Construction to widen Ray Road over Interstate 10 is getting mostly positive reviews from the Kyrene Corridor businesses nearest to the work.

The Arizona Department of Transportation’s $7 million project to add lanes on Ray Road and improve freeway on- and off-ramps has not yet hurt most of the businesses surveyed by The Wrangler News.

“Not that I know of. No complaints,” said Jennifer Allen, manager of Ann Taylor in Casa Paloma, one of the Ray Road shopping areas closest to the I-10 interchange.

Most of the other area businesses seem to agree.

Shirlee Quinn, office administrator of Coffin and Trout Fine Jewelers in Casa Paloma, said she has seen no impact on business during construction, which began in late summer and is scheduled to conclude by summer 2007.

“I go that direction every night and I don’t see any change. They seem to be getting traffic through their pretty quickly,” Quinn said.

Even criticism of the Ray Road widening project has been tempered with optimism.

“Oh yes, it hurts,” said Colleen Wallock, manager of Lamps Plus, 900 N. 54^th St., just east of the Ray Road freeway interchange. “More in November. It seems to be a little better now, and once it gets widened, it will be terrific.”

Several other business people in the Casa Paloma, Chandler Pavilion and Chandler Gateway West shopping areas also said the construction is not yet hurting their business during the critical holiday shopping season.

When completed, the Ray Road bridge will have three through lanes in each direction, dual left turn lanes, and a right turn lane to enter I-10. The I-10 exit ramps at Ray Road will also be widened.

In addition to widening the bridge, ADOT will install new retaining walls, new traffic signals with a video detection system, new signing and striping, and new landscaping.

ADOT has said it will limit construction activities during the holiday season (Nov. 15 through Jan. 1, 2007).

ADOT plans to keep two lanes of Ray Road and freeway ramps open during peak hours, but may restrict Ray Road traffic some weeknights and on weekends during nighttime hours.

All lanes of I-10 will remain open during weekday daytime hours with the exception of the HOV lanes. Construction activities will, however, occasionally close lanes on I-10 at night while crews work to widen the Ray Road Bridge, according to ADOT.