Department of Transportation

Fourth Avenue Underpass Pedestrian Bridge Installation

Posted: 07/15/2009

Another major milestone in the reconstruction of the Fourth Avenue Underpass downtown will be reached on Thursday, July 16, 2009, as crews from Sundt Construction Inc. and the City of Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT) install a 115-foot-long pedestrian bridge on the south side of the underpass. Two cranes, positioned on each side of the underpass, will lift the 115-foot-long structure and set it in place.

The pedestrian bridge will link the Historic Depot to the east side of Fourth Avenue. It will provide for the safe and direct movement of pedestrians around the Toole Avenue, Congress Street and Fourth Avenue intersection.

Media are invited to shoot video and still photos of the pedestrian bridge installation, which begins at 7:30 a.m. Council Member Nina Trasoff and TDOT staff will be available for interviews. Media staging and parking will be available in the parking lot immediately east of the Rialto Theater. 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 vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists on August 20, 2009. Aesthetic 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.