ADOT to hold public hearing in Gilbert on Arizona construction projects program

PHOENIX – A public hearing will be held Friday by the Arizona Department of Transportation on the agency’s recommended statewide program of construction projects for the next five years.

The event is in-person and virtual and is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. at the town of Gilbert Municipal Building Council Chambers, 50 E. Civic Center Drive. Requests for online comment will be accepted until 8 a.m. Friday.

According to ADOT, the 2024-2028 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program is a more than $9 billion program that will invest $3.6 billion in Arizona pavement and bridge preservation projects. Highway widening and interchange improvement projects are also a part of the program.

This includes the widening of Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Casa Grande with $851 million programmed for the corridor, according to ADOT.

The agency said the I-10 widening project can advance through ADOT’s partnership with the Maricopa Association of Governments, which has committed some of the funds for the improvements.

An additional $89 million was approved by Gov. Katie Hobbs and the state legislature as part of the next fiscal year’s budget.

Other projects include:

• Constructing the I-40/US 93 West Kingman interchange. The program includes a total of $160 million for construction in 2024.
• Widening and improving US 93 between Wickenburg and I-40 in Kingman, including expanding three segments of the highway from two to four lanes. The US 93 improvements total $263.9 million and include widening projects near Cane Springs in 2024-2026, near Wickenburg in 2025-2026 and near Big Jim Wash in 2025-2027.
• Widening the last two-lane section of State Route 260 in the Lion Springs area. The program includes approximately $113 million. Construction is in 2026-2027 and would complete a four-lane divided highway along the entire SR 260 corridor.
• Conducting $40 million in paving repairs statewide.

ADOT’s program was developed by working with local governments and regional transportation planning organizations to prioritize projects that are ready to build or design.

Funding for the program is generated by users of transportation services, primarily through gas and diesel taxes, and the vehicle license tax. Maricopa and Pima County regions have independent revenue streams established through voter-approved sales tax increases which will allow more expansion projects to happen.

Public comments for the program ends at 5 p.m. on June 1. The State Transportation Board is expected to consider formal action on the program at its June 16 meeting, ADOT said.