TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - Construction began Monday on a new multi-use path along Naranja Drive, the same stretch of road where a fatal car accident occurred in 2023.

The 1.75-mile, 10-foot-wide paved path aims to make it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists to use the road. After three girls were hit by a car on the shoulder, residents said these improvements have been a long time coming.

In March 2023, 13-year-old Olivia Villalobos was struck and killed by a car that drifted over the bike lane near Naranja Park. It’s one of the only roads in Oro Valley without a protected sidewalk or multi-use path on either side.

Theresa Shaw lives nearby and said the need to build a safer shoulder became more immediate after the accident.

“It really brought to light for the community, t

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