After two years of construction, the 1.2-mile stretch of South Houghton Road over the Union Pacific Railroad to Interstate 10 was dedicated on Thursday.
More than 20,000 vehicles a day travel over two divided bridges above the railroad, with six lanes of travel along Houghton Road. The original single, two-lane bridge stood for more than 50 years until engineers deemed it deficient in 2013.
Construction crews also widened Houghton Road from the railroad south to I-10, adding new bike lanes and a paved multiuse path for bicyclists and pedestrians on the east side of the road.
The $14 million bridge work and road repaving were mostly funded by the voter-approved, 20-year Regional Transportation Authority bond from 2006. So far, officials say $1.2 billion of the $2.1 billion has been invested with the half-cent excise tax in Pima County.
A portion of the money was also used to create new roost structures for thousands of state-protected bats, including the Mexican free-tailed species
βWeβre very proud of their new condos up in those rafters,β added Shirley Scott, councilwoman for Tucsonβs Ward 4.
The work along the 13-mile Houghton Road corridor is the longest project in the 20-year plan and second-costliest next to the ongoing projects along Grant Road.
βThese projects are examples of the public sector and the private sector working together, neighborhood residents and businesses working together, of the city and the county working together and thatβs what the RTA has made possible,β said Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild.
Houghton Road so far
- The Old Vail Road and Mary Ann Cleveland Way intersection was the first segment to be completed within the corridor in 2010.
- A widening of Houghton between Valencia and Irvington roads, opening it up to a six-lane divided road in 2014.
- The widening of Houghton between Broadway and 22nd Street was completed on schedule in September 2016 after starting in early 2015.
The Houghton Road to come
- Crews will widen Houghton Road between Mary Ann Cleveland and Valencia Road, which currently bottlenecks to one travel lane for each direction. Construction crews are conducting utility relocation work before the project starts in 2020.
- In 2021, construction will start on Houghton from Irvington Road to 22nd Street, one of the longest segments along the road.
- The Speedway to Tanque Verde Road section of Houghton has not entered the design phase yet.
Drivers enjoy the six lanes of the new South Houghton Road that runs to Interstate 10. The project, which included bridges over the railroad, cost $14 million.
The old South Houghton Road bridge, seen here in 2016, was deemed deficient in 2013.
