Drilling work to start on GV frontage road

On Monday, March 5, the Pima County Department of Transportation, the Arizona Department of Transportation and their contractor, Geomechanics Southwest, will be performing soil-testing analyses along the Interstate 19 east frontage road from Canoa Road to Continental Road.

The work is part of the preliminary planning for extending the east frontage road from the Canoa Road interchange to Continental Road.

The work is required to determine the existing soil conditions in order to design the pavement section and support for a bridge structure needed for the project, which is estimated to cost about $4 million.

On Monday, the contractor will begin mobilizing equipment and on Thursday, March 8, will begin temporary lane restriction with flaggers guiding traffic through the work zone to allow the contractor to begin drilling the soil.

The work is expected to take approximately two weeks, weather permitting.

Carol Anton, community relations representative for the Pima County Department of Transportation, said construction on the frontage road extension should get started in about two years.

In May of 2006, the Pima County Board of Supervisors approved paying $1.25 million for design of the frontage road connection. Some of the money will come from Regional Transportation Plan approved by voters last May.

The project was identified as a priority by the Green Valley Community Coordinating Council which lobbied for years to get it approved in the interest of traffic safety.

kengle@gvnews.com|547-9732