TUCSON, Ariz. — A dust detection system will keep Interstate 10 drivers aware of road conditions between Tucson and Phoenix.
The Arizona Department of Transportation says the warning system, which incorporates visibility detectors, a weather radar system, variable speed limit signs, closed-circuit camera and overhead message boards, will be ready for the official June 15 start of the Monsoon.
The system will detect conditions between mileposts 209 and 219.
In the corridor, low-visibility conditions can reduce the speed limit from the standard 75 mph to as low as 35 mph. The speed limit could vary as frequently as every 1,000 feet via programmable signs.
The sensors work in concert with a 20-foot tower at I-10 and State Route 87 RGr can detect storms more than 40 miles away. Closed-circuit cameras will show a live video feed of the roadway.
The $6.5 million system was funded in part by a $54 million federal FASTLANE grant ADOT received for I-10 projects that also widened sections of the freeway between Eloy and Picacho.
