Department of Transportation

Fourth Avenue Underpass Concrete Deck Pour

Posted: 03/31/2009

Another major milestone in the reconstruction of the Fourth Avenue Underpass downtown will be reached on Thursday, April 2, 2009, as crews from Sundt Construction Inc. and the City of Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT) conduct a concrete pour to construct the southern section of the underpass deck.

The concrete pour is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. It will take more than 100 truckloads of concrete to pour the 1,000 yards of concrete that will make up the top deck of the underpass. Pump trucks will be used to pour the concrete to form the deck. The actual concrete pour is scheduled to take about six hours to complete. The remaining concrete finish work is expected to be complete at about 8 a.m., on Friday, April 3, 2009.

Media are invited to shoot video and still photos of the concrete pour. Council Member Nina Trasoff and TDOT staff will be available for interviews at 8:30 p.m. Media curbside parking is available on Toole Avenue in front of the Historic Depot and in the south entrance of the underpass. For more information, contact TDOT Public Information Officer Michael Graham at 837-6686.

Reconstruction of the Fourth Avenue Underpass began in June 2007. The underpass is scheduled to open up to motor vehicle and pedestrian access in mid August 2009. Asthetic and other work on the underpass are expected to continue through November 2009.

When complete, the new underpass will provide one lane in each direction carrying vehicle and trolley traffic, separate bicycle lanes and two pedestrian ways accessible for persons with disabilities.

The lighted pedestrian walkways, 20 feet wide on the east side and 10 feet wide on the west, will provide safe and convenient access between the Fourth Avenue Shopping and Entertainment District and the Congress Street Entertainment District and the rest of Downtown. An elevated walkway will provide convenient pedestrian access from the Historic Depot to the public plaza development planned for the area surrounding the intersection of Congress Street and Fourth Avenue.