MAG study recommends four-lane Pima Road, roundabout at Cave Creek Road; Carefree faces multimillion-dollar share

The Maricopa Association of Governments presented the final Pima Road corridor study to the Carefree Town Council on Oct. 7, recommending a four‑lane divided roadway through the town with a shared‑use path on the east side and a roundabout at the Pima Road–Cave Creek Road intersection.

The study matters because the corridor — the last 4.1‑mile section of Pima Road not previously updated — will serve future development and currently has a history of collisions. "This is the last section of Pima Road that has not been updated or new improvements made to it," Tim Stroh, MAG major projects manager, told the council, noting the study modeled traffic and safety outcomes through 2035 and 2050.

MAG, which paid for the study, presented alternatives and public feedback collected at two public meetings and online surveys. The study team recommended a four‑lane divided cross section (two lanes each direction) with a raised median, bike lanes and a shared‑use path in many areas; at some constrained locations the median and sidewalk alignment could be narrowed to avoid impacts. For the Cave Creek Road intersection,…