Edward Gately, The Republic | azcentral.com
Two projects green-lighted by the Scottsdale City Council will make a portion of the McDowell Road corridor safer for bicyclists and pedestrians, and prevent flooding along a stretch of downtown’s Fifth Avenue.
On March 18, the council approved a $2 million contract with CS Construction for the McDowell bridge-widening project. In addition, it approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Maricopa County Flood Control District for the Fifth Avenue drainage project.
The intergovernmental agreement provides district participation in the drainage project and allows the district to fund 75 percent of the construction cost, up to $250,000. The total cost is estimated at $275,000.
The city will cover the remaining 25 percent using capital-improvement project funds.
CS Construction will build an 8-foot wide pedestrian walkway extension along the north and south sides of the McDowell bridge over Indian Bend Wash. The project also will include striping a 4-foot-wide bike lane from 77th Street to Miller Road.
In addition, the work will include constructing driveways, sidewalk ramps and transitions, and relocating a bus shelter and street lighting.
Currently, the bridge provides two lanes in each direction without either bike lanes or a protected pedestrian path, said Thyra Ryden-Diaz, senior project manager. The project helps fulfill several objectives of the city’s transportation master plan, adopted by the council in 2008, regarding pedestrian access and safety, bicycling and complete streets, she said.
“The bridge widening will create a street environment that is safe and secure for pedestrians,” she said. “It will allow pedestrians to directly access city park amenities and businesses located along Indian Bend Wash. The project will provide pedestrian improvements, which will promote land uses that enhance public spaces, neighborhoods, commercial, and employment areas within the local neighborhood.”
The project received more than $1.66 million in grant funding from the Maricopa Association of Governments. The city is providing the required local match of $355,348 in capital-improvement project funds.
Construction is expected to start in June and should be completed in a year, Ryden-Diaz said. Some lane closures will occur during construction, she said.
The drainage improvement project will be along Fifth Avenue from Scottsdale Road to around Craftsman Court. The area has experienced flooding in the past affecting several commercial properties, said Christopher Perkins, senior project manager.
To qualify for funding, the project must be constructed between July 1 of this year and June 30, 2015.
“Staff met with businesses and determined that existing drainage systems were either non-existent or inadequate,” Perkins said. “Early in the summer of 2013 staff walked from business to business along the project areas to discuss the project scope and timing.”
The project will include reconstructing the roadway from Scottsdale to Craftsman Court to allow for better storm water drainage, said Dave Lipinski, principal project manager. During parts of construction, the entire stretch of Fifth Avenue from Scottsdale to Craftsman Court will be closed, he said.
“Business owners are being notified that construction will begin approximately July 1 and will last about one month,” he said. “There will be signage of the road closed, and I’m sure there will be signage up for pedestrian traffic so people will know the businesses are still there.”