Residents of Maricopa, Arizona, can look forward to less congested and safer travels on State Route 347, as the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) recently approved an expansion project for the crucial roadway; this move arrives after over a decade of advocacy and planning, according to a report from AZFamily.
The city's Mayor Nancy Smith described the approval as the "best day of my life in the ten years of serving the city of Maricopa," emphasizing the significance of this development for the rapidly growing community which has seen its population swell from about 30,000 to 80,000, with forecasts predicting a jump to 100,000 in the near future, the expansions which include the addition of a third lane, an overpass, and repaving the roads are expected to address the troublesome congestion and hazards that have bedeviled SR 347 for years. Funding for the $350 million project will stem from a collective effort involving the city, Pinal and Maricopa counties, and the state, with the city having recently introduced a half-cent sales tax to help finance the project, an action that marks the first-ever sales tax raise since Maricopa's establishment.
Leading up to the decision, Maricopa residents had organized a campaign through a website, 347facts.com, generating over 120,000 emails to state leaders to draw attention to the highway's safety issues; twenty of these residents made the trip to ADOT's meeting in Payson to argue their case directly, as reported by ABC15.
Concerns about the road's safety have been long-standing, with Maricopa Mayor Nancy Smith pointing out, "You end up with thousands of accidents almost averaging one per day," the project's approval was welcomed by members of the community, including the youth, as Christian Mylek of the Be Awesome Youth Coalition expressed relief, "It means a lot especially as the younger drivers of Maricopa. It will be nice to see that change when we grow up, that it won’t be the same for our kids," he told AZFamily.
While design plans are being finalized, especially for certain dangerous intersections, the adjustment to the highway will unfold in phases over the next few years, and throughout the process, city leaders are expected to maintain a significant role. The decision marks a major step towards enhancing the daily commutes of tens of thousands of Arizona drivers who have long endured the challenges of SR 347.
