Published on September 07, 2022
Over its nearly two-decade existence, the City of Maricopa has not controlled maintenance and access over its major roadways. This is not uncommon for young cities as they often develop along major roadways or corridors. But as cities mature, it becomes imperative that they are able to shape their own destiny and make decisions at the local level that will be of the greatest benefit to its residents. During Tuesday's City Council Meeting, Council discussed a process by which the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) would transfer responsibility for maintaining portions of two major thoroughfares, SR-347 and SR-238 within City limits, over to the City of Maricopa. Over the coming weeks, these agreements will move through the formal approval process. If ultimately approved, the City would assume responsibility for maintaining these roadways. This agreement has the potential to significantly alleviate the permitting process for economic development projects along those roadways. It also gives the City control over the ease of access, design of intersections, signage standards, and traffic signal operations. In general, this move will make future development along these corridors easier and give the City a say into how this development unfolds. "This is an important turning point for the city of Maricopa. This allows us to gain control over critical elements such as the timing of the traffic lights and the maintenance of the streets,"said Vice Mayor Manfredi. To be clear, these tentative arrangements do not give the City control of the full length of these roadways, including the section of SR-347 that runs through the Gila River Indian Reservation. The City will continue to work with ADOT, its tribal partners, and all other appropriate jurisdictions to design a solution that adds additional capacity on SR-347 between Maricopa and I-10. ADOT will also still be responsible for the planned widening of SR-347 north of Smith-Enke to the City Limits, which is recently underway for engineering design and is planned for construction next year. Once that project is complete, this final stretch of roadway will be given to the City of Maricopa. The map illustrates the limits of the turnover.