Downtown Links Phase III Improvement Project Offers Progress Update
Progress continues on the Downtown Links Phase III Improvement Project, extending from Barraza-Aviation Parkway to Church Avenue, that began last August. Below is an 11-month construction progress update:
A new roadway is being constructed just north of the Broadway and Barraza-Aviation Parkway intersection that extends north to Sixth Avenue. Crews have completed large amounts of earthwork, installed all underground utilities including storm drain, water, street lighting, and poured retaining walls and concrete barrier throughout. Crews are currently preparing subgrade and beginning construction on the Sixth Ave overpass and retaining walls. This section of roadway is scheduled to be complete by Spring of 2022.
A large new underground double barrel box culvert is being constructed from the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, just west of Stone Avenue, to just west of the Sixth Avenue and Seventh Street intersection.
Currently, crews are working at the Stone Avenue, Toole Avenue and Franklin Street intersection installing a new underground potable water system, upgraded storm drain system and constructing new, larger catch basins to help with storm water runoff. Traffic signal upgrades will also take place as well as bringing the sidewalk and ramps up to ADA standards on each corner of the intersection. When complete, the new underground storm drain system will alleviate the potential flooding in the Stone Avenue underpass. The intersection is scheduled to partially re-open mid-August with traffic signal work wrapping up by early September.
On Church Avenue from Sixth Street to Franklin Street, crews have installed new underground storm drain, sanitary sewer and potable water systems and are currently constructing retaining walls which will be followed by forming curbs and sidewalks. Church Avenue is scheduled to partially reopen mid-September with one southbound travel lane into downtown.
Following the reopening of the Stone Avenue, Toole Avenue and Franklin Street intersection, the Sixth Avenue and Seventh Street intersection is scheduled to close mid-August. This closure is scheduled to be in place for about seven months to allow crews to tie-in to the existing underground box culvert constructed during the Downtown Links Phase I project. Crews will also remove and replace the existing curbs and sidewalks in the area and repave the intersection. Crews will take advantage of this intersection closure and construct the bridge over Sixth Avenue, south of Seventh Street.
Later this year, Sixth Street will close to all travel from Church Avenue to Stone Avenue for the duration of the project – mid-2023, and traffic will be detoured around the closure. During this long-term closure, crews will construct temporary railroad tracks to detour the trains so that crews can construct the new Sixth Street underpass, as well as the new Sixth Street alignment.
At completion of the Downtown Links Phase III Improvement Project, crews will have moved over 300,000 yards of material, constructed roughly 1.42 miles of new storm drain and over a half-mile of new, large diameter box culvert.
