City to celebrate streetcar as Congress St. closes
Motorists warned of traffic changes Downtown
The City of Tucson will celebrate the Modern Streetcar Project on Thursday as a new phase begins in construction on the transit system that will connect the University of Arizona, Fourth Avenue, Downtown and the city's West Side.
The celebration begins at 11 at the University of Arizona's BIO5 Institute, 1657 E. Helen St., and will include information about the project and its construction, the city said.
Those attending are advised to bring a hat and sunscreen. Parking is available at the Highland Avenue Garage at Vine Street and Helen.
The $196.8 million Tucson Modern Streetcar is expected to be running by the end of 2013 with seven cars that will travel alongside motorists, making 18 stops along the route, according to the project's website.
Construction will affect traffic around the University of Arizona, Fourth Avenue, Congress Street and Broadway Boulevard.
Fourth Avenue is closed to through traffic between Sixth Street and University. Starting Tuesday, Congress will be closed from Toole Avenue to Stone and Sixth Avenue, between Broadway and Sixth Street, will be converted to two-way traffic.