By Arizona Department of Transportation
Governor Doug Ducey today announced $230M in new transportation infrastructure investments that will enhance highway safety and meet the demand of new residents moving to Arizona.
The funding comes from transportation dollars, including higher than anticipated revenue amid Arizona’s strong economic recovery, and federal COVID-relief funds.
The projects include:
- $33M to rebuild and widen the Gila River Bridge on Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson, paving the way for a full expansion of I-10 between the two cities;
- $41M to widen U.S. Route 93 north of Wickenburg;
- $40M to add capacity to Interstate 17 north of metro Phoenix; and
- $117M to improve more than 600 highway lane-miles across the state.
The funding plan is in partnership with the Arizona Department of Transportation and follows formal action by ADOT’s Priority Planning Advisory Committee. The proposal now will go before the State Transportation Board for consideration.
The I-10 Gila River Bridge is the first step in completing the widening of a key commerce corridor between Phoenix and Tucson. The project will rebuild and widen the I-10 bridge to three lanes in each direction over the Gila River and open opportunities to further widen I-10 in both directions. That project will start construction in 2022.
Road improvements will address rough conditions on more than 600 lane-miles of highways around the state, with nearly 400 of those lane-miles located in rural counties. These 19 projects are expected to be complete in 2022 and will reduce long-term maintenance costs and enhance safety.
The projects will be funded with $150.3M of COVID-19 relief monies allocated to the state and $80M in state transportation funds, including revenue that exceeded earlier revenue projections. As part of the plan, Maricopa County and Pima County regions will receive $31.3M for transportation investments through the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Act.
Arizona’s population grew by nearly 120,700 people from July 2018 to July 2019, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released in December 2019.
Funding from the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Act is part of a $900B stimulus plan approved by Congress in 2020. (Source)
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