courtesy of Gary Nelson – May. 2, 2012
The Republic | azcentral.com
The first inklings of light-rail construction will appear along Main Street this month.
Traffic restrictions can be expected as workers prepare to move utility lines between Sycamore Street and Mesa Drive.
Work this month will include verifying the location and depth of underground utilities that need to be moved, and some surveying.
The first phase of actual construction, moving the utility lines, is expected to begin in June, after a ceremonial groundbreaking on May 30.
The approximately $200 million, 3.1-mile extension is being funded by federal grants and a county transportation sales tax that voters approved in 2004.
It is expected to begin carrying passengers in late 2015, a key element in Mesa’s ambitious efforts to transform its downtown into a multifaceted urban community.
Early planning already is under way to run the tracks another 2 miles east, to Gilbert Road, but money for that hasn’t been allocated and there is no projected timeline.
Metro light rail has appointed Lisa Procknow as community outreach coordinator for the Mesa project. She’s available at 602-495-8213, 623-533-1352 or lprocknow@metrolightrail.org.