The Grant Road Citizens Task Force approved a proposed alignment concept for public review. The comment period closed Nov. 17 and final recommendations will be presented to the Tucson City Council in early 2009 for further consideration.
The $166.8 million Grant Road project, from Oracle to Swan, is the largest roadway improvement project in the $2.1 billion Regional Transportation Authority plan approved by voters in May 2006.
The Grant Road project will widen the road to six lanes and include sidewalks, bike lanes and landscaping. The project is managed by the City of Tucson Department of Transportation.
Grant Road currently carries about 40,000 vehicles per day. Pima Association of Governments predicts traffic will increase to 60,000-70,000 vehicles per day in the future, with upwards of 100,000 vehicles traveling through the major intersections.
The Grant Road Citizens Task Force and the City’s planning team released the proposed alignment concept during three open houses in October and held a 30-day public review. Public input was received throughout the 2006, 2007 and 2008 planning phase as well.
The concepts are still available for viewing at www.grantroad.info.
The second portion of the planning for the Grant Road project includes approval of the alignment concept and engineering of the alignment. Planning exercises in 2009 will include development of a streetscape, access and circulation plan, as well as a land use corridor plan.
Funding for right-of-way acquisition becomes available in fiscal year 2010. Initial road construction is planned to begin in 2013.
Business consulting and assistance is available through the RTA’s MainStreet business assistance program, for more information please visit www.mainstreetinfo.org or call (520)838-4352 or (520)270-2661.
For more information about the project, please visit www.grantroad.info or call the project hotline at (520)624-4727.