If you have driven Naranja Drive anytime since November, you have watched it take shape — the survey stakes, the grading work, the steady progress of Granite Construction crews working the north shoulder between La Canada Drive and First Avenue. Four months into construction, the Naranja Drive Multi-Use Path is no longer an announcement or a planning document. It is a 1.75-mile stretch of real, physical infrastructure emerging along one of Oro Valley’s most-traveled corridors.
And with a summer 2026 completion target, we are closer to the finish than we are to the start.
Where Things Stand
Construction has been progressing largely as planned since crews broke ground on November 17. The project, led by the Arizona Department of Transportation and built by Granite Construction, has stayed within its original scope: a 10-foot-wide paved multi-use path running the length of Naranja Drive’s north side, from La Canada Drive east to First Avenue.
As anticipated, the work has been confined primarily to the north shoulder, and Naranja Drive has remained open to normal traffic flow throughout construction. If you drive the corridor regularly, you have seen the orange cones and digital message boards, but you have not been sitting in detour traffic — which is exactly how this project was designed.
For the latest construction details and timeline updates, ADOT maintains a dedicated project page at AZDOT.gov/NaranjaPathProject.
What We Are Getting
It is worth stepping back from the construction dust and thinking about what this path delivers once the crews pack up and the cones come down.
At 10 feet wide, this is not a sidewalk. It is a proper multi-use path — wide enough for two-way pedestrian and bicycle traffic, wide enough for a family walking side by side, wide enough for a cyclist to pass a jogger without either one feeling squeezed. That width is consistent with the best segments of Oro Valley’s existing trail network and with modern design standards for shared-use paths.
The route connects neighborhoods along the entire Naranja corridor directly to Naranja Park, the Oro Valley Public Library, and nearby businesses. Think about what that means in practical terms. A parent can walk kids to the library on a Saturday morning without having to navigate traffic. A retiree can ride a bike to Naranja Park without sharing a lane with SUVs. Someone heading to a business along the corridor on foot has a dedicated, safe route instead of picking their way along a road shoulder.
These are the kinds of trips that people want to make without a car but often do not, because the infrastructure does not exist to make it feel safe and comfortable. By this summer, it will.
How It Was Funded — And Why That Matters
The total project cost came in at $3.99 million after ADOT’s bid process. Of that, 91 percent is covered by outside funding sources — $3.449 million in federal Regional Transportation Alternatives Grant funds secured through the Pima Association of Governments, plus $208,930 in Regional Transportation Authority dollars.
The town’s share is $341,000, funded through savings from other road projects in the fiscal year 2024/25 budget. Less than 9 percent of the total cost.
That ratio is the story within the story. Oro Valley applied for the federal grant money back in 2022. The project went through ADOT’s planning and bid process. The town covered a modest gap when construction bids came in above the original estimate. The result is a $4 million piece of infrastructure built almost entirely with federal and regional dollars — because someone at Town Hall had the foresight to write the application four years ago.
In a period when the town’s fiscal conversations have centered on tightening revenues and careful spending, the Naranja path is a case study in how to stretch local dollars by leveraging outside funding. Residents should know how their town made this happen.
Filling a Gap in the Network
Oro Valley’s trail and path network is one of the community’s signature amenities. The Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve, the connections to Catalina State Park, the bike routes along major corridors — they all contribute to a quality of life that residents consistently cite as one of the top reasons they chose to live here.
But a network is only as connected as its weakest link. Naranja Drive has been one of those weak links for years — a primary east-west corridor with heavy vehicle traffic and limited pedestrian or cycling infrastructure. People who live along the corridor know the feeling: you can see where you want to go, but the safe, comfortable way to get there on foot or by bike does not exist.
That changes this summer. When the path opens, it does not just add 1.75 miles to the map. It connects an entire corridor to the broader network, creating new routing options for anyone who walks or rides in Oro Valley. Every existing path and trail that intersects with Naranja becomes more useful because of the connection this project provides.
Almost There
The cones and construction signs along Naranja will be part of the scenery for a few more months. Drive carefully through the work zone, give the crews space, and follow all posted signage. They are building something the community has been asking for — and they are on track to deliver it by summer.
When the path opens, go use it. Walk to the library. Ride to the park. Take the dog out on a real path instead of a road shoulder. It is going to change the way many people experience this part of town, and it is one of those improvements that will quickly feel like it was always there.
For more on cycling routes, trails, and outdoor recreation across Oro Valley, visit our Bicycling guide and Recreation and Attractions page at ILoveOV.com.
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