The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) started a project this month to remove boulders from a two-mile stretch of Interstate 10 in the Texas Canyon area of Cochise County.
Surveying and other preliminary work began late last month, and the project is expected to be finished by July.
The boulders need to be removed from the shoulders and median of the road, as they could be a serious danger to drivers traveling on the Interstate. ADOT said the $1.38 million project will not need explosives.
The shoulders of the road will be closed throughout the project.
Median boulder removal is being done first, starting this month and expected to take approximately one month. During this time, the left lanes will be closed in both directions during work hours. Crews then will begin removing boulders from the eastbound-lane shoulder before moving on to the westbound-lane shoulder.
Boulder removal will take place from 7 a.m to 5 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays. During these times, the speed limit for the stretch (mileposts 318 to 320) will fall to 55 mph. The speed limit during non-work hours throughout the duration of the project will be 65 mph.
