Moving utilities is an important part of all roadway corridor projects in the voter-approved Regional Transportation Plan.
When a road is widened, access to electrical boxes that control traffic signals, manhole locations for sewer and water lines, plus underground gas lines and overhead power and telecommunications lines all must be evaluated. After evaluation, access or lines may need to be moved to correspond with the new roadway alignment as well as any new roadway features, such as drainage or turn lanes.
That type of work activity is happening now on East Grant Road, where crews are doing utility relocation work in preparation for phases three and four of the Grant Road improvement project. Those phases span roughly from North Alvernon to North Swan roads. Utility work is expected to continue into the spring, followed by road construction anticipated to start in the summer or fall of 2022.
These phases are the next to go into construction as part of the overall plan to widen the road to three lanes in each direction and add other amenities such as sidewalks, artwork, bike lanes, indirect left turns and bus pullouts between North Oracle and North Swan roads. Phases 1 and 2 of Grant, from Oracle to North Park Avenue, have already been completed.