TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A major infrastructure project that has reshaped traffic in downtown Tucson for years is finally nearing the finish line, and residents in the surrounding neighborhoods are eager for relief.
According to the City of Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility, Phase Three of the Downtown Links project is slated to wrap up by the end of 2025.
The final phase includes a new roadway linking Sixth Street and St. Mary’s Road, new tracks for the Union Pacific Railway, as well as a new overpass, underpass, deck plaza, bike paths and sidewalks.
Gabriel Valencia, a resident of the Dunbar Spring neighborhood, says the project has dragged on for so long, he lost track of it.
“I’ve never really paid much attention after a certain point,” Valencia said. “It just seems to progress and go on. I’ve just lost interest in it after a while, ya know?”
Still, like many others living near the construction zone, Valencia is optimistic that the project will ultimately improve traffic flow.
“I’m looking forward to it to kind of ease up the traffic here, yeah,” he said. “There’s times you have to go out of your way to find your way back into the neighborhood.”
For longtime Dunbar Spring resident Dominic Oldershaw, the delays have been especially noticeable.
“They haven’t done anything about the western approach in six months — since I think November, maybe October,” Oldershaw said.
In a statement to KGUN 9, the DTM acknowledged the delays:
“Currently, work is taking place on the underpass at the Union Pacific Railroad… coordination between UPRR and the utility company within their right-of-way has contributed to the delays in the project.”
City officials expect the Downtown Links to significantly improve vehicle circulation across downtown Tucson, particularly at congested intersections.
“Once the project is complete,” Oldershaw added, “traffic through downtown, around downtown should smooth out. There shouldn’t be the backups that there are here at Fifth Street and Stone.”
Completion of Phase Three will mark the end of nearly six years of construction, ultimately connecting the Barraza Aviation Parkway to St. Mary’s Road and Interstate 10.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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