TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Grant Road Improvement Project, a significant infrastructure endeavor in Tucson, has closed Walnut Avenue between Grant Road and North Street, affecting access to the Garden District neighborhood.
The closure is part of Phases 3 and 4 of the project, which spans from Sparkman Boulevard to Swan Road and is slated for completion by spring 2026.
The primary reason for the Walnut Avenue closure is to facilitate extensive underground infrastructure enhancements.
According to Erica Frazelle, the Public Information Officer for the City of Tucson's Department of Transportation and Mobility, the project involves installing new water, sewer, catch basin, and storm drain lines, as well as surface improvements such as curbing and roadway elements.
Frazelle emphasized that safety is paramount, stating that the closure is necessary to protect both construction crews and neighborhood residents during these extensive upgrades.
Residents have expressed mixed reactions to the closure.
Tristan McCarthy, who resides on Walnut Avenue, acknowledged the inconvenience but downplayed its severity.
"It's a lot more difficult to get out to Grant and to get places," he said. "It's not what I would call a major inconvenience to me. There's bigger problems in the world."
For Tonya Borges, a commuter from the nearby Oak Flower neighborhood, the closure complicates her route to and through the Garden District.
"It's a little bit harder because we have to go up the other way," she said. "Now we've got to go up to the light and come around."
In response to these concerns, the Department of Transportation and Mobility has outlined alternative routes for residents.
For those south of Grant Road in the Garden District, options include taking North Street east to Columbus Boulevard and then north to Grant Road, or heading south on Walnut Avenue to access side streets leading to either Alvernon Way or Columbus Boulevard.
Residents north of Grant Road can take Los Robles Street east to Columbus Boulevard and then south to Grant Road, or use Walnut Avenue to Flower Street, proceeding east to Columbus Boulevard or west to Alvernon Way.
The Garden District, bordered by Grant Road to the north, Speedway Boulevard to the south, Alvernon Way to the west, and Swan Road to the east, is a vibrant midtown Tucson neighborhood.
It boasts attractions such as the Tucson Botanical Gardens, John B. Wright Elementary School, and the Martha Cooper Library.
The Grant Road Improvement Project is part of the Regional Transportation Authority's 20-year regional transportation plan, which voters approved in May 2006.
The RTA has invested over $1.4 billion in transportation projects "to enhance mobility, safety, economic vitality, and quality of life in the region," according to its website.
However, funding challenges have emerged, with reports indicating that the RTA currently lacks the $146 million necessary to complete Phases 5 and 6 of the Grant Road widening, potentially stalling future progress.
Despite these financial hurdles, Phases 3 and 4 are progressing, with the Walnut Avenue closure expected to remain in effect until the project's completion in spring 2026.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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