Arizona DOT gets federal OK on environmental assessment for grade separation
Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
Arizona Department of Transportation
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), in partnership with the city of Maricopa, Union Pacific and the Federal Highway Administration, has received federal approval for the proposed bridge project on State Route 347 over the railroad crossing, clearing the way for the project to move forward when funding is available.
On March 18, 2015, the Federal Highway Administration issued a Finding of No Significant Impact after reviewing the Final Environmental Assessment.
This grants the final approval necessary for ADOT to begin the process of acquiring right-of-way, completing the design and beginning construction when funding is available.
The estimated $55-million project is intended to alleviate traffic backups at the Union Pacific crossing in Pinal County by replacing the existing at-grade intersection with an overpass on SR 347, which is the only direct route between the city of Maricopa and metro Phoenix, so vehicle and train traffic do not impede one another.
More than 40 trains run daily through the middle of Maricopa, future plans call for more than 100 trains.
In June 2014, the project was added to ADOT’s Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program, including $18.8 million for design and right-of-way acquisition and $36.2 million for construction in fiscal year 2020.
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