By the Connect Express Team, Glendale, AZ. Published October 24, 2026.
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is asking for public input on a study of Interstate 10 through central Phoenix, from the Deck Park Tunnel to the I-10/I-17 interchange near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, known as “the Split.” The study is run with the City of Phoenix and the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG). Two public meetings are set for November. Here is what the study covers and why it matters for freight moving through the Valley, based on ADOT’s study page.
What ADOT is studying
The study area covers I-10 from the east side of the Deck Park Tunnel to the Split. It also includes SR 51 south of Thomas Road, Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) west of 24th Street, and the whole I-10/SR 51/Loop 202 interchange known as the “Mini-Stack.” ADOT is preparing a Design Concept Report and an Environmental Assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act. That work has to be done before decisions are made on improvements that could use federal funds.
ADOT says it will look at a range of options that build on MAG’s I-10 corridor study, published in January 2025:
- reducing merging and weaving, and better HOV lane continuity
- new or relocated on- and off-ramps, and added general purpose and/or HOV lanes
- collector-distributor roads where feasible, to reduce weaving
- keeping or improving access to downtown Phoenix and Sky Harbor
A No-Build Alternative will also be evaluated for comparison. No design has been chosen yet.
Why it matters for freight
According to ADOT, average delay at peak times in the corridor is expected to rise by up to 60 percent by 2050 if nothing is built. From 2016 through 2021 the corridor averaged more than five crashes a day, mostly rear-end and sideswipe crashes. ADOT spokesperson Doug Nick told KJZZ that collector-distributor roads are “a feature that you see for drivers that go through the newly redone Broadway Curve area.”
This stretch links I-17, SR 51 and Loop 202 with the I-10 corridor that serves Sky Harbor and the industrial areas around it. Many truckloads moving between the West Valley and the East Valley on I-10 pass through it. Nothing changes on the road today. This is a study, not a construction project. For work that is underway now, see our posts on I-10 construction in the Phoenix area and the Loop 303 and I-17 closures.
How to comment
- In person: 5:30 to 7 p.m., Thursday, November 5, 2026, at Garfield Elementary School, 811 N. 13th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85006 (formal presentation 6 to 6:30 p.m.).
- Online: 6 to 7 p.m., Monday, November 9, 2026. ADOT lists the registration link on its study page. Spanish interpretation will be available.
- Survey and materials: ADOT says meeting materials and a survey will be posted by November 4.
- Questions: ADOT’s project line is 855.712.8530, or email projects@azdot.gov.
ADOT plans a public hearing on the draft Environmental Assessment in late 2027 or early 2028, with another 30-day comment period.
What shippers can do now
Peak-hour congestion through central Phoenix is already part of planning a load. Scheduling pickups and deliveries outside rush hours, and leaving room in appointment windows, helps until any changes are built. Connect Express runs truckload freight across Phoenix and the rest of Arizona, and our logistics team plans around closures and congestion every day. We are at 5701 W Maryland Ave, Glendale, AZ 85301. Call 480-401-1998 or email admin@connectexpressllc.com.
Sources
- ADOT, Interstate 10, Deck Park Tunnel to I-10/I-17 Split Study (read October 24, 2026)
- KJZZ, ADOT seeking input on potential improvements to I-10 through central Phoenix (October 16, 2026)
