Marana's new Twin Peaks Road makes a splash as storm tests drainage on day one

For drivers, walkers and cyclists using west Marana’s Twin Peaks Road, the first major test of the newly widened corridor came almost immediately. A monsoon storm moved through Tuesday as town officials and residents gathered at Rattlesnake Pass to mark the completion of a roughly two year construction project. Despite the heavy rain, vehicles continued moving along the rebuilt roadway, offering an early demonstration of an improvement officials say many motorists may not notice until severe weather arrives: a substantially upgraded drainage system.

Before construction, stormwater could leave about a foot of water across Twin Peaks Road during a rainstorm, according to Bill Buntin, the town’s public works division manager. Those conditions sometimes forced the road to close. The project added storm drain structures and stormwater catch basins, and the new system handled Tuesday’s downpour while traffic continued through the pass. For people traveling between Silverbell Road, nearby developments and the west side of the Marana area, that change could mean fewer weather related closures and more dependable access during monsoon storms.

The project reconstructed approximately two miles of Twin Peaks Road between Silverbell Road and the Saguaro Bloom development. The road is now a four lane divided arterial, with two lanes in each direction separated by a raised median. New traffic signals were installed at Twin Peaks Road and Saguaro Peaks Road, as well as at Twin Peaks and Silverbell. The improvements are intended to serve current travelers while preparing the corridor for additional development in west Marana and the Avra Valley area.

The work also changed how people can move through the corridor without a car. A path for walkers and cyclists now runs from White Stallion Ranch Road to Old Silverbell Road. Curbs, sidewalks and ramps designed to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act were added as part of the project. Crews also installed landscaping and irrigation, upgraded underground utilities and built a slope containment wall with an architectural finish through Rattlesnake Pass. Together, those features turn the project into more than a lane expansion, adding pedestrian and bicycle connections and a more finished streetscape.

Hunter Contracting began construction in July 2024. To shorten the overall schedule, the town fully closed Twin Peaks Road from May 22 through Aug. 3, 2025. Marana said the closure reduced the construction timeline by about two months. Buntin said the project was completed well ahead of schedule and under budget, calling both results an accomplishment for the town. One of the more difficult portions of the work came at the top of the pass, where crews encountered heavy rock that took additional time to remove.

The project was funded through town transportation funds and impact fees, with additional contributions from D.R. Horton and Pima County. Its timing reflects the continued growth expected around west Marana, where new homes and development are increasing pressure on major roads. The widened corridor is designed to handle more traffic, while the signals and median are intended to organize movements through an area that previously had fewer of the features associated with a larger arterial.

The celebration also introduced a new landmark at the pass. Marana revealed that its giant rattlesnake sculpture is named Serpentina. The structure rises more than 8 feet above a concrete base that is about 14 feet across. The rattlesnake design was chosen because the area has been known as Rattlesnake Pass for roughly a century and has a long association with the reptiles. Daniel Bradshaw, a principal landscape architect with the Planning Center, said the sculpture was meant to reflect and celebrate that local identity.

The Planning Center developed several concepts for the town, including designs that sat closer to the ground, but Marana selected the tallest version. Tucson based Cemrock, which is known for fabricating zoo and aquarium habitats, built Serpentina using structural steel and carved foam. Workers covered the form with shotcrete, then hand carved its scales and eyes before staining the finished sculpture. The planning and construction process took about a year, with approximately three months devoted to building the sculpture itself. Bradshaw said the goal was for drivers to be surprised when they first saw it, then to recognize the snake as a memorable symbol of the town and the pass.

With the roadway open and the drainage system already facing a storm, Twin Peaks Road now moves into its next phase as a key route for a growing part of Marana. The project’s visible changes include added lanes, signals, sidewalks, a path and Serpentina, but Tuesday’s rain highlighted the infrastructure beneath the pavement. For residents who have experienced water covering the road during intense storms, the most consequential new feature may be the one that keeps traffic moving when the next monsoon arrives.