The City of Chandler is moving into construction on summer 2026 of the new concrete shared-use pathways along the Kyrene Branch Canal and Highline Canal in west Chandler, replacing existing unpaved trails and improving regional connectivity to the City of Tempe’s pathway system. The project includes approximately 0.9 miles along the Kyrene Branch Canal and 0.25 miles along the Highline Canal, along with new bike lanes on Orchid Lane and 54th Street.
Identified in the Chandler Transportation Master Plan as a key bicycle and pedestrian improvement, construction will add lighting, wayfinding, landscaping, and a rest node to create safer and more comfortable travel for all users.
The Kyrene Branch Canal and Highline Canal improvements will be constructed together as one project. Because federal funding is being used, required environmental, right-of-way, and utility coordination must be completed before construction begins.
Project Schedule (subject to change):
- Design Completion: December 2025
- Temporary Construction Easements: Through Fall 2025
- Construction Start: Summer 2026
- Project Assessment Completed – Fall 2022
- Public Meeting – August 2022
- Design Began – June 2023
- 30% Design – October 2023
- Public Meeting – December 2023
- 60% Design – March 2024
- Environmental Clearance – Summer 2024
- Stakeholder Meetings – March–August 2024
- 95% Design – October 2024
- Preliminary Final Design Shared – October 2024
- Transportation Commission – April 2, 2025
The City of Chandler is proposing to construct a new 10-foot wide, concrete shared-use pathway along the Kyrene Branch Canal where a gravel pathway currently exists. The purpose of this project is to create a safer, more comfortable pedestrian and bicycle environment, and extend the regional concrete pathway along the Kyrene Branch Canal by approximately one mile from its current terminus at Knox Road to a new terminus south of Linda Lane.
The majority of the project is located along the Salt River Project Kyrene Branch Canal. As part of the project, a new pedestrian signal is proposed at Knox Road and Kyrene Road to provide safer crossing and connectivity for path users.
This improved pathway will provide important connections to regional bicycle facilities, such as the remaining Kyrene Branch Canal Path in Tempe and the Western Canal Path and will respond to Chandler residents’ request for additional off-street pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
The path segment north of Ray Road currently has lighting; however, this project will add new path lighting to the segment south of Ray. In addition, the proposed project includes wayfinding at key points.
The City of Chandler is also proposing to construct a new 10-foot wide, concrete shared-use pathway along the Highline Canal between the existing City of Tempe Highline Canal concrete shared-use pathway and Orchid Lane. Additionally, separated bike lanes will be added along Orchid Lane and 54th Street. Similar to the Kyrene Branch Canal pathway project, the purpose is to create a safer, more comfortable pedestrian and bicycle environment along the Highline Canal by a quarter mile along with three-quarters of a mile of new on-street, separated bike lanes.
The new concrete pathway portion of the project is located along the Salt River Project (SRP) Highline Canal. As part of the project, separated bike lanes will be added along Orchid Lane from Priest Drive to 54th Street, and along 54th Street from Orchid Lane to approximately 900 feet south. These pedestrian and bicycle improvements will provide important connections to regional bicycle facilities, such as the remaining Highline Canal Path that extends through the Cities of Tempe, Phoenix, and the Town of Guadalupe.
Other project elements include new path lighting, wayfinding, and landscape along the concrete pathway segment adjacent to the Highline Canal.
Project Assessment Information
City of Chandler Title VI Notice to the Public
The City of Chandler hereby gives public notice that it is the City’s policy to assure full compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. Title VI requires that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, sex, national origin, age or disability be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any Federal Aid Highway program or other activity for which the City receives Federal financial assistance.
Any person, who believes his/her Title VI protection has been violated, may file a complaint. Any such complaint must be in writing and filed with the City’s Title VI Program Manager within one hundred eighty (180) days following the date of the alleged discriminatory occurrence. Title VI Discrimination complaint forms may be obtained from the City by contacting: Dan Haskins, Title VI Program Manager, Mail Stop 407, PO Box 4008, Chandler, AZ 85244-4008/ 480-782-3335 (or 711 via AZ Relay Service).
Project Hotline: 480-898-4060
For questions or to provide your feedback or comments, please contact us by email or contact our project hotline, 480-898-4060.