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County-led Hunt Highway widening to begin in Florence; town to buy additional right-of-way
Summary
County staff told the Florence Town Council the town’s portion of the Hunt Highway widening (Franklin to Magic Ranch) will proceed pending right-of-way acquisitions; town paid $1.782 million for state land and counsel is negotiating ALA property acquisition that the town may have to fund.
Lindsay Randall told the Florence Town Council on March 3 that the County’s Hunt Highway widening project will include a first phase inside Florence from Franklin Road to the Magic Ranch entrance and that the town has already purchased 19.587 acres of state land for $1,782,000.
The County’s design work — done through TY Lin — included a design estimate of $825,000, of which the town paid 25 percent, Randall said. A June 28, 2024 90%-phase construction estimate for the town portion was $5,221,000, but Randall cautioned that figure may change because the project timeline slipped and right-of-way negotiations remain incomplete.
Council members pressed for clarity about who will pay for additional right-of-way around the ALA parcel at Franklin and Hunt Highway. “Is that our expense or the county’s?” Vice Mayor Adam asked. Randall replied that acquiring the ALA parcel would be the town’s expense and that Panal County has begun an appraisal, which she estimated would take about six weeks. “We don’t have the ultimate right-of-way that we need for this project,” Randall said.
Council members said they are concerned about safety where the road passes a school. “When that school is about to open … there has to be something we can do so this cost doesn’t impact us that much,” Council Member Buchelato said, noting a past head-on crash near the site in which a probation officer was killed. Council members offered to meet with the ALA and other stakeholders to seek solutions that might reduce the town’s out-of-pocket costs.
Randall also described several project dependencies: negotiations with the Hila River Indian Community, a Union Pacific Railroad crossing agreement, and right-of-way alignments outside the town limits. She said Panal County may use job-order-contract contractors to avoid a full bid process and hopes to start the County’s adjacent phase in June or July with an eight-month timeline for that portion.
Why it matters: The widening is intended to improve safety and traffic flow on a growing corridor that serves schools and residential developments. The council’s decision to absorb certain right-of-way costs will affect the town budget and may prompt further negotiations with the school/landowner and the county. The county will post proposed amendments to the intergovernmental agreement to include construction work once right-of-way is resolved.
What’s next: Panal County’s appraisal of the ALA parcel, any negotiated agreement or purchase by the town, and the county’s decision on contractor procurement will determine when construction begins and how much the town ultimately pays. Council members asked staff to gather contact information for ALA and to pursue a joint meeting with the county and the parcel owner.
