Oro Valley council authorizes $400,000 for Shannon Road dust control and multi‑use path

The Oro Valley Town Council voted on March 19 to authorize staff to use $400,000 from the La Cañada (Locunyatta) Mill and Overlay Project contingency to design and construct improvements on Shannon Road to mitigate dust and improve emergency access.

Public Works staff described the work as a project‑of‑opportunity created by recent water‑line construction that left a continuous route between Tangerine and Naranja. The proposed work includes compacting the existing roadway, applying a cape‑seal/chip‑seal surface with a fog/slurry seal and installing a separated multi‑use path (MUP) separated from vehicular traffic. Staff said the project would provide a dust‑free two‑lane surface for local vehicles and a physically separated path for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Why it matters: Staff said the improved route shortens emergency response travel distance from roughly three miles around to about one mile for vehicles needing access to Ironwood Ridge High School and nearby homes. Residents who testified supported the project, citing prior difficulty for emergency responders to find houses, significant dust generation, and increased pedestrian and bicycle use by high‑school students.

Budget, scope and timeline: Public Works requested $400,000 for design and construction; staff noted the project came in under budget on La Cañada mill and overlay work so no additional appropriations were requested. During the presentation staff estimated design costs of roughly $70,000 (leaving about $330,000 for construction) and said the town will work closely with neighbors on the final alignment, landscaping and traffic‑calming features; if RTA Next funds materialize in the future the corridor could be rebuilt to arterial standards, but that would be a separate, higher‑cost project.

Council action and vote: A motion to authorize use of $400,000 from the La Cañada mill and overlay project for the Shannon Road improvements passed with six votes in favor and one abstention (Vice Mayor Barrett). The minutes record the tally as 6 ayes and 1 abstain; no council member voted no.

Community input and concerns: Residents who spoke—David Turcotte, Marilyn Turcotte, Lena Pulliam and Ryan Broom—described dust, past emergency response problems and removal of vegetation during water‑line installation. Water Utility staff described the original plan to abate and hydroseed the corridor if the road had not been repurposed; staff said the broader Northwest Recharge/Recovery project is partly responsible for the opened corridor because the water‑line alignment and existing dirt roadway overlapped in places.

Next steps: If design authorization proceeds staff said they will return with more detailed design plans to the public and will coordinate landscape, irrigation and traffic‑calming measures. The town noted the cape‑seal treatment is durable when maintained and can serve until a future arterial reconstruction (if funded) would occur.

Ending: The council directed staff to proceed with design and construction using the identified project funds; councilors emphasized balancing safety improvements with careful stewardship of capital funds.