Road report for week of Aug. 11

Motorists attempting to navigate the various road construction projects in and around the Yuma area are advised of the current conditions for the week of Aug. 11.

Share your experiences and or frustrations in the comment area below:

CURRENT PROJECTS

32nd Street closure between 8th Avenue and Avenue A - APS
The street is currently closed between Avenue A and 8th Avenue to allow APS to install a major conduit bank along the route.

Work will occur in two phases lasting a total of approximately 6 weeks. Engineers determined that the soil under 32nd Street will not support the roadway when the trench is open.

Planned detour for eastbound traffic will use Avenue A to 36th Street, 36th Street to 8th Avenue, and 8th Avenue back to 32nd Street. The detour for westbound traffic will use 8th Avenue to 24th Street, 24th Street to Avenue A, and Avenue A back to 32nd Street.

The second phase of this construction will involve the closure of the 32nd Street-8th Avenue intersection, at this time set to take place in early/mid-August.

Avenue A and Palmcroft Drive

The junction of Avenue A with Palmcroft Drive and the Kofa High School entrance is expected to be complete by Tuesday, Aug.12.

Crews have installed a southbound right turn lane and a new traffic signal. The signal is expected to be activated by Friday, Aug. 15.

The Smucker Park parking lot has been reconfigured; exiting Smucker Park traffic will use the Kofa driveway to access Avenue A. Kofa visitors, students and faculty are reminded to park in designated Kofa parking areas, as the parking lot at Smucker Park is reserved for park users. Smucker Park lot usage will be enforced.

Villa Hermosa water line and street reconstruction - 20th Street closure

Twentieth Street is now open to all traffic between Avenue B and Athens Avenue. The city appreciates the understanding and patience of neighbors as work crews rallied to have the street open in time for the start of terms at nearby Centennial Middle School and Pueblo Elementary School.

The overall Villa Hermosa Subdivision No. 2 street reconstruction project continues in the area bounded by Avenue B, 22nd Street, Thacker Canal and 20th Street. Work scheduled to be done in this area includes: Placing various sizes of water lines; valves; fire hydrants; removal and replacement of curb and gutter, sidewalk, driveways, and concrete valley gutter; sidewalk ramps; pavement removal and replacement; street lighting and miscellaneous construction.

Anticipated completion is November 2008.

Neighborhood street reconstruction, 5th-A avenues and 17th-19th streets

Neighborhood water line and pavement replacement is under way in the "avenues" area bounded by 16th Street, 4th Avenue, 19th Street and Avenue A. Some sidewalks and select deteriorating driveways will be replaced also.

Currently, 17th Street is under reconstruction between 4th and 8th avenues.

Residents should be directly receiving advance notice of dates when their street will be impacted.

16th Street at Avenue B

Eastbound 16th Street approaching Avenue B is reduced to one lane of traffic through Friday (Aug. 15) due to work in that far right lane.

24th Street at Avenue 3E

Twenty-fourth Street is reduced to one lane of traffic in each direction for several blocks west of Avenue 3E through Aug. 15.

23rd Avenue widening

The Avenue will be closed between 1st Street and Colorado Street until mid-August for a street reconstruction project. Additionally, the parking lot of Joe Henry Park will be repaved, and an irrigation ditch will be relocated here as well. Access to Joe Henry Park will be available from Colorado Street using 22nd Avenue.

Vista del Castillo between 24th and 26th streets

Vista del Castillo Drive is scheduled to close soon and remain so through late August. Detour in and out of the Castle View subdivision using Otondo Drive and 26th Street.

24th Street widening between Avenue 6E and Avenue 9E

Slowdowns and turn restrictions remain likely in this area as a result of this major road widening and construction project. Estimated completion date is Oct. 31, 2008.

Araby Road and 32nd Street - ADOT project

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) continues construction on the new State Route 195, also known as the Area Service Highway. All turns onto Araby Road south of 32nd Street will be restricted until construction south to 40th Street is completed, which is scheduled for the end of August.

Avenue A power pole consolidation - APS project

Arizona Public Service is consolidating power poles and shifting power loads along Avenue A between 15th Street and just south of 24th Street. Instead of having poles on both sides of the avenue, power poles will be removed from the west side of the avenue and new, taller steel poles are being installed on the east side that will hold both sets of lines. This will not only prepare for the widening of Avenue A scheduled for this year, but will also reduce the total number of poles along the avenue.

Currently, most of the work being done involves load transfers, so overall impact to traffic is minimal. Drivers are asked to be aware of the possibility of work crews and proceed cautiously around them. APS is also working with other utilities with a presence in the area.

1st Avenue north of 16th Street

The Yuma Police Department building modification at 1500 South 1st Avenue is nearing completion. The contractor is restoring the retention basin between the building and 1st Avenue so occasional temporary lane closures on southbound 1st Avenue north of 16th Street may occur.

UPCOMING PROJECTS

32nd Street between avenues A and B

The widening of 32nd Street between avenues A and B, which will include a new bridge over the East Main Canal and bike path improvements, is expected to begin within the next several months.

16th Street widening between Arizona and Yuma Palms Parkway

This project will include widening 16th Street east from Arizona Avenue to Yuma Palms Parkway, including the Interstate 8 interchange and bridges over I-8 and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. A multi-jurisdictional project, it is hoped that design phase will be complete in 2008, with construction to start in 2009.

Avenue 3E widening between I-8 and 32nd Street

The City hopes to begin the first phase of a two-phase reconstruction of Avenue 3E by this fall. In the meantime, minor maintenance work, such as pothole repair, may take place. Plans currently being finalized call for Avenue 3E to expand to 5 lanes of traffic between 24th Street and 32nd Street (phase 1) and 7 lanes of traffic north of 24th Street (phase 2). As this is a multi-jurisdictional project, plans need to be reviewed and approved by other agencies, such as Arizona Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration and Union Pacific Railroad.