Major Tempe intersection closed this weekend for streetcar track work

PHOENIX – A major downtown Tempe intersection will be shut down this weekend so crews can continue work on the East Valley city’s new streetcar line.

The intersection of Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway will be closed to vehicles and bicycles from 7 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday as crews prepare the pavement for track installation.

The free Orbit shuttle buses that normally pass through the intersection will be rerouted during the closure.

It’s just the latest detour for vehicles in the area caused by construction on the Valley’s first modern streetcar line.

Northbound Mill Avenue was closed to traffic through the downtown area from May until August for track work.

Scheduled to begin operations in 2021, the hybrid battery-powered Tempe Streetcar will cover 3 miles along Rio Salado Parkway, Mill Avenue and Apache Boulevard with 14 stops and two connections to Valley Metro light rail.

The streetcar’s price tag is about $200 million, with most of the funding coming from the Proposition 400 regional sales tax. The project received $75 million in federal grant funding.

In other Tempe transportation news, the city is looking to replace aging Orbit buses.

Public meetings on the buses have been scheduled for 9-11 a.m. on Nov. 2 at the Tempe Transportation Center plaza (200 E. Fifth Street) and 4-6 p.m. on Nov. 13 in the parking lot of the Tempe History Museum (809 E. Southern Ave.)

[newsletter][/newsletter]

Related

With Tempe Streetcar track in place, Mill Avenue set to reopen on scheduleTempe Streetcar project getting final $25 million in federal grant moneyPresident Obama designates $75 million to Tempe streetcar projectPedestrians hit by vehicle in west Phoenix, leaving 1 dead and 1 injuredSchnepf Farms adds new attractions for Pumpkin & Chili Party376-unit apartment complex proposed near IKEA in south Tempe