One of the Legislature's tax-sweep curveballs just hit Pima County in the face. In laying out its five-year road-construction plan, the Arizona Department of Transportation has had to push back some important local projects to make sure other areas get projects, too.
Some were pushed back so far they fell off the table.
"Pima County took a hit for the team on this plan," said state transportation board member Steve Christy.
Pima County is getting its usual 13 percent of the ADOT construction money, but there are fewer dollars to go around due to the poor economy and the Legislature's reallocation of gas tax (Highway User Revenue Fund) money meant for road construction to other uses.
The $86 million project to reconstruct the Interstate 19/Ajo Way interchange was tentatively scheduled for 2014.
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But ADOT's new five-year construction plan calls for the project to begin in 2017. That's a few more years of heavy traffic in the area.
Projects that got bumped off the to-do list also include reconstructing the I-10 interchanges at Kino Parkway, Valencia Road and Wilmot Road.
The Pima Association of Governments is disappointed with the delay and is encouraging ADOT to do the I-19/Ajo Way project sooner if more money becomes available, said John Liosatos, PAG transportation planning director.
PAG has its own five-year construction and design plan, which includes Regional Transportation Authority projects. You can attend a public meeting to learn about the to-do list and give feedback to officials.
The meetings are planned for 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at Anamax Park in Sahuarita; 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Randolph Club House, 600 S. Alvernon Way; and 5 p.m. Thursday at the Wheeler Taft Abbett Sr. Branch Library, 7800 N. Schisler Drive.
Down the road
• Southbound Park Avenue is closed for median work between 36th Street and Interstate 10 until 6 p.m. tonight. Use Kino/Campbell or Sixth Avenue instead.
• Expect major detours beginning today at the intersection of Magee Road and La Cholla Boulevard as crews reroute traffic so they can build new lanes.
Eastbound traffic on Magee won't be allowed to turn right onto La Cholla at the intersection. Instead, there's a ramp before you get to the intersection.
And northbound traffic on La Cholla won't be able to turn left onto Magee at the intersection. Instead, you'll go straight through the intersection and then make a right turn and a loop to go west.
• Southbound Sabino Canyon Road is closed south of Tanque Verde Road for six weeks while crews construct the new roadway and entrance to Udall Park. Use the Tanque Verde Road entrance to get to the park.
You can get an update on the project to connect Sabino Canyon Road with Kolb Road at a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. March 27 at the Murphy-Wilmot Branch Library, 530 N. Wilmot Road.
• Pima County crews will be repairing shoulder erosion on Campbell Avenue from River Road to Skyline Drive today through Wednesday. Expect lane closures and delays.
• Watch for crews paving and striping in the downtown area on Seventh Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues and on Fifth Avenue between Seventh and Eighth streets. That work should wrap up Friday.
• The first of two concrete pours for the deck of the new Luis G. Gutierrez Bridge will happen overnight Thursday. It'll take about 75 truckloads of concrete to get the job done. The bridge will carry the streetcar over the Santa Cruz River on Cushing Street.
• On Tuesday the ParkWise Commission will consider discounts on monthly passes for certain downtown parking garages during streetcar construction. If approved, a 35 percent discount at the Plaza Centro Garage, 345 E. Congress St., and a roughly 25 percent discount at the Depot Plaza Garage, 45 N. Fifth Ave., would begin April 1.
• You can give feedback to Sun Tran about a proposed shuttle route that would connect bus stops, park-and-ride lots, the Civano neighborhood, Pima Community College's East Campus and the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park. An open house is planned for 11 a.m. Thursday at the Student Union at the PCC East Campus, 8181 E. Irvington Road. Or you can go to www.suntran.com/sunshuttle and fill out the Sun Shuttle Route 450 survey.
Road Q
Question: Mike Parr sees an accident waiting to happen at La Cholla Boulevard and Hospital Drive. He wants to know whether there is a plan to add a left-turn arrow at the light for southbound cars to safely turn into Northwest Medical Center.
Answer: There isn't enough traffic at that intersection to meet the engineering guidelines for a left-turn arrow, said Pima County Transportation Director Priscilla Cornelio. But the county is reviewing traffic patterns regularly, she said, in part because of requests from the hospital.
Send your Road Q questions by email to roadrunner@azstarnet.com or to 4850 S. Park Ave., Tucson, AZ 85714. Please include first and last names.
