By Jason Stone
Staff Writer
Chandler transportation officials are mapping out the final road extension plans for the city’s major streets as two of the final widening projects are getting underway.
Transportation Director Dan Cook said design work will begin sometime next year for the final major projects in south Chandler. When those projects are completed, it will mark the end of major road construction in Chandler.
“We’re almost there,” Cook said.
First thing’s first, the city is beginning work on widening a pair of streets that will help ease the flow of traffic in two key areas.
Workers are widening Queen Creek Road between McQueen and Gilbert roads – just south of the Chandler Municipal Airport – to three lanes in both directions. The other project is adding another lane in both directions of Chandler Heights Road between Arizona Avenue and McQueen Road, which is to the north of Bear Creek Golf Complex.
“We’re ready to start construction on those,” Cook said.
Regional transportation funding is kicking in a big chunk of the cost. For the Queen Creek Road extension, Chandler is receiving about $11 million in Proposition 400 tax money. Around $6 million to $7 million in money from the tax is going to the Chandler Heights widening.
In December, the City Council approved a $13 million construction contract with Sunland Asphalt & Construction to widen Queen Creek and an $8 million contract with Hunter Contracting to widen Chandler Heights.
Cook said the Queen Creek project should take about 14 months, while the Chandler Heights widening should be finished before the year is over. He said engineers are trying to make it as “minimally intrusive as we can” for motorists during the construction.
“We hope to maintain the existing number of traffic lanes,” Cook said. “We won’t be reducing it down for the entire project. But there might be some temporary restrictions to accommodate construction.”
After these two roads are done, the rest of Chandler Heights to Val Vista Road still needs widening, as does a section of Ocotillo Road from Gilbert Road to 148th Street. Plus, the widening Lindsey Road from the Hunt Highway to just south of Ocotillo Road is also in the plans.
“We’re almost at the end of the design phase,” Cook said about the planned projects. “Funding is programmed, and we have some grants in place.”
For motorists who want information on the roadwork, call the project hotline for both projects at 480-898-4060.
