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I-10 leaking water: What to know about the Deck Park Tunnel problem

By and
Published  February 21, 2024 6:14pm MST
Explainers
FOX 10 Phoenix

PHOENIX - On average, 300,000 cars every day drive through the Deck Park Tunnel in Phoenix.

The tunnel has leaked water onto cars for well over a decade. Recently, however, the drip started gushing in one area, prompting concerns from some.

Here's what you should know.

What's Deck Park Tunnel?

Deck Park Tunnel, according to ADOT, is also known as Papago Freeway Tunnel. Officials say the ‘tunnel’ is actually more like an underpass, as it is created by a series of 19 side-by-side bridges, on top of which rests Margaret T. Hance Park in Downtown Phoenix.

"When it began taking traffic in 1990, the tunnel was touted as the final segment that connected Interstate 10 from coast to coast," read an article on the tunnel that was published by ADOT officials in 2020.

Why is it leaking?

I-10: ADOT details plan to fix tunnel leak

I-10: ADOT details plan to fix tunnel leak

The Deck Park Tunnel in Downtown Phoenix has sprung a rather big leak in recent weeks, and FOX 10's Steve Nielsen spoke with ADOT officials on where the water is coming from, and what they intend to do to fix it.

On the eastbound lanes, a steady drip has been there for years, but a drip on the westbound lanes turned into much more recently.

"We didn’t know where all this water was coming from," said Dawn Marino. "They actually had signs coming into the tunnel saying ‘beware of the water’ and we’re thinking ‘water? Haha.’"

"I don’t know what kind of liquid is coming out of that. If it’s dirty, might as well wash your car because it does leave a little bit of a residue behind," said Sergio Munoz.

The water comes from the park that sits right above the tunnel, according to ADOT officials.

"There is a City of Phoenix irrigation leak," said Randy Everett with ADOT. "As of last week, it is starting to dry up, but when those things happen, water finds its easiest point, and right now, lane 5 in the tunnel westbound, water is coming down."

Officials said the gushing water should come to an end soon as the leak dries up. As for the normal leak, Everett said work done in 2015 to fix drainage issues didn’t address everything.

"We have these transverse joints, and they’re the ones perpendicular to the traffic, and those right now, we have not fixed," said Everett.

So, what will ADOT do next?

ADOT officials say they have a plan to stop the water drops entirely by replacing the transverse joints. Officials said they need access from above to fix them, and they are hoping that upcoming park work will allow them into the park to replace them.

In the meantime, Everett said ADOT will keep inspecting the bridge every year.

"We are looking at things like how do we repair our longitudinal transverse joints over time, so we stop the leakage into the tunnel itself," said Everett. "We are concerned, and we do want to do things that get us out of that."

There is no estimated time at this point from the City of Phoenix on when the work will take place at the park, so ADOT can go in and fix the joints. A contractor is already on stand-by.

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