Maricopa leaders press state for full SR 347 widening; Riggs Road overpass funding moved earlier

Mayor Smith and other Maricopa officials urged state transportation authorities this month to accelerate the full widening and intersection improvements of State Route 347, saying the project has moved into the state five‑year planning discussion and requires sustained local advocacy.

At a Feb. 18 City Council meeting, Mayor Smith described the Feb. 6 State Transportation Board work session and said, “the one project out of all of the projects that they actually had a slide for was 347. We were the only project that was talked about in detail.” She said that attention was the result of an organized local push and frequent constituent contact with state officials.

The council and staff framed the issue around two linked efforts: (1) passage of SB 1617, which would move state funding for the Riggs Road/State Route 347 overpass from fiscal 2028 into fiscal 2026, and (2) local and regional lobbying to secure inclusion of the full SR 347 widening in ADOT’s five‑year plan. Mayor Smith told the council she and residents signed in to speak before the Senate Appropriations Committee in support of SB 1617.

Council members and staff described coordinated outreach: the city’s 347facts.com and a voter/constituent letter tool at 347fax.com. Mayor Smith said about 80 people recently emailed senators in a matter of days, and she later said the total resident contacts using 347fax.com exceeded 1,100. She told the council an appropriations committee voted 8–1 in favor of moving the funding schedule for the Riggs Road project.

Council members tied the SR 347 work to regional planning and the half‑cent Maricopa County sales tax measure, which could fund additional lanes in later phases. Councilmember Manfredi said the city will press MAG (Maricopa Association of Governments) to include SR 347 improvements in an earlier phase so planning and right‑of‑way work can proceed sooner.

Why it matters: Council members described SR 347 as central to countywide traffic planning and to Maricopa’s future growth. They urged residents to follow posted facts for timing and to participate in outreach. Mayor Smith and councilmembers said continued visibility in front of the State Transportation Board and sustained constituent letters are helping the city’s case.

What’s next: City leaders said they will take another delegation to the State Transportation Board meeting later this month and that councilmembers planned further advocacy at MAG and the state legislature.