People living in the city of Maricopa rely on State Route 347 south of Phoenix. Commuters say the narrow highway connecting to Interstate 10 faces near-daily collisions, bringing traffic to a crawl. The state Transportation Board has approved a series of improvements.
The board allotted about $135 million to widen State Route 347 by one lane in each direction from Riggs Road to the I-10.
The vote came in its June meeting where the board approved ADOT’s five-year transportation construction plan.
The board heard from dozens of commenters seeking road improvements, including Pinal County Supervisor Rich Vitiello.
“We have accidents every day almost of the week, and closures every day of the week. I just want to stand before you today and say that the 347 is a main priority. We have 50,000 cars that drive up and down that road every day. And they pray to get home," Vitiello said.
The project also includes work on intersections and bridges. The funding only applies to the Pinal County portion of the highway.
ADOT has not announced when construction will begin.
