Work on I-8 ramps starts Monday, to last 7 months
Roundabout coming at Giss Parkway
Construction on a roundabout and other changes at the westbound Interstate 8 ramps at Giss Parkway are set to begin Monday.
The project is scheduled to take seven months, ac- cording to the Arizona Department of Transportation, and there will be closures on the interchange’s westbound ramps, with drivers being advised to look at 16th Street and Winterhaven Drive as alternates.
A two-lane modern roundabout will be built, designed to accommodate commercial trucks and other large vehicles as well as regular passenger cars and trucks. The ramps will be realigned to meet at the new roundabout.
A connection for bicy- cles to the city’s shareduse pathway and “Share the Road” signs will also be added at the roundabout. Intersection lighting, signage and striping will also be upgraded during construction, as well as drainage.
The project cost is about $2.5 million, and the contractor is Grey Mountain Construction of Phoenix. Most of the funding is from federal sources.
Two-way traffic will be maintained on Giss throughout the process, the speed limit will be reduced in the work zone, and drivers are asked to observe all road signs and watch for construction workers and equipment.
According to ADOT spokesman Tom Hermann, the updates are needed to improve safety and reduce congestion at the intersection which is used by a daily average of 11,000 vehicles, and traffic load is expected to grow.
The roundabout has been planned for Giss Parkway since the scoping process in November 2012, he said.
These have been proven by research to be safer and less congested than other types of intersections, he said, citing Insurance Institute of Highway Safety figures finding a 90 percent drop in fatal crashes and a 75 percent drop in injury crashes.
They also ease traffic flow and reduce air pollution and noise. They’re also cheaper to build and maintain because no traffic signals are used, according to the institute’s figures.
Another project adding two roundabouts at I-8 and Araby Road is set to begin this summer.
For more information about roundabouts, visit azdot. gov/ roundabouts. For Giss project-specific information see azdot.gov/ i8GissTI. Information is also available by calling (855) 712-8530 or emailing projects@azdot.gov.