Question: "Years ago, voters (including myself) voted for bonds to have Orange Grove Road widened from Thornydale to Oracle roads. I even remember a sign going up a few years ago declaring that construction would begin soon, but I've yet to see anything. When is construction going to begin to widen Orange Grove Road?" Javier Heyer wrote.
Answer: The project is not part of the county's five-year construction schedule, said Priscilla Cornelio, Pima County transportation director. Declining county transportation revenues have prevented the department from selling 1997 transportation-revenue bonds, which are part of the planned funding for the widening. The project cost also has escalated from the original estimates, she said. Because the project is not in the short-term road plans, the county has made some other improvements, including adding bike lanes and pavement treatment to prolong its life, and it plans to widen La Cañada Drive and Orange Grove as part of a La Cañada widening project, she said.