Grand Avenue Corridor status report / Arizona Department of Transportation

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S TA T U S R E P O R T

GRAND AVENUE CORRIDOR
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Significant operational improvements on Grand Avenue will reconfigure its intersections with 43rd and 51st avenues starting next month. A 15-month, $20.2 million contract was awarded to Edward Kraemer & Sons, Inc., Phoenix, by the State T ransportation Board in December. New bridges will be built at both sites to replace the existing, troublesome "sixlegged intersections" with safer and more efficient four-legged intersections. Similar reconstruction is nearing completion at Grand's intersection with 27th Avenue and Thomas Road. New bridges will carry Grand over an improved 43rd Avenue / Camelback Road intersection, while a new intersection at Grand and Bethany Home Road will be finished with completion of a 51st Avenue bridge over Grand Avenue and the adjacent railroad tracks. At both locations, new traffic movements to existing streets will be opened to and from the new bridges, and extensive drainage systems will be installed. Construction sequencing at both locations has been designed to minimize inconvenience to motorists, maintain access to area businesses and retain pedestrian and transit facilities. Both projects include three phases of construction, each with different traffic control requirements. Overnight and weekend closures will be required as bridge construction and intersection The first of the by-pass structures. designed to eliminate troublesome six-legged intersections on Grand Avenue, is expected to ease congestion at 27th Avenue and moder nization advances. Enhanced landscaping is also planned at both sites. Thomas Road by spring `03. Additional projects to eliminate By the end of 2004, work is also six-legged intersections created by Grand scheduled to begin at 59th Avenue and Avenue's diagonal route through the central Glendale at an estimated cost of over $20 and northwest Valley are scheduled to begin million. The effort finishes staged construction by summer '03 at intersections with 55th to ease congestion at seven key intersections Avenue and Maryland, 67th Avenue and along a 12-mile segment of Grand Avenue Norther n and 75th Avenue and Olive. Nearly between Interstate 17 and Loop 101, plus the $50 million has been programmed by ADOT addition of new access to and from Grand to complete these projects.

at Loop 101.

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ADDITIONAL GRAND AVENUE IMPROVEMENTS START SOON
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Cavalier Dr.

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43RD AVENUE AND CAMELBACK ROAD
The new Grand Avenue bridges over 43rd Avenue and Camelback Road will be offset to the east of Grand's current alignment, maintaining traffic on existing Grand through the first phase of construction. The new bridges will open in stages, with all Grand Avenue traffic being shifted onto the new westbound bridge, with two lanes in each direction, following completion of Phase 1 construction. Placement of traffic onto the new eastbound bridge will signal the close of the project. Although there will be lane restrictions on both Camelback and 43rd, turning movements from both to Grand Avenue will be maintained during peak traffic hours. The bridges will be constructed on temporary supports ("falsework") and full weekend closures of the intersection will be required during installation and removal of the falsework. Overnight closures will be needed as bridge work advances. Turning movements from Grand Avenue to either Camelback or 43rd Avenue will be temporarily blocked following the shift of traffic onto the new westbound bridge, but will reopen once ramps to and from Grand have been completed and the eastbound structure is finished. New ramp intersections will be located away from existing streets to minimize traffic impacts to neighborhoods, schools and businesses. Associated drainage basins will be defined during the early stages of construction, and landscaping, new sidewalks and traffic signals will be installed prior to project completion.

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51ST AVENUE AND BETHANY HOME ROAD
The new 51st Avenue bridge over Bethany Home Road, Grand Avenue and the adjacent railroad tracks will be offset to the west of the current alignment of 51st, maintaining traffic on existing 51st Avenue through the early phases of construction. All turning movements at the intersection will be maintained through Phase 1 construction. Beyond bridge construction, initial work will include widening of Bethany Home Road and Montebello Avenue, construction of 52nd Avenue south of Bethany Home and installation of a new connector road north of Bethany Home. The new 52nd Avenue and the connector road will provide movements from 51st to both Grand and Bethany Home via new signalized intersections. All six drainage basins will also be defined during initial stages of construction. Overnight and weekend closures of the intersection will be required as bridge construction advances. The bridge will be built on temporary supports ("falsework"). Southbound 51st Avenue traffic will be placed first onto the new structure and turning movements at the partially completed intersection will be blocked until northbound traffic is shifted onto the new structure. The new bridge will provide two lanes in each direction. Enhanced landscaping is included along with new sidewalks.

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52nd Ave. 51st Ave.

Montebello Ave.

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MODERNIZATION NEARING COMPLETION

nitial Projects
Work to modernize Grand Avenue began in November `01 under a $24.2 million contract awarded by the State Transportation Board. Initial projects included a new by-pass structure at Grand's intersection with 27th Avenue and A Thomas Road, and a new link with Loop 101 on the north side of Grand via 91st Avenue. New interchange ramps opened last November, while the Grand Avenue overpass at Thomas and 27th is scheduled to open by spring `03.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

A ramp bridge links Loop 101 with Grand Avenue to and from the north, via a rebuilt 91st Avenue.

grandavenuecorridor.com  Carlos Lara, P.E., Resident Engineer (623) 587-0141 clara@dot.state.az.us  Mark Bonan, Valley Project Information (602) 712-7176 mbonan@dot.state.az.us  Trent Kelso, P.E., Corridor Manager (623) 712-8167 tkelso@dot.state.az.us  Pete Eno, Land Acquisition (602) 712-7348 peno@dot.state.az.us

t 27th Avenue and Thomas Road, a new overpass with two lanes in each direction will carry Grand Avenue over an improved four-legged intersection.

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