More than 300 people attended a meeting last week hosted by the Arizona Department of Transportation to discuss plans to widen Oracle Road from Tangerine Road to Pinal County.
The transportation department just entered the design stage of the project, so the May 17 meeting at Vista de la Montaña United Methodist Church in Catalina sought the opinion of area residents.
"We need the input, feedback, concerns and questions to help us shape the design as it progresses," said Linda Ritter, a department spokeswoman.
A 6.2-mile stretch of Oracle Road would be widened from two to three lanes in each direction through Oro Valley and Catalina and into Pinal County.
Other proposed improvements include adding raised medians and left-turn lanes in the Catalina area, constructing three wildlife-crossing structures, and improving traffic signals, shoulders and drainage.
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Retaining and noise walls would be built if warranted.
The proposed wildlife crossings appeal to Oro Valley resident Dawn Bowen.
"We see a lot of wildlife now and I'm really excited to get even more," she said.
Two wildlife underpasses would be north of Rancho Vistoso Boulevard, near Bowen's house in Oro Valley.
The third crossing would be built as an overpass near the Catalina Transfer Station, 14425 N. Oracle Road.
Regional Transportation Authority funds of $8.2 million would cover the costs of the crossings, officials said.
The transportation department has set aside $36 million in federal funds for the widening project, which it began studying in 2004.
The project extends the recently completed project that widened Oracle from West Calle Concordia to Tangerine.
Officials with the transportation department said the project to widen Oracle Road from Tangerine to Pinal County will improve traffic flow and safety.
At the meeting, residents expressed concerns about the raised medians, noise, bicycle and pedestrian access, wildlife crossings and private property and business access.
Residents also requested specific traffic signals at intersections in Catalina to combat heavy traffic.
The transportation department plans to use rubberized asphalt to reduce traffic sound.
Public comments at the meeting suggested that residents didn't favor the walls.
The department doesn't determine if walls are necessary until the final design phase, but affected residents also have a say in whether a wall goes up, said Fred Garcia, an air and noise specialist with the agency.
"ADOT will not build a wall where a wall is not desired by the citizens," he said.
Garcia added that residents need to continue to stay involved as the project moves forward.
The department plans to continue to meet with stakeholders in small groups to discuss their concerns.
Construction on the project could start as early as the summer of 2013, and is projected to last two years.
Contact reporter Andrea Rivera at arivera@azstarnet.com or 807-8430.
