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Council discusses long‑planned Military Road southern bypass, rights‑of‑way and safety trade‑offs
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Summary
Council and staff reviewed a decades‑old concept for a Military Road southern bypass to provide an east–west alternative to Cave Creek Road. Staff said the route shows in a 2007 plan; acquiring rights‑of‑way could affect roughly 10–30 parcels and will require public outreach and careful phasing.
During the CIP discussion, council and staff turned to a long‑standing transportation idea: a Military Road southern bypass that would connect Schoolhouse/Military Road to Cave Creek Road via a missing segment through the Piedras Grande area.
Staff explained the alignment appears in a 2007 transportation plan and said the town is negotiating with landowners in the Piedras Grande parcels to secure a right‑of‑way. “This actually showed up in a 2007 transportation plan that we did,” the staff speaker said, describing the route and noting staff hopes to obtain right‑of‑way in the next several years.
Council members sought details about how the bypass would start and end, how many properties would be affected and whether Carefree or other neighboring jurisdictions had positions on the project. Staff estimated the new right‑of‑way itself would likely affect roughly 10 parcels on Skyline and that if the project also shifted traffic patterns on Military Road the number of properties directly affected could increase to about 30.
Supporters said a southern bypass would improve emergency access and provide a secondary route if Cave Creek Road is blocked. One council member called the project a safety priority: “Because, if something happens on Cave Creek Road, … having a southern bypass … is very lightly traveled, but it is there,” the staff presenter said, explaining that a southern connection was given higher priority in the earlier study.
Opponents and other council members stressed the need for robust public information and cautioned that new connections will change traffic patterns and could shift congestion to other intersections. Staff said the town intends to conduct public outreach and negotiations with landowners before committing to construction and that the right‑of‑way acquisition could take 12–18 months in some cases.
Council did not vote on the bypass; members asked staff to keep the alignment and rights‑of‑way status on the CIP list and to bring back more detailed plans and community engagement plans when they are available.
