RTA Roadway Corridors
The 20-year RTA plan includes 35 roadway corridor improvement projects across the greater Tucson region. The corridor projects include roadway widening, sidewalk, bike lane, intersection, bus pullout, landscape, drainage and public art improvements.
Corridors specified in the RTA plan
Of the 35 corridor projects, 17 have been completed and 11 are partially complete, as of May 2021. Many of the projects are built in phases as RTA sales tax collections and other regional funds become available.
RTA Roadway Corridors Timeline
Construction of named roadway corridor projects, or the first phase of the projects, may start anytime within the designated five-year period, as approved by the voters. The RTA plan has four, five-year periods shown in the 20-year timeline. The RTA is currently in the fourth period, FY 2022 through FY 2026. The lead jurisdiction designs the project and schedules the start of construction. The launch of construction of the first phase of each corridor meets the RTA plan’s designated schedule, and other phases of the corridor may be started as scheduled by the lead agency.
- Our Mobility – View complete roadway corridor list with ballot numbers
- RTA roadway projects timeline
Roadway Corridor Projects
This project is targeted to begin construction in the fourth period of the RTA plan between fiscal years 2022 and 2026. Plans for First Avenue, between Orange Grove Road and Ina Road, call for widening the roadway to four lanes and adding bike lanes and sidewalks.
Pima County voters approved this widening project as part of the RTA plan to include a six-lane roadway with bike lanes and sidewalks. Project planning is underway, with construction targeted to begin in the fourth period of the RTA plan between fiscal years 2022 and 2026.
The 22nd Street project, from Camino Seco to Houghton Road, will be widened to four lanes with bicycle lanes and sidewalks. This is a fourth-period project to begin construction between fiscal years 2022 and 2026.
The 22nd Street project, from Camino Seco to Houghton Road, will be widened to four lanes with bicycle lanes and sidewalks. This is a fourth-period project to begin construction between fiscal years 2022 and 2026.
A new intersection at Kino Parkway and 22nd Street was completed in 2015. Future improvements will widen 22nd Street to three lanes in each direction. Additional project elements include access to nearby businesses and neighborhoods, drainage, street lighting, sidewalks, landscaping, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, transit facilities and public artwork. Phase 2 is the section of roadway from Kino Parkway to Tucson Boulevard. Design of the new bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks is being done in coordination with Union Pacific Railroad. Utility coordination activities have been initiated. Construction is expected to begin in late 2022. Project website: 22nd Street, Kino Parkway to Tucson Boulevard Phase 3 from Kino Parkway to Interstate 10 is expected to advance in the fourth period (FY 2022-2026) of the RTA plan. Project website: 22nd Street, Interstate 10 to Kino Parkway
The funding contributes to the future connection of the parkway to Interstate 10. Design and right-of-way acquisition will take place in the 4th period (FY 2022-2026) of the RTA plan.
Improvements to this two-mile section of roadway were completed in March 2020. Drivers, pedestrians and cyclists can enjoy a safer and much improved Broadway Boulevard, with four lanes and a raised median, drainage features (so rainwater goes under the road), bike lanes, sidewalks and public art. Project website: Broadway East Info
Construction on Broadway Boulevard, from Euclid Avenue to Country Club, began in February 2020. Upon completion in late summer 2022, this section of Broadway will have six travel lanes, landscaped medians, sidewalks, 16 bus pullouts (full or partial), signalized pedestrian crossings and buffered bike lanes. Project Website: Broadway Boulevard Info Fact Sheet: Broadway Boulevard, Euclid Avenue to Country Club Road, Project
Downtown Links will be a 1.3-mile long, multimodal corridor connecting Barraza-Aviation Parkway to Interstate 10. It will be a 30 mph, four-lane roadway with bike lanes, sidewalks and a separate multiuse path. Improvements include construction of a new Sixth Street alignment, railroad underpass and Ninth Avenue deck plaza. Major drainage improvements will protect a large portion of downtown and surrounding neighborhoods from a 100-year flood plain. This project will eliminate one of the most hazardous railroad crossings in the state and end long train-related delays on St. Mary’s Road. Construction began in the summer of 2020 and is anticipated to be complete in 2024. Drainage improvements and reconstruction of St. Mary’s Road, from I-10 to Church Avenue, occurred in earlier phases of the project. Project website: Downtown Links
The improvements from Oracle Road to Swan Road include additional travel lanes, new and wider sidewalks, more signalized crosswalks, improved bicycle lanes and enhanced landscaping. Safety features include bus pullouts, drainage improvements, a median and managed access to businesses. Grant Road will use indirect left turns at major intersections to improve safety and traffic flow. Phase 1, the Grant Road and Oracle Road indirect left intersection, was completed in 2013. Phase 2, from Stone Avenue to Park Avenue, was completed in 2018. The design, right-of-way acquisitions and utility relocations for Phases 3 and 4, from Alvernon Way to Swan Road, are underway. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2022. Design activities are underway for Phases 5 and 6, from Campbell Road to Country Club Road. Project website: Grant Road Information
This project is in the design phase. Improvements will include providing three lanes in each direction on Grant Road under the Union Pacific Railroad, along with sidewalks. Bicyclists and pedestrians will use a separate structure south of Grant Road to cross Interstate 10. The project will significantly ease traffic congestion at the Grant Road underpass at Interstate 10. This project is in design and a construction start date has not been determined.
A new two-lane bridge will be built over the Pantano Wash, along with drainage improvements to provide all-weather access to commuters. This fourth-period RTA project is targeted to begin between fiscal years 2022 and 2026.
The Houghton Road corridor spans 13 miles from Tanque Verde Road to Interstate 10. Improvements on Houghton Road are being made in several phases over the 20-year life of the RTA plan. Improvements along the entire corridor include widening to a four- and six-lane desert parkway, with new bridges, bike lanes, drainage features and sidewalks. Completed sections include the stretch of Houghton from Interstate 10 to Irvington Road (work was divided into five phases), and from Broadway to 22nd Street. The three miles of roadway from 22nd Street to Irvington Road is in the right-of-way acquisition phase with construction anticipated to begin in 2023. The timeline for the final segment, from Tanque Verde Road to Speedway Boulevard, has not been determined. Project website: Houghton Road Info
This early RTA project provided a two-way frontage road with paved shoulders linking Continental Road and Canoa Ranch Road. The frontage road runs along the east side of I-19 and provides important access for residents and businesses in the area.
This project is in the fourth period of the RTA plan. Elements include intersection improvements, access management, new bike lanes and sidewalks on Irvington Road, from the Santa Cruz River to east of Interstate 19. This project will be constructed in conjunction with the Arizona Department of Transportation’s reconstruction of the Irvington Road/I-19 interchange, and design activities are anticipated to start in 2022.
The eastern regional corridor is designed to ease congestion at the Grant/Kolb roads intersection with Tanque Verde Road. This project extends Sabino Canyon Road south of Tanque Verde and connects to Kolb Road. Eastside commuters now have a new four-lane roadway with bike paths, sidewalks, two bridges, drainage improvements, landscaping, safety features and public art. The project was completed in 2017. Project website: Kolb/Sabino Canyon Road
This project provided drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians with six miles of new pavement, bike lanes, sidewalks and a multi-use path. It connected existing four-lane roadways north and south of the project and eliminated a major gap in the region’s arterial road network. The project required reconstruction of the La Cañada Drive and Orange Grove Road intersection and installation of drainage facilities along the corridor to prevent roadway flooding during heavy rains. Phase 1, Calle Concordia to Ina Road, was completed in 2011. Phase 2, Ina Road to River Road, was completed in 2015. Project website: La Cañada, River Road to Ina Road
This project was completed in 2011. The six-lane roadway has paved shoulders for bicyclists, along with sidewalks for pedestrians. Intersection improvements at Curtis Road and Ruthrauff Road keep traffic moving. All commuters benefit from new storm drains and a six-lane bridge over the Rillito River. This roadway provides an important alternative to Interstate 10 for local traffic during periods of construction or when there is restricted access on I-10. Project website: La Cholla Boulevard, River Road to Ruthrauff Road
La Cholla Boulevard is a major north-south corridor in the region. Phase 1 Magee Road to Overton Road, was completed in 2014. The improvements included a much-needed bridge over the Cañada del Oro Wash. Phase 2 Overton Road to Tangerine Road, was completed in 2020. The corridor now has two through lanes of traffic in each direction, bike lanes, a multiuse path, wildlife corridors and drainage structures that provide all-weather access for commuters. The north end of the project ties into the Tangerine Road improvements that were completed in 2018. Project website: La Cholla Improvements
This corridor is a four-lane, divided roadway with bike lanes and sidewalks. It provides continuous access on Magee Road and eliminates the jog at La Cholla Boulevard. This project includes a new bridge over the Cañada del Oro Wash, flood control channelization on the Nanini Wash and a pedestrian signal at Legacy School. This project was completed in 2015. Project website: Cortaro Farms Road/Magee Road, Thornydale Road to Oracle Road
This stretch of roadway was completed in fall 2015. Improvements provide important east-west access from Oracle Road to Thornydale Road. Crews widened the roadway to four lanes and added a median. The project includes bike lanes, sidewalks, improved drainage and landscaping.
This project was completed in late 2021, and included lowering Interstate 10 and raising Ruthrauff Road over Davis Avenue/Highway Drive, the Union Pacific Railroad and I-10 with two lanes in each direction. Frontage roads and ramps were reconstructed to meet the new profiles on I-10 and Ruthrauff Road. Project website: Ruthrauff Road at I-10 and Railroad Overpass
This project improved nearly four miles of Sahuarita Road. Crews widened Sahuarita Road to a four-lane, divided roadway with medians, a pedestrian underpass, paved shoulders, sidewalks, drainage improvements and landscaping. The final phase was completed in 2017.
Phase 1, Grant Road to Goret Road, was completed in 2017. It is a four-lane divided roadway with a raised median, bike lanes, sidewalks and a multi-use path. Native landscape, wildlife linkages and public art are among other improvements. Phase 2, Goret Road to El Camino del Cerro, is anticipated to begin construction in late 2022 or early 2023. The amenities will be similar to Phase 1. Significant archaeological resources exist along this section of Silverbell Road. Extensive recovery activities have been conducted ahead of construction. Pima County and the City of Tucson are working together on this very important aspect of the Silverbell Corridor. Design and construction on Phase 3, El Camino del Cerro to Ina Road, is to be determined. Project website: Silverbell Road Info
This widening improvement provided two through lanes in each direction with a 20-foot-wide landscaped median. The improved section of the roadway has concrete curbs, six-foot wide sidewalks, bike lanes and public art. Drainage improvements include storm drains, catch basins, and reinforced concrete box culvert crossings to control flooding and provide all-weather crossing capability. Construction was completed in 2012. Project website: Speedway Boulevard: Camino Seco to Houghton Road
Phase 1, Silverbell Road to Interstate 10, was completed in February 2017. Sunset Road is a two-lane road with a continuous center turn lane and a bridge over the Santa Cruz River. The bridge has a shared-use path along the southern edge and a pedestrian sidewalk along its northern edge. The project restored Sunset Road access over the Santa Cruz River for the first time since the 1983 floods wiped out the old Sunset Bridge. Project website: Sunset Road, Silverbell to I-10 Phase 2 will construct a new road connecting I-10 to River Road, including a bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad and the Rillito River. The project is designed as four lanes with a median, bike lanes, sidewalks and a multi-use path. Design is complete and construction is scheduled for construction in the fourth period of the RTA plan (FY 2022-2026). Project website: Sunset Road, I-10 to River Road
Phase 1, La Cañada Drive to Dove Mountain Boulevard, was completed in 2018. The project improved safety and access in the region with a four-lane roadway, landscaped medians, bike lanes, sidewalks, turn lanes, wildlife crossings and drainage improvements that allow for all-weather access. Design activities are underway on Phase 2, Dove Mountain Boulevard to Interstate 10, and construction is anticipated to begin in 2023/2024 with features similar to Phase 1. Project website: Tangerine Road
The project included widening more than a mile and a half of the existing two-lane Tanque Verde Road to four travel lanes with a curbed median, paved shoulder, outside curbs, storm drains, landscaping and pedestrian facilities. Construction was completed in 2011. Project website: Tanque Verde, Catalina to Houghton
This section of Twin Peaks Road connects Silverbell Road to Interstate 10, allowing for easy access to and from Continental Ranch, nearby neighborhoods, business centers and developments west of the Tucson Mountains. The project was completed in 2010. Reconstruction included a new traffic interchange on I-10 with a railway overpass, a new bridge over the Santa Cruz River, four travel lanes with a landscaped median, bike lanes, sidewalks and drainage culverts.
Twin Peaks Road connects Tangerine Road to I-10, providing regional access to northwest Tucson and the Towns of Marana and Oro Valley. The roadway is one of several new corridors in the RTA plan, along with the Kolb Road Connection, Sunset I-10 to River Road and Downtown Links. This section of Twin Peaks Road was completed in 2010. It features a four-lane divided roadway that includes sidewalks, bike lanes, a multi-use path, wildlife crossings, drainage structures and bus pullouts for future transit service. The new interchange and road led to the development of a major commerce center near Twin Peaks Road and Interstate 10. Tucson Premium Outlets opened in 2015. Other developments include a hotel and health care center. Twin Peaks Road was originally named Camino de Mañana. The Marana Town Council renamed the roadway.
West Valencia Road is an important east-west corridor on the southwest side of the Tucson metropolitan area. Work on the section of roadway from Wade Road to Ajo Highway finished in the summer of 2020, bringing the entire project to completion. Improvements include widening to a four-lane desert parkway with drainage structures, bike lanes and sidewalks, increasing safety, reducing congestion, and increasing mobility for residents, businesses and visitors. Project website: Valencia Road: Wade Road to Ajo Highway
The Valencia Road project will provide improved east-west access in the southeast Tucson metropolitan area, along with easy access to Interstate 10. Phase 1 was completed in 2015. Improvements include a wider roadway from four lanes to six lanes including the underpass at Interstate 10 and the bridge structure over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. Project website: Valencia Road, Alvernon Way to Wilmot Road Phase 2, reconstruction of the Valencia Road/Kolb Road intersection, one of the busiest in the region, was completed in 2019. Improvements include a parkway at-grade intersection featuring on-ramps in place of left turn lanes, as well as indirect left turns (U-turns) to increase capacity and enhance safety. Improvements extend one mile east and west of Kolb Road. Project website: Valencia Road, Wilmot Road to Kolb Road
This project will widen Valencia Road to a six-lane parkway with bike lanes, sidewalks and drainage for all-weather access. The project is in design with construction anticipated to start in 2023. Project website: Valencia Road, Kolb Road to Houghton Road
This project will be designed to include access management, safety improvements and intersection capacity improvements. Construction will occur in the fourth period of the RTA plan.
This project improved access to and from southeast metropolitan Tucson for residents who live in the Wilmot/Sahuarita roads area. Wilmot Road, north of Sahuarita Road, was a dirt trail for about seven miles before it met pavement. Now, it is a two-lane paved roadway with improved low-water crossings for access during rainy weather. The project was completed in 2017.