MARANA- The Silverbell Road Corridor is now walkable thanks to a Town of Marana improvement project.
Phase one of the Silverbell Road Sidewalk Infill Project was finished in 2019. The Town of Marana’s CIP Engineering Division then wrapped up Phase two in early February of this year.
Over the years, Public Works and private developers have been working to install sidewalks along the corridor, but CIP filled in the remaining gaps with this project. The corridor from its intersection with Twin Peaks Road to the north down to Ina Road and south of that area is now fully walkable.
The Town worked with its contractor Pima Paving Inc. for this latest phase of the project.
“This project was years in the making and we tried to provide the best possible route for pedestrians in our community,” said newly promoted Project Manager Greg Sendlak with the Town of Marana CIP Engineering Division.
Residents will now notice new sidewalks, upgraded existing curb ramps, newly installed handrail and rock ground cover along the southbound side of North Silverbell Road from West Carefree Way to North Cortaro Road.
Curb ramps were also upgraded at the Silverbell/Carefree and Silverbell/Wildomar Intersections.
There were also upgrades to the curb ramps and median refuges at the Silverbell and Cortaro Roads Intersection.
The Town of Marana also listened to concerns about existing trees when coming up with a plan to install new sidewalk at the Silverbell and Cortaro Roads Intersection.
“We wanted to continue the sidewalk through to the Cortaro Intersection, but we didn’t want to wipe out all the existing vegetation and trees so we came up with the idea of saving those and creating a park like feel…by doing so we had to consider this drainage channel that has been here forever, not allowing people to get too close to it so we had to build some slopes and create some protection and guardrail, but by doing so we were able to save all but just a few bushes along this corridor,” explained Sendlak.
“A little incongruous along a busy roadway, but I’ve walked this enough times and have just loved the feel of it,” said Kurt Schmidt, Project Manager with the CIP Engineering Division.
“The Town of Marana takes a lot of pride when we do an improvement like this and with the citizens in mind and how we can best accommodate their safety and create a good environment for them to enjoy our areas,” said Sendlak.
