstructing the Interstate 10 interchange at Ina Road. The most notable improvement is a bridge that will take traffic over Union Pacific Railroad tracks to break up delays on a heavily used four-lane road.
The tracks presently sit at grade, causing backups for the roughly 23,000 drivers who use that section of Ina Road every day. Having a bridge at the site will also increase safety as motorists will no longer have to deal with crossing the tracks when the project is complete in 2019.
Traffic will be partially diverted from the interstate during this complex heavy civil project, putting more cars on frontage roads that aren’t presently equipped to handle the load. The team’s first priorities include widening the frontage and relocating potable and reclaimed water lines.
“There’s a little bit of everything on this project,” said Sundt Area Manager Steve Schmitt. “Underground work, utilities, storm drains, bridges, collapsible soil conditions.”
Soil issues are adding another month or so to the work. The team needs to excavate the soil by about five extra feet in order to compact it because of the site’s proximity to the Santa Cruz River and its erosion and sediment. A new bridge will also be constructed over the Santa Cruz River on Ina Road.
The joint venture has experience working I-10 in Tucson, having completed a six-mile stretch through the downtown corridor south of the present work site. The project included many of the same components and was completed several months ahead of schedule. Many members of that team are coming back for this project.
“The team has proven its value to ADOT,” Steve said. “We’re looking forward to getting started on this project and improving mobility in the Tucson area.”