Grand Ave/Bell Road intersection project takes next step forward

We love acronyms here on the ADOT Blog and today’s post involves one that some of you devoted readers may already know about...

We’re talking about a FONSI, also known as a “Finding of No Significant Impact.”

We told you what a FONSI is back in January when we wrote about different levels of environmental clearance. We’re bringing it up again today because the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently issued a FONSI for the Grand Avenue/Bell Road intersection improvement project.

More specifically, the FHWA (another acronym, by the way) reviewed and approved the Final Environmental Assessment for the project designed to improve the busy Grand Avenue (US 60) intersection at Bell Road. The approval includes a FONSI, which means the federal agency has determined the planned improvements would not create any significant environmental impacts.

Now that the project has gained the federal environmental clearance, work is scheduled to begin by early 2016.

Project details

Plans call for ADOT to construct a new Bell Road bridge to travel over both Grand Avenue and the adjacent Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks. The bridge will eliminate the existing intersection where Bell Road is located on the same level with Grand Avenue and the tracks, which often causes slow traffic conditions due to signal changes and passing trains.

Grand Avenue also will connect to the new Bell Road bridge via on- and off-ramps traveling to and from Grand Avenue’s center median area.