SCOTTSDALE, AZ — In Arizona, according to Arizona Department of Transportation crash statistics, eight pedestrians and bicyclists are involved in car crashes every day.
In the City of Scottsdale, the intersection of Chaparral and Hayden roads is right next to two major parks. On the Green Belt trail, walkers, joggers, and bicyclists had to cross the busy streets to get to the other side of the path.
Now, a third underpass project is completed, and everyone can continue on the trail without ever having to cross the surface streets.
“We’ve been watching and waiting for when this would open," Shelby Rainey said. "And this is my first time navigating it and I’m very excited.”
The tunnel connects Chaparral and Camelback parks. The three underpasses create a near-loop of the intersection letting everyone avoid dealing with the traffic.
We caught up with new parents Dan and Dania who were on a walk with their 5-month-old baby. They had been patiently waiting for the project to finish.
"[Construction] was still going on when she was a few months and we were having to cross the street, and I was a little nervous," Dania said.
Construction shut down the entire intersection for months, but for many on the trails, it was a short-term inconvenience to get a long-term safety improvement.
“This is so much better, and it was worth the wait. We’ll get our good use out of it," Rainey said.