Renovated section of State Route 347 in Maricopa opens

PHOENIX — Motorists and pedestrians in Maricopa now have a new overpass to use along State Route 347.

The Arizona Department of Transportation announced on Monday that a bridge built over train tracks designed to alleviate traffic was fully renovated, according to a release.

Prior to the installment, dozens of trains halted traffic each day.

The renovated stretch of highway is located between Hathaway Avenue on the north and Desert Cedars Drive on the south.

SR 347 averages more than 31,000 vehicles per day currently and is expected to reach an average of 60,000 per day by 2040 as Maricopa quickly expands.

The new highway currently has two lanes open, but it will expand to three when construction is finished.

The $55 million project was partially funded by a federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant. Maricopa contributed about $14 million to the project.

The project is about 80% complete and is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

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