Valencia Road and Kolb Road Intersection | Tucson, Arizona
This project won the 2019 Metropolitan Pima Alliance Common Ground Award and APWA, Arizona Chapter Southern Branch – 2020 Project of the Year, Transportation (5-25 million range).
The Pima County Department of Transportation had been studying the Valencia/Kolb Road intersection for multiple years. This intersection is located in Tucson, Arizona and is an essential artery for the region’s transportation network, serving as a major connection between residential areas, employment centers, schools, and shopping areas.
The existing intersection was characterized by heavy congestion and delays, particularly during peak hours. For several years, the Pima County DOT had been exploring different alternatives to improve intersection capacity and safety. Their recommended grade-separated alternative did not provide the desired level of service or intersection capacity. In addition, their alternative exceeded $30 million dollars, and the Pima Association of Governments | Regional Transportation Authority (PAG-RTA) had less than half of that amount for construction.
EPS Group was brought in to provide an innovative solution to the intersection problem. Our team developed a new “parkway at grade intersection” (PAGI), which provided drastically improved intersection capacity (level of service) and safety – all within the budget available to Pima County. EPS Group takes pride in providing innovative design solutions where conventional solutions are costly or impracticable.
The PAGI intersection design involved changing the intersection of Valencia and Kolb to a two-phase signal with indirect left turns on the north and west legs. The east and south legs have a unique design where the heavy left-turn movement is guided onto directional ramps in the north and east direction.
Additionally, bright green bike lanes created a higher level of visibility for drivers to see the bicyclists also utilizing the roadway. This integration is important to Tucson’s cycling culture.
To facilitate the project, EPS Group developed a Design Concept Report (DCR), Environmental Assessment and Mitigation Report (EAMR), and Final Construction Plans. During the development of the DCR, a major property owner claimed the Pima County Administration was harming the value of his property by not developing an alternative southern alignment. EPS Group prepared and delivered numerous presentations to the County and RTA, convincing them that the our configuration was the best alternative.
EPS Group’s unique solutions to satisfy the property owner and gain their support included providing additional landscape, decorative lighting, and drainage improvements along the frontage of the property. The solution not only improved the intersection capacity and safety but also enhanced the aesthetics, providing benefits to the owners and the wider community.
EPS Group’s commitment to providing innovative solutions and collaborating with stakeholders to achieve project goals resulted in a successful and cost-effective solution to the Valencia/Kolb intersection problem. The project serves as an example of the company’s expertise in transportation engineering, and our ability to develop and implement innovative design solutions that meet the needs of our clients and communities.