Residents in Midtown are voicing concerns over increased traffic and safety issues from ongoing construction on Grant Road. The $54 million Grant Road Improvement Project, currently in phases 3 and 4 from Sparkman to Swan, began in May and will widen the road to six lanes while adding bike and pedestrian paths.
Erica Frazelle, public information officer for the Department of Transportation and Mobility with the city, said the project involves more than just road expansion.
“We have a lot of underground infrastructure, including storm drain infrastructure, brand new waterlines, and sewer lines, so a lot of work that you don’t see on the surface is taking place underneath,” she said. “We’re at the end of the project, which will alleviate some of the safety issues, such as those monsoon floods that you see where water would typically go over the roadway; that water will now be diverted underneath the roadway.”
Frazelle also said the updates on the project have been communicated to residents and businesses through a website and direct outreach.