Flagstaff City Council advances Lone Tree Overpass project

During the Jan 25 Flagstaff City Council meeting, the Council heard an update on the Lone Tree Overpass project and future intersection improvements for Butler Avenue and Lone Tree Road. The Council gave direction to investigate refinement of an intersection design that has five lanes on each leg and protective elements for bicycle and pedestrian travel, in accordance with the City's draft Active Transportation Master Plan. The Council also directed staff to analyze the feasibility of a north/ south oriented bridge over Butler Avenue for bicyclists and pedestrians. This intersection size and design highlights the effort to balance pedestrian and bicycle safety and the City's climate action goals with the goal to efficiently move vehicular travel. The Lone Tree Overpassis an important anchor project in the larger "Downtown Mile" suite of projects surrounding the BNSF Railway corridor, which includes the Rio de Flag Flood Control Project, the Milton Bridge reconstruction, and the Florence to Walnut Pedestrian Underpass. The City Council supported proceeding with the overall project design for the Lone Tree Overpass while staff analyze further details. This important commitment will move top priority projects like the Rio de Flag forward.

The direction given by Council to further investigate this intersection design marks a significant step forward in shifting how the community addresses vehicular travel, encourages multi-modal transportation and incorporates climate goals into transportation planning.

The Lone Tree Overpass project will also provide numerous benefits to the Flagstaff community. Primarily, creating a connection across the railroad tracks will generate a new travel option for cars, busses, bikes, and pedestrians. This critical connection will thereby result in a more efficient transportation network and further the goals of Proposition 420.

More information on the project can be found at https://lonetreeoverpass.org. For related questions, please contact Christine Cameron, Project Manager for the City of Flagstaff, at [email protected].