Work on Valencia Road from Kolb to Houghton roads has begun, drawing nearer to completion a major east-west corridor for the Tucson metro region.
“Completion of this project will enhance a vital link across the southern portion of the metro region that connects residential, commercial, transportation and cultural assets,” said Rick Ellis, Pima Association of Government Director of Transportation Services.
The expansion of Valencia Road all the way to Houghton Road will complete the eastern portions of the corridor, from Alvernon Way to Houghton. For residents in the growing southeastern portions of the region such as Vail, Rita Ranch and Corona de Tucson, this project adds greater connectivity to interior areas while accommodating the anticipated future growth in those areas.
At completion, the project will include a six-lane parkway with bike lanes, pathways, sidewalks and drainage for all-weather access. Upgrades to traffic signals and intersections at Old Vail Road and Nexus Road will be included in the 3.7-mile roadway corridor improvement.
Additionally, the completed roadway corridor project will include native plant landscaping, public art and dark sky compliant lighting.
Other RTA project updates
Grant Road Phases 3 and 4
Construction on this section of Grant Road, from Palo Verde Boulevard to Venice Place, started in the spring, and activities are fully underway.
The section of roadway is another piece of the overall Grant Road improvement project, which extends from Oracle Road east to Swan Road. The City of Tucson is the lead agency managing the planning, design and construction of the project with a significant portion of the funding for the overall corridor improvement coming from the RTA’s voter-approved half-cent sales tax.
The completed project will include six travel lanes, landscaped medians, buffered bike lanes, sidewalks, transit stop upgrades and drainage improvements throughout the entire length. A key feature of the improvement project includes the addition of indirect left turns at the intersection of Alvernon Way and Grant Road.
The indirect left turns will be used for traffic turning left from Grant onto Alvernon. This type of configuration has been used on the previously constructed segments along the corridor, as well as other busy intersections throughout the region to keep traffic flowing safely through busy intersections.
The project is expected to run through 2026.
Sunset Road, Silverbell to I-10
This multi-agency project involves the Arizona Department of Transportation, Pima County, City of Tucson and the RTA. When completed, the roadway will seamlessly link Sunset Road from Silverbell Road across Interstate 10 to River Road. The project includes bridges over the Union Pacific Railroad and the Rillito River.
The project is designed as four lanes with a median, bike lanes, sidewalks and a multi-use path.
This project is being constructed concurrently with ADOT’s I-10 improvements between Ina Road and Ruthrauff Road. ADOT recently published a podcast episode updating the improvement projects between Ina and Ruthrauff roads. Construction is expected to run through 2025.
Downtown Links/I-10 to Broadway Boulevard
When this ongoing final phase is completed, Downtown Links will form a 1.3-mile long, multimodal corridor connecting Maclovio Barraza-Aviation Parkway to Interstate 10. The completed four-lane roadway will have bike lanes, sidewalks and a separate multiuse path.
One of the main project highlights is the construction of an underpass at the railroad tracks near Stone Avenue and Sixth Street.
Improvements include construction of a new Sixth Street alignment, railroad underpass and a deck plaza at Ninth Street. Major drainage improvements that the Pima County Regional Flood Control District completed provide protection from a 100-year floodplain for a large portion of downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. This project will eliminate one of the most hazardous railroad crossings in the state and end long train-related delays on St. Mary’s Road.
Construction for the final phase began in the summer of 2020 and is anticipated to be complete in 2025. Drainage improvements and reconstruction of St. Mary’s Road, from I-10 to Church Avenue, occurred in earlier phases of the project.
Tangerine Road, I-10 interchange to La Cañada Drive
This section adds to the already completed eastern portion of the large project. Construction activities are underway for the westernmost two-mile section of Tangerine Road which will reconstruct the existing road to a four-lane desert parkway with paved shoulders, a curbed median, and a 12-foot-wide multi-use-path along the north side of the roadway.
Improved drainage infrastructure will include channels and culverts. A signalized intersection at Adonis Road will have improved access to accommodate future development. A frontage road along the south side of Tangerine Road will provide access to Marana Tech Center’s current and future businesses.
Upcoming RTA corridor projects
22nd Street, I-10 to Tucson Boulevard/Maclovio Barraza-Aviation Parkway
This project, phase 2 of a larger improvement, will add lane capacity to the 22nd bridge over Barraza-Aviation Parkway and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks between Tucson Boulevard and Kino Parkway.
The new bridge will have an increased weight capacity, which currently is limited to 15 tons requiring heavy trucks and buses to use alternate routes. Additional travel lanes will be added, thus bringing the total to three lanes in each direction to match the existing roadway section at either end of the project limits. Bike lanes also will be included in the current design, with connections to the Aviation Pathway, which runs along the north side of Maclovio Barraza-Aviation Parkway.
This is a complex and challenging project that will require dismantling and rebuilding the bridge over the active rail lines and a state highway. Once construction begins, the bridge and parts of 22nd Street will close completely for approximately three years.
Silverbell Road, Ina Road to Grant Road
The section stretching from El Camino del Cerro to Goret Road is currently working to finalize design, clearance and funding activities in preparation for future construction. Improvements include widening Silverbell to a curbed, four-lane divided desert parkway with pedestrian facilities, bike lanes, lighting, drainage improvements, new native landscaping, and public art.