The Arizona Department of Transportation has officially delivered a grant application through the Federal Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act for an added $300M to supplement the $400M state appropriation signed into law by Governor Doug Ducey earlier this month. That commitment of state dollars made ADOT eligible to apply for the federal competitive grant.
There is also $290M previously budgeted, for a potential project total of $990M. Construction is funded in part by Prop. 400, a dedicated half-cent sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004.
ADOT is collaborating closely with the Gila River Indian Community and Maricopa Association of Governments on the I-10 project, and the ADOT application has also gained the vital support of the Arizona congressional delegation, state legislators, and local and regional elected officials. Additionally, more than 50 letters of support have been received from multiple chambers of commerce, trade associations as well as large and small businesses.
The grant award announcement is expected sometime this fall. In the interim, an engineering and environmental study for the project is currently being completed in cooperation with GRIC and MAG. Additionally, a public hearing for the project is planned in late summer.
Following completion of required environmental review and clearance, the project is expected to start in 2023, beginning with expanding the bridges that carry traffic over the Gila River. Should the federal money not be awarded to the state, ADOT will have contingencies prepared to maximize the use of available dollars for lane expansion.
Target completion date for the full project is sometime in 2026.