Work on the Regional Transportation Authority-funded Tangerine Road improvement project is moving ahead of schedule, with some portions of work expected to wrap up several months earlier than originally planned.
“The Town of Marana really did a great job assembling a project team that had a lot of familiarity with the overall project, the area and the challenges that need to be addressed,” said Rick Ellis, the director of transportation services for Pima Association of Governments, which manages the RTA. “This led to highly productive interaction and coordination with project partners and stakeholders, which in turn created opportunities for efficiencies. The overall performance has truly been exemplary.”
The project encompasses the western two-mile section of Tangerine Road, with planned reconstruction of the existing roadway between Interstate 10 and Marana Tech Drive. Major construction of this roadway section is now expected to be completed by the end of the year.
This phase will include a four-lane desert parkway with paved shoulders, a curbed median, and a 12-foot-wide multi-use path along the north side of the roadway. The timing for the remaining improvements associated with the railroad crossing are still to be determined as coordination efforts and activities with Union Pacific Railroad are ongoing.
Additional work includes improved drainage infrastructure, a signalized intersection at Adonis Road, and a frontage road along the south side of Tangerine Road to provide access to Marana Tech Center’s current and future businesses.
This section of Tangerine Road is part of the larger RTA-funded improvements to 10 miles of Tangerine between I-10 and La Cañada Drive. The section from La Cañada Drive to Dove Mountain Boulevard, was completed in 2018.
Design activities are also underway for the third and final phase of Tangerine, from Marana Tech Drive to Dove Mountain.
When completed, the overall project will improve the safety, access and circulation in the region through additional capacity, additional multimodal facilities and improved drainage facilities. Other features include:
- Four lanes of roadway with landscaped medians to accommodate future traffic demands
- Pedestrian and bicycle facilities, including off-street, multi-use paths
- Additional turn lanes and signalization at key intersections
- Improved safety and access by eliminating dip crossings that cause road closures during heavy rainfall
- Improved connectivity to the two state highway facilities, Interstate 10 and Oracle Road (State Route 77)
- Improved safety for both motorists and wildlife by providing wildlife crossings
- Improved pedestrian safety and ADA-accessibility to transit stops
A related but separate project in the area is the Tangerine Road traffic interchange improvement project, which will include upgrades to the interchange with I-10. That project is a joint effort of the Town of Marana and the Arizona Department of Transportation.