TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — If your trip home takes you through I-19 and Irvington you know how confused and congested it can be.
There’s been a a real commercial boom around Irvington and I-19 but that led to some fierce traffic congestion. ADOT has a solution in the works but drivers and businesses are going to have to be patient in the meantime.
Irvington on the west side of I-19 is busy and backed up during the lunch rush. It can be even more congested during morning and afternoon rush hours.
On the east side of I-19 Little Mexico Restaurant is having a busy day with lunch and holiday catering.
Owner Pat Palomarez has mixed feelings about ADOT’s plans to spend a year and a half to rework the I-19- Irvington interchange.
“We need road help. I mean, we do need the assistance on Irvington and the freeway. We see the roads from five o'clock on, and this road is just, stop, stop, stop, stop. People have a hard time getting home.”
Craig Smith asked: “So you think that would be good for your business in the long run?”
Pat: In the long run, the expansion is going to be good, but the work is going to hurt us. It always does.”
ADOT is still finalizing plans, aiming to start construction this summer and finish in about a year and a half.
The plans calls for redoing the interchange and adding a partial cloverleaf
ramp at Irvington Road, widening on-ramps, improving traffic lights, signs and pavement markings, and adding improvements for people on foot and on bikes.
Will Pena sells insurance and has a packing and shipping center. He worries about congestion discouraging customers who want to ship packages in a hurry.
“My insurance business, you know, insurance something that you have to have so and something that can be done easier over the phone as well. You know, the packing and the shipping. It's one of those where we need the the traffic inside the store.”
But both businesses we talked to feel results of the construction will ease congestion and make them better off, once they get through the disruption while the work’s underway.
