TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Drivers traveling along Grant Road in midtown Tucson have grown used to construction in recent years as a major expansion project reshapes one of the city’s busiest corridors. Soon, a new flood-control basin and public art installation at the southeast corner of Grant Road and Dodge Boulevard could give the area a distinctive landmark.
The catchment basin — designed to collect and retain excess stormwater — is being constructed as part of Phases 3 and 4 of the Grant Road Expansion Project. The work is funded by the Regional Transportation Authority and is part of a long-term plan to widen Grant Road and improve traffic flow, drainage and safety.
In addition to serving as stormwater infrastructure, the basin will also function as a small pocket park featuring a large public sculpture visible from the roadway.
“The most important thing it will have is a wonderful 20-foot sculpture that I had a hand in choosing,” said Lisa Maher, a neighbor in the nearby Garden District.
The sculpture, called “Dodger” the Coyote, is expected to stand prominently within the basin area.
“He is a 20-foot red coyote, and you can not miss him from Grant Road, no question,” Maher said.
City officials say drainage improvements are a key component of the Grant Road project, which stretches roughly from Oracle Road to Swan Road. Tucson’s monsoon storms can produce sudden and heavy rainfall, and basins like the one at Grant and Dodge are designed to reduce flooding by capturing runoff before it reaches surrounding streets and neighborhoods.
Maher said the neighborhood supports the basin because of the role it will play in managing stormwater.
“It needed a place for the water to go,” she said. “Tucson has found over the years that water never ends up where it ought to be.”
A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Transportation and Mobility said they could not confirm the cost of the basin itself but noted that Phases 3 and 4 of the Grant Road project together total about $56.96 million.
Construction on the basin and surrounding improvements is expected to continue through the next year.
Despite the long wait and ongoing construction, Maher said she is excited to see the project completed.
“I’d love to see it up, I can’t wait!” she said. “It’ll be a wonderful selfie magnet, no doubt.”
According to the city, work on the basin project is currently scheduled to wrap up by the end of 2026.
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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.
