Funding for Pedestrian Bridge Takes Important Step Forward

Published on May 24, 2022

The City of Maricopa just scored a major win! Congress is taking up the request for $2,700,000 to help build a pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks along SR 347.

This is a profound step forward for the residents of Maricopa. Congressman O’Halleran received more than 150 requests this year to fund projects in his district. Of those, he was allowed just 15 to relay to Congress and chose from among them Maricopa’s request, prioritizing the needs of Maricopa residents. There is still work to be done before it ultimately goes to the President for his signature, but the City is very encouraged to reach this point.

The City is revitalizing its historic downtown, known as the Heritage District, with multi-use paths, beautified streets, additional streetlighting, and safety improvements. The pedestrian bridge, just north of Maricopa High School, would add to these efforts by connecting both sides of the railroad tracks, adding character and spurring further redevelopment in the area. The bridge also represents a significant safety improvement that would help protect students and other pedestrians who must otherwise make a half-mile detour over the John Wayne Parkway bridge – a detour forcing them to interact with nearly 60,000 vehicles per day.

“Maricopa is quickly becoming a destination city. We envision residents one day being able to ride a bike from the world-class PHX Surf park to the bustling shops at Maricopa Station and all that will surround it. This bridge gets us closer to reaching that goal.”- Benjamin Bitter, Deputy City Manager

The proposed location is just West of the John Wayne Parkway (SR 347) overpass, providing a connection between two ends of North Maricopa Rd. It will include an elevator to allow for bicycle access and be fully ADA compliant.