Three separate projects around the greater University of Arizona area are underway in some form, with construction affecting two major traffic arteries around campus.
Grant Road
The intersection of E. Grant Road and N. First Avenue has been under construction for about a year, and according to Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik, the project has another year to go — and that’s just for this phase.
“This all began over on Oracle, and is going to go all the way out to Swan,” Kozachik said. “They are doing it in phases, the first and second phases are what you’re seeing … phases five and six are kind of the Campbell and Grant area.”
The project, undertaken by the voter-approved Pima County Regional Transportation Authority, is meant to widen Grant Road, according to Kozachik. Final completion for the six-phase project is slated for 2026.
According to the official Tucson Department of Transportation website, the expansion will expand Grant Road to “six lanes with bike lanes, and streetscape and pedestrian improvements to create a state-of-the-art, multi-modal transportation corridor.”
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Euclid Avenue
Starting right after classes ended for the spring 2018 semester, construction on the stretch of N. Euclid Avenue between E. Second and Fifth Streets has limited traffic to one lane in both directions.
According to Dave Heineking, executive director of Parking and Transportation Services at the UA, the project’s goal is to install upgraded sewer and utility lines under Euclid Avenue. Kozachik was able to pinpoint why those sewer lines need upgrading.
“What you are seeing on Euclid is a storm sewer connection — and the utilities that they need to do an upgrade on — to support the new dorm that’s going in,” Kozachik said. “The real project is the new dorm.”
That “dorm,” really a private student-apartment building under construction and belonging to a company called Aspire Student Housing, is slated for completion sometime in 2019.
Normal two-way traffic on Euclid Avenue, on the other hand, is scheduled to be restored the first week of August, according to Heineking.
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Sixth Street and National Championship Drive
The latest upgrades to UA’s athletics facilities are geared toward students, the ZonaZoo in particular.
“We are adding amenities, mostly to the student section,” Kozachik said.
Kozachik, who in addition to being a Tucson City Council member also works as an assistant athletic director in charge of capital projects for the athletic department, described some of the upgrades as cosmetic — such as upgraded bathrooms and added space for concessions.
Others, however, seek to improve the game experience.
“There are two very large entryways being cut into the seating area so that students can be out in the lounge area but also remain connected to the game,” Kozachik said.
With football season just around the corner, Kozachik also confirmed the scheduled completion date as Sept. 1 — the same day as the Wildcat’s first home game, against the Bringham Young University Cougars.
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