The Road Ahead With RTC: Lemmon Drive Improvements and Resiliency

SPONSORED: Plans are moving forward on the Lemmon Drive Improvements and Resiliency Project. A major focus of the project is to prevent the roadway from flooding. A large portion of the road was under water when Swan Lake flooded several years ago, so the plan is to raise Lemmon Drive above the 100-year flood plain. The Regional Transportation Commission will realign the road onto a natural berm, closer to Swan Lake. The project spans more than 3.5 miles from Fleetwood Drive to Ramsey Way and it includes a multi-use path and other upgrades that make the road safer for driving, walking and biking.

“We anticipate that it will cost about $50 million,” Dale Keller, RTC Director of Engineering said. “The good news is we recently received a federal RAISE grant for $25 million. That’s a pretty big deal because hundreds of organizations applied for these funds.”

The RTC is one of 162 recipients of this year’s RAISE grant awards. It plans on paying for the rest of the project with local fuel tax funds.

The RTC is working on the final design of Lemmon Drive and anticipates starting construction in 2025. The North Valleys is one of the fastest-growing areas in our area, so moving forward with projects like this one is very important to the RTC and our community. Keller expects that residents will really appreciate the new and improved roadway once it is finished.

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