The Maricopa Association of Governments published a corridor study of Grand Avenue, highlighting roads in need of improvement to handle future growth.
The study focused on the area between State Route 74 and Loop 303. The results were presented for the first time at the Surprise City Council meeting on Tuesday.
The city of Surprise and Arizona Department of Transportation are eyeing improvements to Grand Avenue to handle current and future growth, including changes to intersections to improve traffic flow.
Using future projections for growth and traffic, the study highlighted areas in need of improvement along Grand Avenue, such as the intersection with Loop 303.
“The interchange is not going to be able to handle all of the growth and traffic for the next twenty five years and beyond,” said Bradlee Williams, a traffic engineer with the Maricopa Association of Governments. “What we learned is there are so many miles on either side along the 303 where there is no other access.”
Williams says ADOT’s improvements to the interchange at 155th Avenue and Loop 303 need to be completed before work begins on Grand Avenue.
“Traffic congestion in this area was really getting bad, and we recognized very early in the study that this was, basically, a very important issue that had to be dealt with as quickly as possible,” Williams said.
The study also included rural areas projected to have an increase in commercial truck traffic. The study projects these rural areas will remain rural into the 2050s.
Williams said the projected growth in traffic will make it unsafe to turn on to the road without a traffic signal.
-
St. Mary’s Food Bank distributes about 300,000 pounds of food each day. Most of that comes from donations, but the food bank still has to purchase supplemental items. -
The department’s first e-bike teams were deployed last month to enable rescue teams to get to rural areas with rugged terrain more quickly. The e-bikes can carry medical supplies and rescue equipment to allow firefighters to provide necessary care and manage rescue operations while waiting for additional crews. -
Honeywell Aerospace and the Phoenix Aviation department are collaborating on testing new technology to prevent collisions between aircraft and ground vehicles. The first-of-its-kind surface alert technology warns of an imminent collision before it happens. -
Diesel prices are steadily increasing, affecting school districts across the state. The price jump is especially felt in rural areas, including the Flagstaff Unified School District. -
This fall, Arizona voters will have their say on the issue in the form of Proposition 319. If passed, the measure would ban new photo enforcement systems. Those that are already in place would have to be approved by voters in that city or town to stay up and running.
