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MAINTANANCE POSITION

Nobody likes a messy neighbor, and Marcia Weary wrote in to say she's frustrated by some messiness on a state highway overpass in the Sahuarita/Green Valley area.

The Interstate 19 overpass at Duval Mine Road is littered with debris, from a hose to a cardboard box that's been planted on the overpass for months, not to mention the weeds growing in the median, Weary wrote.

"There are weeds taking firm hold in the median, some of which are Indian broom and probably have roots to China by now," she said. 

"When we returned from our year in Germany, we were pleased to see the new interchange had been completed. Please clean it up and make it as beautiful as it was in the beginning. The traffic is too heavy for volunteers to do the job."

While the Arizona Department of Transportation was without a maintenance engineer for about 1 1/2 years, one was recently hired, said Teresa Welborn, spokeswoman for the department.

Last week the maintenance engineer and the district engineer took a drive by the offending overpass to get a look at the problem, Welborn said.

The two saw the box and the weeds, and they are putting the interchange on a regular mowing schedule to clean it up, she said.

As far as the hose, it may be a traffic-counting device used by another government agency, she said.

The State Transportation Board approved federal funding for six local bicycle and pedestrian projects, adding about $2.6 million in improvements to local efforts.

The projects with newly approved state money include:

● A divided urban pathway on the south bank of the Rillito River from Mountain to First avenues. Cost: $444,263.

● Adding sidewalks and pedestrian lighting to fill gaps, in the Five Points area, $494,398.

● A bicycle and pedestrian-education program for seventh-graders in Pima County, $500,000.

● Pedestrian path on Columbus Boulevard from 22nd Street to Timrod, $190,061.

● Pedestrian and bicycle facilities on Park Avenue from Ft. Lowell Road to Speedway, $498,958.

● Santa Cruz River shared-use path, extending 2.7 miles on the northwest bank in Marana, $500,000.

Question: "The Albertsons grocery store at Grant and Tanque Verde roads has placed stop signs at crosswalks to the store. Some jurisdictions prohibit placement of stop signs mid-block, which has been done in this case. Are these signs illegally placed?" wrote Jerry Adelson.

Answer: While there may be regulations regarding where stop signs can be placed on public roads, these signs are on private property in the shopping center. On private property, the owners can put the signs up as they wish. "They are not enforceable under state law," said Sgt. Tim Beam, Tucson Police Department traffic investigations supervisor.