ADOT seeks public input on Riggs Road-SR 347 interchange as part of new study

Phoenix-area transportation upgrades are in limbo. Here’s why

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The Arizona Department of Transportation is welcoming feedback on ways to improve traffic flow and safety on the Riggs Road interchange at State Route 347 as part of a new study. “ADOT, in partnership with the Gila River Indian Community, Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), and in coordination with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, has initiated a study for a proposed traffic interchange at Riggs Road and State Route (SR) 347 to address traffic congestion and safety,” the department said in an announcement on Monday. This study, according to ADOT, will follow a prior study done by MAG on the SR 347 Corridor which found that a separation between it and Riggs Road traffic on a new bridge was necessary. Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning. It will also work to evaluate a slew of different interchange alternatives for the new bridge and take a number of various factors into consideration: Estimated construction costEngineering considerationsMinimizing right-of-way, allottee lands, environmental/utility impacts (including the Gila River Indian Community Utility Authority substation)Gila River Indian Community, agency and public inputReduce impacts to traffic during constructionFuture community plans for developmentFuture 2050 traffic operations “The study will include a Design Concept Report with a conceptual design for the Recommended Build Alternative for evaluation and decision-making. The study team will identify and evaluate environmental impacts of a Recommended Build Alternative for the interchange and any mitigation, and compare those to a No Build Alternative, which represents the existing transportation system with ongoing maintenance,” ADOT said. According to data from the MAG Transportation Data Management System, almost 44,000 people drive SR 347 at Riggs Road daily, with more than 4,200 traversing the interchange. The intersection has had its fair share of safety concerns, so much so that two years ago, it prompted a visit from U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to hear local pleas for help in regard to the roadway. Proposition 400: Transportation, highway upgrades in limbo as Arizona lawmakers debate measure According to inMaricopa, SR 347 had over 300 accidents occur in 2019, with 57 of them happening near the Riggs Road intersection and nine people dying between 2019 and 2021. As for a timeline, the department anticipates the study to run through summer 2025, where if a new build is chosen, the project will likely advertise for construction in late 2025. The public input portion, however, will only occur during the current scoping phase of the study, through June 30. Those that would like to give their two cents can reach the Department of Transportation in a number of ways: This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ADOT seeks public input on Riggs Road-SR 347 interchange as part of new study