APS begins pole-relocation work on Avenue A

Arizona Public Service crews started work on relocating a power line from the west to east side of Avenue A this week, in preparation for the street's eventual widening.

"The power line is now located on the west side of the Avenue A," said Hector Chavira, project manager for the city Public Works Department's engineering division. "They're going to switch it over to the east side."

APS workers began unloading poles in the area Wednesday. For the remainder of this week, workers will be laying poles along the east side of the avenue and working in a manner that will not require lane restrictions, according to Donna Phipps, spokeswoman for APS.

Actual construction work will begin Monday. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction, utilizing the center turn lane for through traffic. Dave Nash, spokesman for the city of Yuma, said they were told by APS that traffic disruption would be minimal and a lot of work will take place in the early morning, between 4 to 5 a.m. The power line relocation should be completed sometime this spring, around April.

Chavira said the line relocation is necessary in order to proceed with the widening of Avenue A. This project is part of a city traffic Capital Improvement Plan and has been in the works for several years.

It will add two lanes to Avenue A, bringing it from three lanes to five in the area of 16th to 24th streets. Chavira said the left-turn lane in the middle will remain open, except at the 16th Street intersection, where there will be a raised median.

There will be double left-hand turn lanes alongside raised medians and dedicated right-turn lanes in each direction.

"It's really to accommodate the additional traffic volume we have in that area," Chavira said.

He added that the city expects it will now begin the process of putting the project out for bid. The widening is scheduled to begin in the spring.

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Sarah Reynolds can be reached at sreynolds@yumasun.com or 539-6847.