Tempe City Council is to vote on awarding a contract to AJP Electric to complete a multiuse pathway project along Eighth Street at its March 27 regular meeting.
Decima Sever, public works administrative manager, explained in a city staff report that this $3.14 million contract is for the construction of the Eighth Street Multiuse Path Project, also known as the Creamery Branch Rail Path.
“This project will construct raised crosswalks, directional ramps, bike lanes, traffic calming, parking and enhanced landscaping along Eighth Street from Rural Road to McClintock Drive,” Sever stated.
Work on the project also includes an off-street multiuse path that has lighting, landscaping and rest nodes in the abandoned, historic Creamery Branch Rail alignment. The alignment is north of the current Eighth Street sidewalk from Dorsey Lane to Rural Road.
Sever noted that the proposed path will incorporate “interpretive elements” that will pay homage to the native O’odham cultural heritage along with the history of railroading in Tempe. These were developed with the input of the Four Southern Tribes.
AJP Electric’s scope of work, if the contract is approved by council, consists of the 10-foot-wide multiuse part from Rural Road to Dorsey Lane, interpretive signage, lighting, signing and striping, bike lanes, grading and drainage, paving, landscaping and irrigation, and raised crosswalks.
There is a contingency funding amount of $314,000, and Sever wrote in the report that funds to cover the contract, related costs and any future change orders have been appropriated in fiscal year 2024/25 and future years.
City council will meet at 6 p.m. March 27 in the city council chambers at Tempe City Hall, 31 E. Fifth St. Meetings can also be watched via Cox Cable Channel 11 and at www.tempe.gov/tempe11.
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Meet Caroline Caroline Yu joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2020 as a summer intern covering Scottsdale. As an intern, she continued her coverage of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Tempe. After graduating in 2022, Caroline became a full-time reporter for Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. She is currently reporting for the Tempe market.
Community: She is a supporter of the environment and tries to get involved with related community events.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications, with a minor in French.
Random Fact: She used to be a ballet dancer for 10 years.
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