BUCKEYE — A crash near State Route 85 shut down the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 in Buckeye for a little more than an hour on Tuesday, according to releases from the Arizona Department of Transportation.
ADOT said in its first alert, sent shortly before 2 p.m., that the eastbound lanes were closed near SR 85 because of a crash at milepost 112. The agency advised drivers to expect delays and to find an alternate route, and said at the time there was no estimated time to reopen.
The westbound lanes of I-10 were not affected by the closure, according to the department.
In a follow-up release issued just under an hour later, ADOT announced that the eastbound lanes had reopened. KTAR News reported that the freeway had been closed for a little more than an hour in total.
ADOT did not say how many vehicles were involved in the crash or whether anyone was hurt, and no other agency had released details about the cause as of Wednesday morning.
The stretch of I-10 near the SR 85 interchange is a key route for commuters and freight traffic moving between the far West Valley and metro Phoenix. SR 85 connects the interstate with Gila Bend and Interstate 8 to the south, making the interchange one of the busiest junctions on the western edge of the Valley.
Even short closures on that segment can back traffic up for miles, because drivers have few nearby alternatives. Frontage roads and surface streets such as MC 85 can absorb only a portion of interstate traffic.
ADOT reminds drivers that real-time highway conditions are available on the Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, through the AZ511 app for Apple and Android devices, or by calling 511.
Thee Arizona Times will update this story if the Arizona Department of Public Safety, which typically investigates crashes on state highways, releases more information.
Sources: Arizona Department of Transportation news release, KTAR News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Toastdebunny / CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.
