ADOT to begin 2-year project to widen I-10 in Buckeye area

ADOT to start widening project along a West Valley portion of the I-10

The Arizona Dept. of Transportation is jump-starting a two-year project to add a third lane to a portion of Interstate 10 from Verrado Way to State Route 85, a nearly 10-mile long endeavor. FOX 10's Steve Nielsen reports.

BUCKEYE, Ariz. - It's no secret that the city of Buckeye is growing by leaps and bounds every year. But with the new homes comes a lot more traffic.

Luckily, there's a solution in the works. The Arizona Dept. of Transportation (ADOT) says that on July 18, they're jumpstarting a two-year project to add a third lane to a portion of Interstate 10 from Verrado Way to State Route 85 - a nearly 10-mile long endeavor.

Currently, when I-10 reaches Verrado Way in Buckeye, it loses a lane, narrowing the freeway down to two lanes and causing plenty of traffic.

"People have long anticipated and wanted - and in fact voted on in Proposition 400 - so it’s exciting it’s getting underway," said Laurie Merrill with ADOT.

Merrill says it was cost about $82 million with multiple phases.

The first will create overnight lane restrictions as they beef up the shoulders to shift lanes.

The following restrictions are scheduled, according to ADOT:

Westbound I-10 narrowed to one lane in areas between Verrado Way and State Route 85 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights (July 18-22).
Westbound I-10 restrictions are expected to continue at the start of the week of July 25-29 before crews switch to overnight work along eastbound I-10. Restriction schedules are subject to change due to factors such as inclement weather.

The expansion is needed as Buckeye is one of the fastest growing communities in the country.

"It’s about time!" said resident Yaneth Cuevas. "It’s always so crowded."

Residents in the city say they change their travel plans daily to avoid the back ups.

"It’s definitely time so many people moving into this part of the city, it’s definitely time," said resident Brad Williams.

"We’ve been wanting for one," Cuevas said. "As you can see, there’s so many new places out here."

Work is scheduled to be finished in summer 2023

"Definitely great for Buckeye," said resident Farrell Slowtalker.

More info: https://azdot.gov/adot-news/adot-set-start-i-10-widening-project-buckeye-area