Valencia Road Improvements - Mark Road to Ajo Highway (SR 86)

January 24, 2008

The Pima County Department of Transportation (PCDOT), in conjunction with the Regional Transportation Authority’s (RTA) Roadway Improvement Plan, is planning improvements to the Valencia Road Corridor from Mark Road to its western terminus at Ajo Highway (S.R. 86). Valencia Road is a major east west arterial on the south side of the Tucson metropolitan area and designated as a Scenic Major Route in the Pima County Major Streets and Routes Plan. This portion of Valencia Road is located within the Pima County Board of Supervisors District 3.

The RTA’s Roadway Improvement Plan, which was approved by Pima County voters in May 2006, proposed that this existing two-lane arterial be designed to a “desert parkway” section. The purpose for this project is to provide multi-modal transportation improvements, which will improve safety, reduce congestion, improve operations and increase mobility for current and future traffic needs. Development of the project includes completion of a preliminary concept study followed by final design and ultimately construction.

Potential improvements to be considered and evaluated include the following:

• Additional travel lanes;
  
• Landscaped medians and landscape enhancement throughout the corridor;
• Multi-use lanes;
  
• Drainage improvements;
  
• Provisions for pedestrians and other uses;
  
• Noise mitigation as required;
  
• Intersection improvements at Camino Verde, Wade Road, Vahalla Road and Ajo Highway (S.R. 86);
  
• Re-alignment of the western terminus of Valencia Road as it approaches Ajo Highway (S.R. 86), based upon an analysis of various intersection alternatives. The first component of this project is to study the entire corridor in order to develop preliminary design concepts, conduct environmental analyses and evaluate future design and construction phasing based upon the following items: operations, utilities, right-of-way, constructability, and environmental concerns.