A train crossing in the middle of the city of Maricopa is creating traffic jams on State Route 347. But a proposed bridge would reduce congestion on the busy road.
The Arizona Department of Transportation is working with Union Pacific Railroad and the Federal Highway Administration on plans to build the bridge in Maricopa. ADOT spokesman Dustin Krugel said construction on the $55 million project would start in 2020.
“We have approximately 40 trains per day that go through this area and when they do they stop traffic," Krugel said. "So, it would build a bridge, an overpass, that would carry traffic over the railroad."
He said more than 30,000 vehicles use that stretch of road each day. Krugel said the Amtrak station in Maricopa would have to be relocated as part of the project.
ADOT is accepting public comments on the proposal through Dec. 18.