A 10-mile section of North Oracle Road is set for construction beginning in April that will bring new pavement and other improvements to the busy corridor, the Arizona Department of Transportation said.

The two-year $34 million project will primarily address the condition of the road, which is Arizona 77, stretching from Interstate 10 and West Miracle Mile to Calle Concordia in Oro Valley.

The project area serves about 50,000 vehicles each day, ADOT said.

Tucson-based Raytheon Missiles & Defense has delivered the newest version of its combat-proven Tomahawk cruise missile to the Navy, touting improvements designed to keep the venerable weapon relevant for years to come.

“The pavement here is very worn and has reached the end of its natural lifespan so this project is going to mean many years of a smooth driving surface for people who use this busy corridor” said Garin Groff, an ADOT spokesman.

It will also include additional benefits to modernize the project area, Groff said, that will improve pedestrian safety.

“This is so much more than just a repaving project, as noticeable as that’s going to be,” said Groff. “Depending on which section of road it is it’s going to be new LED lighting, sidewalks in other areas, another area will have improved drainage and throughout the project there will be sidewalks, ramps and driveways that are Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible.”

Some of these enhancements will be seen between West Ina and Magee roads, the department said.

There will be dual turn lanes at the intersection of Magee and Oracle; lighting improvements between River and Ina roads; and signal and intersection improvements between River and Ina.

However, construction will bring traffic delays in the area, which ADOT is trying to quell by conducting most work during overnight hours.

“With that sort of (traffic) volume, it’s very important for us at ADOT to minimize the impacts and delays of construction. That’s why we’re scheduling most of the work to occur overnight. Primarily it will occur Sundays through Thursdays from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.,” Groff said.

The first construction and lane restrictions are expected in late April on the Miracle Mile segment of the project.

Department officials have also assured business owners — 1,100 in the project area — that access to those buildings will be maintained.

ADOT has already reached out to businesses in the area with the general project information and once the business owners’ particular project area is up for construction, they will be contacted about specific changes.

Some of the earliest work for the project will be addressing driveways into businesses, sidewalks and ramps before the new asphalt goes down.

Owners should expect future contact by email, phone, in-person visits or mail to be informed of project impacts.

“If they have two or more driveways, we’ll do one at a time. If it’s one driveway, we’ll do half the driveway at a time to maintain access to businesses at all times,” Groff said.

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Contact Star reporter Shaq Davis at 573-4218 or sdavis@tucson.com.