Tucson Completes Sixth Street Underpass Project
The Downtown Links project connects Barraza-Aviation Parkway to Saint Mary's Road after a ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 6.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Utilities
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City of Tucson leaders celebrated completion of the Sixth Street Underpass at a November 6 ribbon-cutting ceremony. The project, part of the Downtown Links initiative, connects Barraza-Aviation Parkway to Saint Mary's Road.
Why it matters
The project was funded by the original Regional Transportation Authority plan approved by voters in 2006, and it adds stormwater and bridge infrastructure meant to serve Tucson residents for the next 20 years. Additional funds were needed to finish the work.
The infrastructure is designed to last 20 years, and the original funding traces to a 2006 voter-approved RTA plan. Total project cost and the size of the supplemental funding were not disclosed in the source material.
The players
Regional Transportation Authority
The regional transit and transportation agency funded through voter-approved plans that finance road and transit projects across Pima County.
The details
Crews moved the railroad tracks ahead of construction and moved them back later to make room for the underpass. The project also includes a new bypass route on Maclovia Barraza Parkway, smart technology at intersections, an outdoor community space, and public art.
Timeline
2006: Voters approved the original RTA plan that funded the project.
Earlier this year: Voters approved the next 20-year RTA transportation investment plan.
November 6: City leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking completion.
Utility Infrastructure Outlook
The completed underpass was funded by the 2006 Regional Transportation Authority plan, and voters have now approved a successor 20-year RTA plan to fund further transportation projects across Pima County. Stormwater and bridge infrastructure built under the original plan is designed to serve the community for the next two decades.
Drivers traveling between Barraza-Aviation Parkway and Saint Mary's Road now have a grade-separated connection in place of the earlier route. The new Maclovia Barraza Parkway bypass and intersection technology change how traffic moves through the corridor.
The takeaway
The Sixth Street Underpass shows how a voter-approved transportation plan can deliver long-lived infrastructure years after it was funded. Readers interested in how these projects are paid for can follow future RTA plan decisions across Pima County.
Further reading
Explore more on Utilities to see how regional infrastructure projects like this one are planned and funded.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KVOA.
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