Roundabout at I-8, Araby Road now open
First phase of project completed 4 days ahead of schedule
The Arizona Department of Transportation has completed the first phase of a project to build two new roundabouts at the Interstate 8 and Araby Road traffic interchange in Yuma.
Drivers should slow down as they navigate through the new roundabout, which is located on the north side of the interchange and connects the westbound on- and offramps to Araby. The speed limit is 25 mph.
ADOT spokesman Tom Herrmann said the first phase of the $8.1 million project was completed Friday, four days ahead of its Nov. 1 target. He said paint crews will return Nov. 13 to complete the lane striping on the section closest to the freeway, possibly extending into the next day. This could lead to some lane restrictions but no full closures.
The project is being done in two six-month phases, spaced six months apart so they won’t interfere with high traffic volumes in winter, tied to both the agricultural and tourism industries. The roundabout is generously sized so it can be navigated by the large trucks and RVs used to transport vegetables out and visitors into the area, Herrmann said.
“This is a roundabout that is built to a large scale, so it’s plenty big to accommodate them,” he said.
Work on a second roundabout south of I-8, connecting Gila Ridge and Araby roads to the freeway, will start in April with the associated tasks to install or relocate utility lines, before actual construction begins in May. It should be completed by November 2018, Herrmann said.
For more information, visit the project webpage at www.azdot.gov/projects, under Southwest District Projects. Schedules are subject to change based on weather and other unforeseen factors. For more information, please call the ADOT Project Information Line at (855) 712-8530 or email gaby@gordleygroup.com.