TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — After almost six years of construction and traffic disruptions, Tucson's Downtown Links Improvement Project is finally approaching completion, with city officials saying the major infrastructure investment should be finished in the coming months.
The project, which spans from I-10 to Broadway, has transformed Downtown Tucson's transportation landscape while testing the patience of residents and commuters who have endured years of congestion and detours.
"I used to live downtown. I actually moved out mostly because it got a little congested. There was a lot of traffic," community member Alexander McGhee said.
The City of Tucson's Department of Transportation and Mobility (DTM) designed the project to enhance safety, connectivity and flood protection throughout the downtown corridor.
"This phase of the project connects Barraza Aviation Parkway to St. Mary’s Road and has been delivered in two segments. The eastern segment, extending from Barraza Aviation Parkway at Broadway to Sixth Street, was completed in February 2023," Erica Frazelle, DTM Strategic Communications Administrator said.
The western portion remains under construction, featuring an overpass over Sixth Ave. and an underpass at Sixth St. to avoid the railroad crossing and alleviate traffic traveling through downtown.
Michael Santoro, a member of Xerocraft Tucson's Makerspace, located near the construction, said the improvements will benefit all residents.
"The Aviation Parkway is gonna be great. It's gonna go underneath the underpass. It's gonna give you a quick connection to I-10 when it's completed. That should make life better for all of Tucson residents trying to connect through the City without having to stop at lights," Santoro said.
Santoro says thankfully there's light at the end of the tunnel because getting around the area has been a struggle.
“It’s miserable and it’s a bit dangerous actually cause this intersection is confusing and people never really know how to handle it. You really have to take your time," Santoro said.
The convenience factor has many Tucsonans eager for completion.
"Once the bypass is pretty much done, this is gonna save a significant amount of time in the downtown area – so we can't wait," McGhee said.
Though community members are excited about the final product, Hunain Khawaj say it’s taking too long.
"Certainly the construction has taken quite a long time. It's not a nuisance I would say, but it would be more encouraging to see progress being made, especially in this corridor where the signs have been up for a long time. The City as a whole has a lot of projects going on," Khawaja said. "While that's disrupted lots of commuting day to day, we're glad there's at least efforts being made to make improvements on the roads all around."
According to DTM, crews are in the process of completing retaining wall reinforcement and building the new intersection at Church Ave. and Sixth St. Paving of the new Sixth St. roadway is also upcoming.
In addition, the project will include a deck plaza and expanded bicycle and pedestrian facilities that support multimodal transportation and downtown revitalization.
DTM says it's looking forward to a ribbon-cutting celebration planned for the spring to mark this significant milestone for the community.
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
