Planning for the construction of a new pedestrian overpass that will span Interstate 19 on the south side of Tucson is expected to begin soon.
That planning, as well as the design work, is being partially funded out of Washington via a Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program’s $900,000 grant.
The passenger bridge will run along West Nebraska Street, connecting two neighborhood sections that are currently difficult to reach by walking or riding a bike.
“We felt that this particular space, the Nebraska Street Bridge, really fit the bill of being divided by infrastructure that was developed back in the 1950s and 60s,” remarked Tucson Mayor Regina Romero in a statement.
Last month, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced more than $185 million in grant awards for dozens of similar projects across the country through the Reconnecting Communities program.
According to a Transportation Department document, the largely Hispanic community that will be bridged by the overpass project in Tucson has suffered from a lack of access to “essential medical facilities and other services.”
“Currently, residents of this underserved community, which includes a significant population of vulnerable road users, experience major safety hazards due to their limited ability to navigate the highway,” continues the document.
The Reconnecting Communities program is specifically designed, according to a Department of Transportation press release, to “reconnect communities that are cut off from opportunity and burdened by past transportation infrastructure decisions.”
By Garry Boulard
