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June 24, 2008 - 9:03PM
Updated: June 24, 2008 - 9:22PM
Part of Gilbert Road in Chandler to be widened
Mike Branom, Tribune
A cramped, crowded stretch of Gilbert Road in Chandler soon will be under construction, which means it won't look too much different from now.
The Chandler City Council will vote Thursday night on an $8.8 million contract for reconstruction of Gilbert between Germann and Queen Creek roads. Local firm Achen-Gardner is expected to be awarded the work.
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City officials say this is an important project because Gilbert Road sees heavy traffic - 32,000 vehicles on an average weekday in 2007, the most in that part of Chandler.
And there's the promise of more, as the road forms the eastern border of booming Chandler Airpark.
It's due to the explosion of commercial properties, many still under construction, that Gilbert Road is already a mess.
"The general public thinks (the road work) has already started," city spokesman Jim Phipps said.
Following approval of the contract, construction could begin in July with a finish in the first half of 2009.
When complete, the road will be widened to six lanes across with a landscaped median.
Other improvements include bike lanes, curbs, right- and left-turn lanes, bus pullouts and permanent traffic signals at Queen Creek and at Ryan Road.
Also, the north side of Queen Creek Road will be improved from Gilbert to a third of a mile east of the intersection, and a median will be installed on Queen Creek for a short distance to the west of the intersection.
Finally, the Roosevelt Water Conservation District canal on the north side of Queen Creek will be put underground for nearly a mile.
Currently, Gilbert Road is a mishmash of widths: two, four and six lanes.
Bottlenecks come and go, with the construction barricades adding to the chaos.
"It causes some delays, there's no question about it," said Dan Cook, Chandler's deputy public works director.
With Gilbert Road being a primary north-south arterial street through the area, Phipps said preliminary planning is being done on widening the road on the four-mile stretch from Queen Creek to Hunt Highway.
Public meetings will be held soon, Phipps added.
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