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Arizona Department of Transportation
Open Topic
What do you think about the proposed designs to build an interchange at Grand Avenue and Bell Road?
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In response to the need to improve traffic flow at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Bell Road, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration is studying potential improvements to the intersection.
The ADOT project team has identified seven potential design concepts that may address the traffic needs at this intersection. Though the team recommends that three of the design concepts (numbers 1, 2 and 4 below) not be studied further as they require railroad crossings that the BNSF railroad will not support, all seven are presented below for your inspection and comment.
Please read the description and/or click on each design concept below to see a larger image. Then, read what others say and post your own statement. You can also come to the public meeting on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 from 4pm to 7:30pm at the Hampton Inn and Suites, 14783 W Grand Ave to talk to the project team and give input in person. In either case, project team members will consider your input carefully and incorporate it into their decision-making process.
Thank you for sharing your insight and helping us improve the intersection at Grand Avenue and Bell Road!
Concept 1
This concept would provide a new traffic interchange (TI) at Bell Road and Grand Avenue. A new bridge would be provided over the BNSF railroad and Grand Avenue. New interchange ramps would be provided along Bell Road that would connect to Grand Avenue at intersections that are at-grade with Grand Avenue. New at-grade railroad crossings would be provided for the eastbound Bell Road entrance ramp from Grand Avenue and for the westbound exit ramp from Bell Road to Grand Avenue.
The project team has recommended that this concept not be studied further as the BNSF railroad will not support it because it adds an at-grade railroad crossing.
Concept 2
A new bridge would be provided over the BNSF railroad and Grand Avenue. The existing intersection at Grand Avenue and Bell Road would be replaced with a new connector road on the east side of Grand Avenue. This connector road would intersect Bell Road at 134th Drive, east of the railroad tracks. The new connector road would extend south of Bell Road and would connect with Grand Avenue. A new at-grade railroad crossing would be provided and a portion of Grand Avenue would need to be reconstructed. The existing access at Grand Avenue/Bell Grande Drive intersection would be modified to provide right-in-right-out access.
The project team has recommended that this concept not be studied further as the BNSF railroad will not support it because it adds an at-grade railroad crossing.
Concept 3
This concept would provide a new single point urban traffic interchange (SPUI) at Bell Road and Grand Avenue. A new bridge would be provided over the BNSF railroad and Grand Avenue. New interchange ramps would be provided along Grand Avenue that would connect to Bell Road. Left turn movements in the eastbound Bell Road to Northbound Grand Avenue and westbound Bell Road to southbound Grand Avenue would be prohibited with this alternative.
Concept 4
A new bridge would be provided over the BNSF railroad and Grand Avenue. The existing intersection at Grand Avenue and Bell Road would be replaced with two new connector roads on the east and west sides of Grand Avenue. The east connector road would intersect Bell Road at 134th Drive east of the railroad tracks and would extend south of Bell Road to connect with Grand Avenue. A new at-grade railroad crossing would be provided and a portion of Grand Avenue would need to be reconstructed. The west connector road would extend West Point Parkway north of Bell Road through the existing commercial development. A new at-grade intersection with Grand Avenue would be provided. The existing accesses at the Grand Avenue/Towne Center Drive and Grand Avenue/Bell Grande Drive intersections would be modified to provide right-in-right-out access.
The project team has recommended that this concept not be studied further as the BNSF railroad will not support it because it adds an at-grade railroad crossing.
Concept 5
A new bridge would be provided over the BNSF railroad and Grand Avenue. The existing intersection at Grand Avenue and Bell Road would be replaced with a new connector road on the west side of Grand Avenue. The connector road would extend West Point Parkway north of Bell Road through the existing commercial development. A new at- grade intersection with Grand Avenue would be provided. The existing accesses at the Grand Avenue/Towne Center Drive and Grand Avenue/Bell Grande Drive intersections would be modified to provide right-in-right-out access.
Concept 6
A new bridge would be provided over the BNSF railroad and Grand Avenue. This concept would include ramps within the median of Grand Avenue to provide the connections to/from Bell Road. Retaining walls would be constructed along the ramps within the median of Grand Avenue. The ramp connections would connect to Grand Avenue beyond the intersections at Towne Center Drive on the north and Bell Grande Drive on the south and both of the signalized intersections on Grand Avenue (North Bell Grande and Surprise Town Center) would be converted to right-in/right-out only driveways into the commercial developments.
Concept 7
This Concept is similar to Concept 6. A new bridge would be provided over the BNSF railroad and Grand Avenue. This concept would use steeper grades on the ramps to shift the entrance and exits from Grand Avenue closer toward Bell Road so that the intersection at Bell Grande Drive could remain open to the commercial development. The signalized intersection at Towne Center Drive would be relocated north and west of the existing location and the right-in-right-out intersection closest to Wal-Mart would be closed.