Students' commute to and from the Polytechnic campus is affected by road work going on around the area. Parts of Power and Williams Field roads and Loop 202 have been reduced to one lane because of road construction in the area. (photo by Hector Salas Almeida)Construction on Power Road between the Santan Freeway and Pecos Road is restricting traffic flow to the Polytechnic campus.
According to the city of Mesa’s website, the project began in June 2012 and is expected to be completed by April 2014.
The construction will widen Power Road from the south side of Santan Freeway to the north side of Pecos Road. Additionally, the median will be raised, and there will be intersection improvements for Williams Field and Ray roads, according to the website.
Jaime Otter, marketing and communications specialist with the city of Mesa, said most of the work on the roadway itself will be completed by December.
“You will not see any backup except at peak hours,” she said. “We work closely with the Polytechnic campus.”
The remaining construction will be at the Roosevelt Water Conservation District canal south of Williams Field Road during its dry-up period, Otter said.
The city's engineering department has been making sure travelers in the area are not held back because of the construction.
Mesa’s engineering department helped ASU students during move-in week, Otter said.
“We actually put up two electronic message boards to show students how to get into the campus,” Otter said.
Lou Scichilone,ASU police commander at the Polytechnic campus, said the department is assisting students with the traffic areas, particularly residential halls for move-in.
During the morning and afternoon hours, when traffic is at its heaviest, ASU Police will be directing the traffic.
Students and faculty are advised to plan for delays in traffic and should allow themselves more time to get to campus, Scichilone said.
Creative writing senior Brittany Torres said she only experiences traffic on the intercampus shuttle, and even then only on highways.
“It’s definitely a pain in the butt around here, but it’s better now than before,” she said.
Torres works on the Polytechnic campus and commutes from there to classes on the Tempe campus using the shuttle.
The shuttle’s route has changed slightly because of the construction, Torres said, which has increased traveling time.
“I think there could be a better way,” Torres said.
The Power Road Improvement Project is a partnership between the city of Mesa, the town of Gilbert and the Maricopa County Department of Transportation, according to the city of Mesa’s website.
The project funding is broken up into two Guaranteed Maximum Pricing projects. According to city of Mesa’s website, the first GMP will be completed when the canal dries up.
The second GMP is expected to cost of approximately $31.5 million.
The Maricopa Association of Governments Regional Transportation Plan will be responsible for 70 percent of the total cost, leaving the remaining amount to be split up by thirds between the city of Mesa, the town of Gilbert and MCDOT.
Reach the reporter at jmhobbs@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @jamiemhobbs
