TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Rudy Lopez has lived on the Southeast side of Tucson for over 25 years. Over that time, he has watched the area grow around him.
“The whole area has grown, traffic wise, has grown quite a bit,” says Lopez, "A lot of the folks are using Valencia to get to the west side. So it's getting heavier traffic, and it's only a two lane road."
Lopez is also an avid cyclist, using Valencia as part of his weekly rides.
But he is looking forward to the planned improvements.
"From the west side of Kolb, all the way to the the loop…It'll be nice that the loop will be there to off away from the traffic," Lopez says.
The current improvement plan is set to expand Valencia between Houghton and Kolb from two lanes to six lanes.
But the City is also going to be adding a shared use path for cyclists and walkers alike.
"At the end of this project, Valencia road will be a six lane, widened roadway with median islands, improvements to the signalized intersections. There'll be a multi use path improvements for bicycle and pedestrian facilities," says Erica Frazelle, Public Information Officer for the Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility.
Right now, crews are moving underground utilities out of the way before breaking up the pavement.
The expectation is the project will be done by 2026.
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Blake Phillips is a reporter for KGUN 9. Originally from St. Louis, Mo., Blake grew up in Sierra Vista. During his college tenure at the Missouri School of Journalism, Blake worked for the NBC affiliate KOMU-TV in Columbia. He is excited to return to a place he calls home and give back to the community in which he grew up. Share your story ideas and important issues with Blake by emailing blake.phillips@kgun9.com.
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