no scheduled lane restrictions or closures for the I-10 Wild Horse Pass Corridor
I-10 Corridor History
A Critical Corridor
Interstate 10 (I-10) between Phoenix and Tucson is critical for Arizona’s economy, as it links the state’s two largest metropolitan areas while also providing a key link for the national and international movement of freight. Arizonans use this route to commute to and from the cities daily from rural communities. This route also serves the Gila River Indian Community by providing key connections to employment, medical, educational, and other necessary services both within and outside of the Community.
Since about 2005, Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) had been expanding the capacity of I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson in segments. By 2019, I-10 consisted of three lanes in each direction between SR 387 near Casa Grande and Tucson. That left the 26 miles of I-10 across the Gila River Indian Community as the only remaining stretch with two lanes in each direction.
Corridor Planning & Development
In the summer of 2019, ADOT and partner agencies took the essential first step toward studying ways to increase the capacity of a 26‑mile section of I-10 south of the Phoenix metropolitan area.
The study focused on the 26-mile section of I-10 between the Loop 202 interchange south of Phoenix to just south of the State Route (SR) 387 interchange near Casa Grande. This section of I-10 was labeled the Wild Horse Pass Corridor. It was the last remaining segment of I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson that had only two lanes in each direction.
The I-10 bridges over the Gila River were part of a separate ADOT project that was excluded from the overall corridor study but closely coordinated with the Community.
In collaboration with the Gila River Indian Community, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), ADOT prepared an environmental study under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and an engineering study to evaluate improvements to I-10. This study was important because I-10 supports significant commercial and economic growth for the region, state and nation, and is considered a Key Commerce Corridor.
The study process produced a NEPA-compliant environmental report (an Environmental Assessment [EA]) and an engineering report called a Design Concept Report (DCR) that:
- Developed a range of alternatives and options, including the no-build alternative.
- Evaluated the alternatives’ and options’ costs, right-of-way implications, engineering factors and environmental considerations.
- Documents the mitigations necessary to offset identified impacts associated with the preferred alternative.
- Selected a preferred alternative based on technical analysis and the agency and public feedback received.
In 2022, the Final Project Assessment for the Gila River Bridge replacement was completed, and then in 2023, the Final Categorical Exclusion environmental document for that project was also completed. These documents can be found below in the Corridor Documentation section.
In early 2024, the Final Environmental Assessment, the Finding of No Significant Impacts (FONSI), and the Final Design Concept Report were completed for the I-10 Wild Horse Pass Corridor study. These documents, along with other related corridor documents and resources, are posted in the Corridor Documentation section below.
Corridor Development Timeline
The timeline below depicts the corridor planning process steps that were followed by ADOT and the project stakeholders.
Highlights of the I-10 Corridor Improvements
- Adding a new general-purpose lane in the median in both the east- and westbound directions for the entire 26-mile corridor, providing three continuous lanes in each direction between Phoenix and Tucson once constructed.
- Extending the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane in each direction on I-10 from Loop 202 to Riggs Road.
- Improving interchanges and crossroads for enhanced capacity and safety, and multimodal (bike and pedestrian) crossings, as well as addressing age/condition issues.
- Removal of Dirk Lay Road crossing over I-10 and the return of the associated easement/right-of-way back to the Gila River Indian Community.
- Replacing the aging and narrow Gila River Bridges as a part of a separate project.
- Installing a fiber optic backbone to install freeway management technology to allow for the installation of sensors, cameras, variable message signs and other highway operations and safety-related technology.
Planning & Development Documents
Final Studies & Project Documents
- Final DCR (Report PDF Only)
- Final DCR (Appendices PDF Only)
- Final DCR (I-10 Freeway Engineering Design Roll Plots PDF)
- Final DCR (I-10 Crossroads and Interchanges Roll Plots PDF)
- Google Earth overlay download of Selected Alternative (KMZ file — requires free Google Earth download to view)
- I-10 Gila River Bridge Final Project Assessment (Report PDF Only)
- I-10 Recommended Alternative Visualization Video (English)
- I-10 Recommended Alternative Visualization Video (Spanish)
- Drive through video simulation of the Recommended Diverging Diamond Interchange for the I-10/SR 347/Queen Creek Interchange (English)
- Drive through video simulation of the Recommended Diverging Diamond Interchange for the I-10/SR 347/Queen Creek Interchange (Spanish)
Previous Studies & Documents
Study Documentation
Public Hearing Presentations
General Meeting Information
- English Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
- Spanish Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
- English Public Hearing Advertisements (PDF)
- Spanish Public Hearing Advertisements (PDF)
- English Public Hearing Presentation (PDF)
- English Public Hearing Boards and Banners (PDF)
- English Public Hearing Handout (PDF)
- Spanish Public Hearing Handout (PDF)
- English I-10 Recommended Alternative Visualization (Video)
- Spanish I-10 Recommended Alternative Visualization (Video)
- English Drive through video simulation of the Recommended Diverging Diamond Interchange for the I-10/SR 347/Queen Creek Interchange
- Spanish Drive through video simulation of the Recommended Diverging Diamond Interchange for the I-10/SR 347/Queen Creek Interchange
Supporting Engineering Materials
- Draft Design Concept Report — I-10 Freeway Engineering Design Roll Plots (PDF, 11 MB file size)
- Draft Design Concept Report — I-10 Crossroads and Interchanges Engineering Design Roll Plots (PDF, 33 MB file size)
- Google Earth overlay download of Recommended Alternative (KMZ file — requires free Google Earth download to view)
General Meeting Information
- Public Information Meeting Summary
- English Call-In/Online Public Meeting (Video with Q&A)
- Spanish Call-In/Online Public Meeting (Video with Q&A)
- English Public Meeting Presentation (Video)
- Spanish Public Meeting Presentation (Video)
- English Public Meeting Presentation and Script (PDF)
- Spanish Public Meeting Presentation and Script (PDF)
- English Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
- Spanish Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
- English Call-In/Online Public Information Meeting Advertisement (PDF)
- Spanish Call-In/Online Public Information Meeting Advertisement (PDF)
Level 1 Basic Information Overview
Level 2 Detailed Alternative/Options and Evaluations
- Mainline Alternative ML2 — Median Widening Plan Exhibits (PDF)
- Mainline Alternative ML3 — Outside Widening Plan Exhibits (PDF)
- Crossroad Options Plan Exhibits (PDF)
- English Evaluation Criteria Descriptions (PDF)
- English Evaluation Summary — Engineering, Cost, and Right-of-Way (PDF)
- English Evaluation Summary — Environmental (PDF)
- Spanish Evaluation Criteria Descriptions (PDF)
- Spanish Evaluation Summary — Environmental (PDF)
Level 3 Technical Alternatives/Options and Evaluations
- Google Earth overlay download (KMZ file — requires free Google Earth download to view)
- English Evaluation Criteria Descriptions (PDF)
- Spanish Evaluation Criteria Descriptions (PDF)
- Technical Evaluation — Engineering (PDF)
- Technical Evaluation — Cost and Right-of-Way (PDF)
- Technical Evaluation — Environmental (PDF)