Downtown Tucson bypass nearing completion

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The final phase of the Tucson Downtown Links project is wrapping up soon.

The project is focused on making travel time smoother for those looking to just get to I -10

This new route could change traffic flow and affect downtown businesses.

On Congress in downtown Tucson it’s a good bet a lot of this traffic is not headed for downtown businesses. A lot if it’s just headed right to I-10. Now there’s an update on a project that would help a lot of the drivers bypass downtown.

Cars can clog Congress almost any time of day.

But now a way to breeze around downtown streets is getting close to completion. The last phase of Downtown Links should wrap up in about three months and provide an easy way to swing from Broadway to I-10.

Tucson City Council approved the route 18 years ago. It’s been under construction for more than five years.

But what will pulling traffic out of downtown do to businesses there?

Will it help businesses attract customers who want to be downtown, if you clear the congestion from drivers who don’t want to stop and just want to get to I-10?

Or will businesses miss a chance to catch someone’s eye and create a new customer?

At Lash Boss, Brenda Placko sees the value in getting some drivers off downtown streets but she still likes the idea people driving through the heart of the city could see her salon and want to try it.

“They're coming down here, and then they're going to say, hey, there's more to downtown than what they thought. Because a lot of people think about downtown and they're like nothing, but restaurants. No, there's more to downtown than just the restaurants.”

At Le Macaron French Bakery, Dominicke Gordon thinks the road’s not what brings customers in—its the sidewalk, where customers on foot can slow down, be curious about what they see, and come in for a taste.

“Because with the colors and our display here, they're most likely to stop by to take a cup of coffee or have a gelato, or curious about Le Macaron, and they will stop by.”

And in a few months, drivers will have a choice—-a smooth cruise avoiding downtown— or an interesting drive right through it.

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