What's Next for SR347 After Prop 469 - A Message from Mayor Smith

Published on November 17, 2022

A long, empty highway stretches under a clear blue sky, flanked by flat, arid desert and distant mountains, conveying a sense of solitude and vastness.

We all know of the challenges with SR347 and we had hoped that on Election Day voters would approve funding to pay for many of the fixes to the road. Although it is unlikely that Prop. 469 will receive enough votes to pass, Maricopa voters were definitely the shining stars in the election as we led the rest of the county with 60+% votes in favor of Prop. 469! So, what’s next?

First, we want you to know that we (Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council Members and City Staff) won’t EVER give up on improvements for SR347! Maricopa has GRIT and we can find a way. It’s a big challenge, but when you have GRIT, you can get there. Some way, somehow!

Second, there are still several irons in the fire that will help with traffic on SR347.

Riggs Rd. Overpass - Improvements will happen in segments. I believe the first segment will be the Riggs Rd. overpass. ADOT continues its stakeholder meetings in preparation for this new amenity. They are actively moving forward on the design and associated steps to get improvements to the bridge built, even if the process does take longer than we would hope. The great news is that there is a current schedule. This timeline moves the project from Environmental Study and Design/Engineering through public hearings and final environmental clearance in Nov. 2023, with the public bid process and construction to begin in 2024. It’s also important to note the funding for this segment has already been acquired.

Queen Creek - I-10 Overpass - these improvements are still planned. ADOT recently completed its initial design concept report and public hearings on the project, preparatory for moving to final design and then construction of the improvements (see image below, from ADOT’s website). The overpass is part of the $990 million project to widen I-10, and is contingent upon the State receiving a $300 million grant from the federal government. $640 million is already set aside (at the state level) for this project. The Queen Creek Road/SR347 interchange will likely be one of the first improvements made as part of this effort, as funding for this was included in Prop. 400, which was approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004.

Flowchart of project phases: Scoping, Developments, Study/Design, Final Report, Design/Right-of-Way, and Construction. Arrow marks current phase at

Figure 1. Current Timeline for I-10 Widening

Maricopa County Segment of SR347 - The Maricopa Association of Governments is also seeking approval from the State Legislature to pursue additional funds from Maricopa County voters to improve SR347 (as well as other projects in Maricopa County). If permitted by the Legislature and approved by voters, additional dollars would become available to advance the widening of SR347 in Maricopa County up to the Pinal County line (south of the Riggs Road intersection).

Third, we continue to seek an adequate solution that would allow for a distribution of the first round of Pinal County Regional Transportation Fund dollars that were collected as a result of the passage of Prop. 417 in 2017. There are two strategies being worked on by separate groups to acquire the $87+ million collected from taxpayers by Prop. 417 over the past five years. One alternative is being worked with our legislators to create a bill that will redirect those funds to transportation projects in Pinal County. That seems extremely fair, considering it was our residents that paid the tax. Another alternative is being worked by leaders in our county to allow businesses to receive a refund of the Prop. 417 collections that they submitted to the State, and then donate these refunds to benefit the transportation projects outlined in the Pinal County Regional Transportation Plan. The City will remain actively involved in the Pinal Regional Transportation Authority, and will explore additional options for a new plan and funding measure that will provide the opportunity for roadway improvements to move forward in Pinal County.

Additionally, it is important to recognize that improvements come in many forms. While the responsibility for enforcement along this roadway is not ours, as your Mayor, I want to give focused attention to other measures that will help us get home safely. In my 100-Day Plan, I outlined a plan to initiate a SR347 Influencers Group, who will help me spread the importance of SR347 improvements to ADOT, DPS and other involved government entities. This group has done an amazing job already, but we have lots of work to do. Our areas of concentration for possible safety improvements include:

Increasing patrolling on SR347.
Ticketing during these patrols for the serious offenders is critical. (We need DPS to deliver the message to drivers that this can be a matter of life and death).
Encouraging DPS to provide additional help to move traffic at rerouted intersections (such as Casa Blanca) after an incident had closed the road.
Develop crossover opportunities along SR347. These crossovers would be controlled/opened by ADOT during times of extended closures to allow traffic to safely reroute.
Faster cleanup of traffic collisions to mitigate closures is essential for emergency safety and those who are stuck on the road after an incident. I understand time is needed, especially in the case of a fatality, to document the scene and recover evidence. But with available technology, and the impact that a closed or blocked roadway has on our community, we need our law enforcement partners who patrol this critical thoroughfare to explore better options.
Adding a middle concrete barrier (safety).
Extending the length of the staging lanes at Queen Creek-I-10 overpass
Adding lighting or quality reflectors to improve vision at night
Considering trucks in right lane only (except to pass)
Adding new signage
- Regarding unlawful camping in the left lane. This will educate as well as provide solid legal opportunities to pull over drivers who are illegally driving in the left lane.
- A campaign billboard that would help to educate drivers.
- Advanced signage for those drivers who have not entered into the closed road, which could safely alert them to reroute.
- Adding signage, with flashing lights, stating that SR347 is a “High Accident Road”.

While all of these options combined may not be feasible, we want to initiate the conversation with partnering agencies over which can be accomplished at greatest benefit to public safety.

Finally, the City will continue seeking alternate routes into, through, and around the City of Maricopa, which would help alleviate traffic and congestion from SR347. These could include bypass routes for non-local or truck traffic, alternate access points to I-10, and the continued construction of the Sonoran Desert Parkway. With a continued focus on Economic Development directed at attracting businesses that can offer high paying jobs, fewer drivers will rely on SR347 for commutes and consumer needs.

The support and involvement of our government partners is imperative. Our residents also play a vital role in communicating these needs to our County, State and Federal elected officials and government entities.

Regardless of the outcome of Prop. 469, I hope this information demonstrates our firm resolve to continue moving forward with improvements on SR347 so that we can effectively manage the city’s growth. The GRIT of Maricopa is alive and well!

Sincerely,

Mayor Nancy Smith