The City of Tucson’s Regional Transportation Authority plan project to widen Houghton Road from Valencia to Mary Ann Cleveland Way is complete.
The project widened the roadway to six lanes with a median, added left- and right-turn lanes at the Rita Road intersection, new bus pullouts and more.
The new asphalt surface is what the Tucson project managers call a “roadway of the future.” It is a typical asphalt mixture that also includes aramid fibers, which are used in body armor, flame-resistant clothing and thermoplastic pipes. The material has been used to lengthen the life of asphalt.
Non-roadway improvements included new streetlights and a new traffic signal at Rita Road, a new multiuse pathway, public art as pictured above, native landscaping with water harvesting, and drainage improvements to improve safety during storms.
The Houghton Road corridor is one of the longest RTA corridor projects in the 20-year regional transportation plan approved by voters in 2006. It spans 13 miles from Interstate 10 to Tanque Verde Road and has therefore been constructed in phases.
Other completed phases include Irvington to Valencia roads and Broadway to 22nd Street. New bridges have been constructed over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, and the road has been widened between the tracks and I-10.
The remaining sections to be constructed include 22nd Street to Irvington Road, and the northernmost section from Tanque Verde Road to Speedway Boulevard.
Find information about all segments on the Houghton Road website.