Interstate 10 widening is a favorite topic for many a Road Runner out there.
One driver says she is now using West Starr Pass/22nd Street to cross under the Interstate and says people get into the center turn lane "way too early."
"Then they come zipping down it, without regard for someone who might want to turn from the other direction or all the other cars that get into the (lane)," wrote Janet Jones.
She wonders whether there are plans to install a median or divider so people can't get over too early.
There are several things to address in this question and the situation described.
First of all, the city uses the center left turn lane to allow drivers to turn left into businesses on each side of the street, said Michael Graham, spokesman for the Tucson Department of Transportation.
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If it were to install a median, or divider, it would prohibit or limit access to the businesses on the north and south sides of the street, he said.
The current configuration of the road, including the turn lane, is also affected by the freeway widening and is temporary.
When the widening is done, 22nd Street will have an additional left turn lane at I-10, said Teresa Welborn, state transportation spokeswoman.
Now, to address the issue of whether drivers get into the center turn lane too early, we asked the Tucson Police Department.
Tucson Police Sgt. Tim Beam says that while yes, "people do get into the two-way left turn lanes way too early," the state statute defining this action is a bit unclear.
"A driver shall not drive a vehicle in the lane except if preparing for or making a left turn from or on to the roadway," the statute says. But there's no clear definition of "preparing for" a turn, Beam says.
"A word of caution is needed for both the driver in the two-way left turn lane and the driver entering the turn lane," he said.
"Be aware that others may wait until they are closer to the intersection before entering; if you are 'zipping' down the lane, you may have a vehicle turn in front of you."
Road Runner
Andrea Kelly
Road Q
Question: "Are left turn signals planned for the intersection of Grande and Congress? With all the construction, this intersection has become a real bottleneck. People end up waiting through four and five signal changes to make a left turn. Some people take very dangerous chances just to get through," wrote Cynthia Frank.
Answer: The short answer is no, left turn signals are not planned for the intersection of Grande and Congress, but let me explain.
The Tucson Department of Transportation isn't planning left turn signals there because it wants drivers to use another route — a new route that is still under construction, said Michael Graham, spokesman for the department.
The city is building an extension of West Cushing Street that will intersect with South Grande. It will include a traffic circle that encourages drivers to use the new Avenida del Convento instead of driving through the more residential parts of Grande, and gets them to avoid the already overloaded Congress-Grande intersection.
The $500,000 traffic circle, to be paid for by Rio Nuevo, is supposed to be finished in about two months, Graham said.
