We will remember 2020 for many reasons, and here’s a good one. It was a busy year for RTA projects and activities. Architects, engineers, designers, project managers, contractors and construction crews are working to keep projects moving forward. It was a year of starting and completing many projects identified in the 2006 voter-approved plan, including signalized pedestrian crossings, shared-use paths, bike lanes, bus pullouts and roadway corridor projects.
The challenges of 2020 may have changed your regular routine, but the RTA’s Transportation Services Director Rick Ellis says, “The one thing that remains constant is the need for an efficient transportation system. Essential workers, delivery drivers, caregivers, emergency responders, and the list goes on. What they all have in common is the reliance on a safe and effective roadway network.”
Several roadway projects were completed in 2020, including Valencia Road, from Ajo Highway to Mark Road, La Cholla Boulevard, from Overton Road to Tangerine Road, and Broadway Boulevard, from Camino Seco to Houghton Road. Construction starts in 2020 included Downtown Links, Broadway Boulevard from Country Club Road to Euclid Avenue; the Ruthrauff Road/I-10 traffic interchange, and Houghton Road, from Valencia Road to Mary Ann Cleveland Way.
Ellis notes, “Despite the normal challenges that are experienced on every roadway construction project, one unexpected benefit has been the fact that there have been fewer cars on the roadway. The reduced traffic levels have helped make the work zones a little safer, and easier to navigate, which helps in the overall delivery.”
As we move into 2021 project delivery, you will continue to see progress as the transportation professionals make sure our regional transportation network operates and functions at the highest level possible.