PEDESTRIAN/BICYCLE IMPROVEMENTS: BROADWAY ROAD FROM MILL AVENUE TO RURAL ROAD 

Project Owner: City of Tempe
Delivery Method: Design-Bid-Build
Construction Dates: 04/15 to 04/16

This streetscape project enhanced bicycle and pedestrian traffic along one mile of Broadway Road between Mill Avenue and Rural Road by removing one eastbound vehicle traffic lane and adding bicycle lanes and wider sidewalks on the north and south sides of the street.

The scope of work included new landscaped median islands, new ADA compliant sidewalk ramps, 11,525 LF of new curb and gutter, 7,000 SY of asphalt pavement, 4,068 of wet utility pipe, and 8,900 LF of new electrical and traffic signal conduit throughout the project area.

More than 20,000 SF of artistic screen wall (8-10 feet tall) was constructed on the north side of Broadway Road. This wall not only separates the adjacent Broadway Lane frontage road and neighborhoods but also features public art by local artists that pays homage to the sour orange trees that once lined the roadway. Other aesthetic improvements include decorative stamping of crosswalks (at Mill Avenue, Rural Road, College Avenue, and a new metered pedestrian crossing east of Sierra Vista Drive), between median islands, and parking spots located on the Broadway Lane frontage road.

City of Tempe Public Art Details: "Hedgerow", by Laurie Lundquist and Rebecca Ross, pays homage to the hedge of sour orange trees that once lined the north side of the Broadway between Mill Avenue and Rural Road. The privacy wall that has taken their place has been cleverly enhanced to create the sense of a hedge of orange trees. Within the privacy wall setbacks are 123 steel "tree profiles" and 1,250 square "pixels" in various hues of green and orange, recalling the orange trees that had previously served as a natural divider. Shadow effects are created by the sun during the day and streetlights at night, creating continually evolving visual interest. The artists were also able to enhance the aesthetic experience of the adjacent block wall by incorporating specific block patterns in its design. Continuing the orange tree motif, Morse Code patterns spell out "orange trees" and "blossoms" in repeated sections.

Project awards

Public Works Project of the Year Award - Arizona Chapter APWA