TDOT News Releases

Mountain Avenue: Roger Road To Fort Lowell Road Paving And Drainage Improvement Project

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:33:00 MST

This is a continuing series of construction alerts that will be issued throughout the construction of the Mountain Avenue – Roger Road to Fort Lowell Improvement Project. These alerts will announce construction, detour and closure information as it effects traffic. Motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians are asked to obey all posted speed limit signs within the construction area and be alert for construction crews and personnel working in the area.

On Wednesday, November 25, 2009, at 5 p.m., travel on Mountain Avenue between Fort Lowell Road and Prince Road will be reduced to one northbound travel lane only. Please note that southbound travel on Mountain Avenue between Fort Lowell Road and Prince Road will be prohibited. Travel on this section of Mountain Avenue is being shifted to the newly paved roadway on the east side of Mountain Avenue and will allow work crews to reconstruct the west side of Mountain Avenue in this area. This traffic control change is scheduled to be in place until spring 2010.
Travel on Mountain Avenue between Prince Road and Roger Road is closed except for local traffic only. Crews are conducting landscaping work in the area.
Bicyclists are exempt from the above travel restrictions. Northbound and southbound travel for bicyclists on Mountain Avenue is allowed. However, bicyclists should use extreme caution when traveling in this work zone.

Please note that the above schedule is subject to change due to unforeseen conflicts or inclement weather. Please note that for the safety of the traveling public and construction workers, the speed limit in the work zone is 15 mph, and Tucson police are patrolling the area. The improvement project began in October 2008 and is being constructed by Borderland Construction, which is under contract with the City of Tucson Department of Transportation. The project consists of the removal, reconstruction, and widening of the existing two-lane street to provide two through lanes, bike lanes, curb, sidewalk, street lights at various intersections, and landscaping. This $11 million, two-year-long project, will also include underground storm drain improvements and the relocation of a majority of the overhead utility lines to underground. Modifications to water and sanitary sewer facilities will also be made as part of this project.

Grant Road/Craycroft Road Intersection Improvement Project

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:32:00 MST

This is a continuing series of construction alerts that will be issued throughout the construction of the Grant Road and Craycroft Road Intersection Improvement Project. These alerts will announce construction, detour and closure information as it effects traffic. Motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians are asked to obey all posted speed limit signs within the construction area and be alert for construction crews and personnel working in the area.

On Thursday, November 19, 2009 and Friday, November 20, 2009, crews will be paving the southwest quadrant of the Grant Road and Craycroft Road intersection.
On Friday, November 20, 2009, crews will be installing street signs and regulatory signs within the project area.
On Monday, November 23, 2009 through Wednesday, November 25, 2009, crews will place temporary striping within the project area. Work hours will be 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Once the striping is complete, there will be three travel lanes in each direction on Grant Road, with a single left turn lane onto Craycroft Road, and two travels lanes in each direction on Craycroft Road, with dual left turn lanes onto Grant Road.
On Monday, November 30, 2009 through Friday, December 18, 2009, crews will be constructing median islands on Grant Road, west of Craycroft Road. This work will not require any travel lane restrictions.

The final rubber asphalt paving course is postponed until the spring of 2010 when night time temperatures allow this type of material to better adhere to the base pavement course. The $6.4 million project is being funded with voter-approved Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) funds. The intersection will be reconstructed to improve the pavement condition and to add dual left turn lanes, exclusive right-turn lanes, bus pullouts, and bike lanes. Sidewalks will be widened to 6-feet wide within the project limits. This project will also require the replacement of the existing Alamo Wash bridge on Craycroft Road with a stronger reinforced box culvert. The intersection will be updated with new traffic signal equipment. Additional information on the project and travel restriction updates can be obtained at http://dot.tucsonaz.gov/projects/grantCraycroft/. While funded through the RTA, the project is being managed by the City of Tucson Department of Transportation. Voters approved the RTA in May 2006.

Tucson Department of Transportation And Chicanos Por La Causa Team Up To Plant Trees

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:47:00 MST

On Thursday, November 19, 2009, the City of Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT) and students from the Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) Calli Ollin High School downtown will be planting four Jacaranda trees at the northeast corner of Stone Avenue and Alameda Street. The trees are replacing four Jacaranda trees that died at this location two years ago. The students are using this tree planting exercise as part of a class project. The tree planting is scheduled to begin at 8:45 a.m. CPLC purchased the trees from Trees for Tucson, and TDOT staff have worked closely with CPLC staff on a hand watering and water harvesting program. TDOT replaced the old tree grates at this location and have installed scuppers to harvest stormwater off the street to water the trees. The new tree grates were salvaged from the historic Fourth Avenue Underpass reconstruction project.

Wilmot Road And Park Place Drive Intersection Improvement Utility Adjustments And Striping

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:46:00 MST

On Thursday, November 19, 2009, crews from Borderland Construction Co. Inc., under contract with the City of Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT), will begin raising manhole covers and water valve covers following the final paving operations on Wilmot Road at Park Place Drive. The utility cover adjustment work is scheduled to be complete by Monday, November 23, 2009. At least two lanes of travel will be maintained during this work. Lane restrictions will be in place without work crews in the area as the concrete rings around the manhole and water valve covers need to cure. Pavement striping is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, November 24, 2009. Final cleanup and the removal of all barricades will be on Wednesday, November 25, 2009. The traveling public can expect delays when driving, bicycling or walking in this work area. Business and residential access will be maintained. For your safety, please observe all traffic control signage, message boards, and obey reduced speed limits. Watch for construction personnel and equipment in the work zone. This project is funded through the Regional Transportation Authority and is being managed by TDOT. Voters approved the RTA in May 2006.

'Light The Night' Bicycle Light Campaign

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:39:00 MST

The City of Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT), with support from the Pima Association of Governments (PAG), the Tucson-Pima Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC), and Ward 6 Council Member Nina Trasoff are sponsoring a “Light the Night” bicycle light distribution campaign. Teams of volunteers will be installing bicycle lights and educating bicyclists on the law requiring bicycles to have operating lights at night and provide information on safe riding during both daylight and nighttime hours. Bicycle lights will be installed on Thursday, November 19, 2009, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (or until supplies are exhausted) at the intersection of Third Street and Treat Avenue. Bicycles will be equipped with a basic set of front and rear lights by volunteers from the BAC, the Greater Arizona Bicycle Association, and the El Grupo Youth Cycling Club. Lights will only be installed on bicycles without lights. The purpose of the campaign is to improve the visibility of bicyclists at night while educating riders about the safety benefits of a bicycle light and the requirement for a front and rear bike light as specified by state law for operation of bicycles at night. The law states that every bicycle when in use at nighttime must be equipped with a lamp on the front able to emit a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet, and with a red reflector on the rear visible from 50 feet to 300 feet. A lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear may be used in addition to the red reflector. With daylight hours shrinking, TDOT and the BAC Education and Outreach Subcommittee believe that this is an ideal time to remind bicyclists of the need for front and rear bike lights in low light conditions. Drivers should also be reminded to be alert for bicycle traffic at all times of day and night, and to remember that bicycles travel on the same roads, must obey the same rules, and have the same rights as automobiles. TDOT and Pima County also offer free bicycle safety classes. Participants who complete the classes get a free helmet, lock, or set of lights. Visit http://dot.tucsonaz.gov/bicycle/ for more information or call 243-BIKE to register for a class.

Travel Restrictions For Manhole Cover Work

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:31:00 MST

Motorists using two City of Tucson streets will face travel lane restrictions as work crews make repairs to manhole covers. Northbound Kino Parkway at Silverlake Road will be reduced to two travel lanes through 4 p.m., Friday, November 13, 2009. The left lane of northbound Kino Parkway at Silverlake Road will have a 24-hour closure to allow concrete to cure at three different manhole covers. Also on Friday, November 13, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Swan Road between Seneca Street and Waverly Street will be reduced to one lane in each direction to allow crews to make repairs on a manhole cover. The single day closure is approximately a ¼-mile south of Grant Road. Both northbound travel lanes on Swan Road will be closed forcing northbound Swan Road travel to shift to the west side of Swan Road. A single southbound travel lane on Swan Road will be in place to accommodate the shifting of northbound traffic. Electronic message boards are in place to notify motorists of these restrictions. The traveling public can expect delays when driving or bicycling in these work areas. For your safety, please observe all traffic control signage, message boards, and obey reduced speed limits. Watch for construction personnel and equipment in the work zone.

El Camino Del Cerro - Silverbell To Interstate 10 - Street Improvement Project

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:30:00 MST

To accommodate left turns at the El Camino Del Cerro and Silverbell Road intersection during the El Camino Del Cerro – Silverbell Road to Interstate 10 street improvement project – the traffic signal will be adjusted to a four-way stop. The traffic control change will begin at 6:30 a.m. Monday, November 16, 2009 and will be in place for approximately five weeks. The improvement project began on Tuesday, November 10, 2009. Crews are working on El Camino Del Cerro west of the bridge over the Santa Cruz River and at the El Camino Del Cerro and Silverbell Road intersection. At the intersection crews are conducting median island work, milling (removing asphalt) and repaving. Currently, intersection lane restrictions are in place and all left turns are prohibited. The left turn prohibition is in place to make sure through traffic on a green light is not blocked by a motorist making a left turn. Going to a four-way stop will allow for left turns at the intersection. NAC Construction, under contract with the City of Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT), are constructing new median islands and new asphalt paving. The project will also extend the center turn lane, as well as the right turn lane from eastbound El Camino Del Cerro to Interstate 10. Work hours for the project will be from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. The project is scheduled to be complete in mid February 2010. The traveling public can expect delays when driving, bicycling or walking in this work area. Business access will be maintained. For your safety, please observe all traffic control signage, message boards, and obey reduced speed limits. Watch for construction personnel and equipment in the work zone.

Houghton Road/Old Vail Road Intersection Improvement Project Old Vail Road At Houghton Road Now Open

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:29:00 MST

Work crews have completed constructing a new underground storm-drain system and the installation of new water lines, on Old Vail Road at Houghton Road. Old Vail Road at Houghton Road is now open to through traffic. Work continues on improvements to the Houghton Road/Old Vail Road intersection. Crews are continuing with water line and drainage improvements, and raising the elevation of the old roadway. The project includes the widening of the existing intersection to accommodate the future widening of Houghton Road to six lanes, constructing dedicated right-turn lanes and dual left-turn lanes and upgrading the traffic signal. The entire project is scheduled to be complete in spring 2010. The Houghton Road/Old Vail Road improvement project is the first construction project on a major City of Tucson corridor funded under the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) plan that was approved by voters in May 2006. While funded through the RTA, the project is being managed by the City of Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT). The traveling public can expect delays when driving or bicycling in this work area. Please obey all traffic control signs and watch for construction personnel and equipment in the work zone.

Veteran's Day Parade Street Closures

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:54:00 MST

On Wednesday, November 11, 2009, the City of Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT) will restrict travel downtown for the Veterans Day Parade. The parade route begins at Sixth Avenue north of 18th Street and travels north to Broadway. At Broadway, the parade travels west to Granada Avenue and then south on Granada Avenue to the Tucson Convention Center. The parade is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m., and end at 1 p.m. Side streets leading to Sixth Avenue will be closed at 7:30 a.m. to allow the parade entries to stage. The side streets and reopen when the last parade entry passes by. Broadway between Sixth Avenue and Granada Avenue will close at 10 a.m., as will Church Avenue, Stone Avenue and Scott Avenue where they intersect with Broadway. Motor vehicle travel along the parade route is prohibited. The traveling public can expect delays when driving, bicycling or walking in this area. Please obey all traffic control signs.

Grant Road/Craycroft Road Intersection Improvement Project

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:50:00 MST

On Thursday, November 12, 2009, and Friday, November 13, 2009, work crews will be paving the east side of Craycroft Road both north and south of Grant Road. Paving operations each day will begin at 6:30 a.m. and will be complete by 3 p.m. Access to businesses and side streets will be prohibited when paving equipment is directly in front of a driveway.
On Saturday, November 14, 2009, beginning at 5:30 a.m., crews will adjust barricades and shift all travel on Craycroft Road south of Grant Road to the east side of Craycroft Road, to the newly paved asphalt.
On Tuesday, November 17, 2009 and Wednesday, November 18, 2009, crews are scheduled to pave the south side of Grant Road, east of Craycroft Road. Paving operations each day will begin at 6:30 a.m. and will be complete by 3 p.m. Access to businesses will be prohibited when paving equipment is directly in front of a driveway.

This $6.4 million project is being funded with voter-approved Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) funds. The intersection will be reconstructed to improve the pavement condition and to add dual left turn lanes, exclusive right-turn lanes, bus pullouts, and bike lanes. Sidewalks will be widened to 6-feet wide within the project limits. This project will also require the replacement of the existing Alamo Wash bridge on Craycroft Road with a stronger reinforced box culvert. The intersection will be updated with new traffic signal equipment. Additional information on the project and travel restriction updates can be obtained at http://dot.tucsonaz.gov/projects/grantCraycroft/. While funded through the RTA, the project is being managed by the City of Tucson Department of Transportation. Voters approved the RTA in May 2006.