Sewer and water-line replacement this week will prompt the near shutdown of a major intersection.
Beginning Friday, county and city contractors are set to replace the lines at the intersection of South Alvernon Way and East 22nd Street.
Expect severe traffic delays at the intersection that serves more than 22,000 cars a day and is one of the busiest in the region.
It’s a good time to think of alternative routes.
The work is part of a larger sewer-system improvement plan the county has been working on. New sections of 12-inch-diameter sewer lines are replacing older, smaller lines to increase capacity and prepare for growth, officials say.
It’s part of a more than 1-mile-long wastewater line replacement between Swan Road and Alvernon. Eventually, new sewer lines will be added all the way to Craycroft Road.
The work coincides with Tucson Water’s replacement of a 60-year old water line also at the intersection of Alvernon and 22nd.
This weekend marks just the first of three phases of construction work at the intersection.
Fortunately, things will gradually improve after the first phase, which lasts through March 7.
However, limited lane restrictions will be in place through early April.
When the second phase of construction starts, workers will be installing new sections of sewer line north of 22nd eastbound toward Swan. That work will continue into June.
The third and final phase includes final sewer work and resurfacing of the intersection. That work will go into August.
Ultimately, all the planned works means that motorists should expect lane restrictions and traffic controls to be in place well into August.
