Construction could begin later this year on a major infrastructure project in Tucson that has been talked about for well over a decade.
Around $25 million in federal funding has been secured for the replacement of a less than one-mile-long bridge that runs from the Kino Parkway to Tucson Boulevard.
That bridge, which was built in 1966, is a part of much used east-to-west 22nd Street and, according to both city and state transportation studies, has been burdened with an increasing structural ability to handle heavy trucks and buses.
A report by the City of Tucson in 2022 forecast that “within a few years, this critical piece of infrastructure will be at risk for failure and disruption of freight transport by rail and roadway and must be decommissioned and replaced.”
A survey conducted by the Arizona Department of Transportation earlier categorized the structure as one a small group of bridges in the state that are structurally deficient and in immediate need of being replaced.
Plans call for demolishing the current structure and then building a new bridge with three lanes going in both directions. The project will also see the construction of new ramps and bike and pedestrian lanes underneath the bridge. Additional features will include a three-foot tall concrete protective barrier.
Altogether, it is expected that it will cost around $111 million to complete the bridge project. The $25 million for the project has been secured through a Rebuilding America Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant.
What is officially called the 22nd Street Widening and Bridge Replacement project is expected to take up to three years to complete.
February 6, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Rendering courtesy of City of Tucson
