TUCSON – A temporary bridge rolling into place Wednesday between the eastbound and westbound lanes of Interstate 10 at Craycroft Road will keep traffic flowing while the Arizona Department of Transportation replaces bridge decks there.

The $3.3 million project extending the life of the bridges at Craycroft Road will begin with eastbound traffic moving to the temporary bridge and crews working on the eastbound bridge deck. Westbound lanes are scheduled to move to the temporary bridge in June, when work shifts to the westbound bridge deck.

The payoff for drivers as this project continues through October: no detours, and only minor delays through the project area.

“This innovative approach will allow traffic on Interstate 10 to continue almost without interruption throughout this project,” said Rod Lane, district engineer for ADOT’s South Central District. “We’re excited that we can make improvements to the bridge surface without causing congestion on the only east-west freeway in Tucson.”

With crews putting the temporary bridge in place Wednesday, Craycroft Road is scheduled to remain closed until about 7 p.m.

I-10 and all ramps connecting it with Craycroft Road (Exit 268) remain open during the installation, but drivers cannot use the road under I-10. Eastbound drivers can use the Wilmot Road exit to reach northbound Craycroft via the westbound frontage road, while westbound drivers can exit at Valencia Road to reach southbound Craycroft via the eastbound frontage road.