347 in the Spotlight During Senator's Visit to Maricopa

Published on February 23, 2022

Three people in a meeting room discuss around a table with documents and water bottles. A presentation screen on the wall shows a

State Route 347 took center stage as one of the most influential lawmakers in the country made a stop in Maricopa. On Tuesday, Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema joined Maricopa Mayor Christian Price, City Council Members Nancy Smith and Bob Marsh, City Manager Rick Horst, Pinal County Supervisor Jeffrey McClure, Ak-Chin Indian Community Chairman Robert Miguel, Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland, Maricopa Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Tracey Lopeman, and other local government leaders from around the region for a transportation summit. It was an opportunity for City leaders to lay out their vision for the future and have their needs heard.

The presentation focused on four key projects affecting Maricopa:

Map highlighting the Maricopa region in Arizona with a red boundary. Key highways, including 347 and I-10, are marked, connecting nearby cities.

State Route 347

The State just completed a scoping study that proposes to widen the existing roadways to six lanes, three in each direction.
Includes safety improvements and traffic mitigations.
Proposes to reconstruct interchange at I-10 to become a diverging diamond.

Map showing the area between Chandler and Casa Grande, Arizona. A red outlined section indicates the Maricopa (Ak-Chin) Indian Reservation, intersected by a blue line. Major roads I-10 and I-8 are visible.

The East/West Corridor (also known as Sonoran Desert Parkway)

The corridor will provide Maricopa residents with a new way in/out of town and connect West Pinal County to East Pinal County.
Provides connection to I-10 with a new interchange at Val Vista.
First Phase will begin construction this spring.

Map showing a section of Arizona with highways I-10 and I-8, and cities like Casa Grande and Chandler. Highlighted area circled near Maricopa.

Green Road Connector Bypass

Provides a new access point to State Route 238 which is one of Maricopa’s major roads.
Would diminish traffic on SR 347.
Serves an area with tremendous economic development potential.

Map showing highways around Phoenix, Arizona. Key routes include I-10 and I-11. The Gila River Indian Reservation is outlined in red near Casa Grande.

Interstate 11

Would provide alternate route to Mountain West and connection to existing I-11 in Nevada.
Could serve as bypass to Phoenix for trucks, thereby reducing congestion, emissions, and accidents for local traffic.
Further studies and evaluations must take place before construction could be considered.

While all four projects are important to the City's future, Mayor Price was adamant during the presentation that addressing State Route 347 is the top priority.

"This was a chance for us to reiterate to one of our Senators the importance of getting federal funding to address and improve the 347."- Mayor Christian Price

Sen. Sinema acknowledged the importance of expanding the highway. She also took the opportunity to impress on the group her commitment to ensuring that Arizona gets its fair share of the recently passed federal infrastructure law.