Arizona's State Transportation Board announced that it approved the 2027-2031 Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program, which emphasizes pavement and bridge improvements and expanding several key highways.
Approved at the board's meeting Friday, June 19, in Nogales, the 2027-2031 Five-Year Transportation Facilities Program covers $11.3 billion in work.
For Greater Arizona, which encompasses areas beyond Maricopa and Pima counties, the construction program emphasizes improving highway pavement and bridge infrastructure. These projects will improve highway safety, efficiency and functionality, such as intersection improvements, updates to ports of entry and rest areas, smart technologies and new signals, signs and shoulders.
The five-year program features several projects that increase the capacity or expansion of highways throughout Greater Arizona, including:
widening State Route 260 east of Payson, known as the Lion Springs segment;
• widening U.S. 93 at Big Jim Wash between Wickenburg and Wikieup;
• constructing the James Ranch Road between State Route 80 and the new Douglas Land Port of Entry; and
• improving Interstate 17 from Dugas Road at milepost 269 to milepost 275.
In Maricopa County, the five-year program lists projects planned in conjunction with the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), including:
• beginning construction of the center segment of State Route 30, which runs from Loop 303 to Loop 202 (South Mountain Freeway);
• widening and making other improvements to the Mini-Stack Interchange east of downtown Phoenix at Interstate 10/Loop 202/State Route 51;
• and widening U.S. 60 between Ellsworth and Meridian roads.
In Pima County, the five-year program lists projects planned in conjunction with the Pima Association of Governments (PAG), including:
widening I-10 from Alvernon Way to Valencia Road and building ramps for the connection of future State Route 210 to I-10; and
• improving the I-10 interchanges at Park Avenue and Sixth Avenue
Both the Maricopa and Pima county regions have dedicated, voter-approved sales taxes for transportation that fund projects.
In Maricopa County, funding comes from Proposition 479, a half-cent sales tax for regional transportation projects that voters approved in 2024. In Pima County, funding comes from RTA Next, a ballot initiative voters approved in March to extend an existing half-cent sales tax for regional transportation projects.
The five-year program also includes $186.1 million for the Airport Capital Improvement Program, which provides funding in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration for projects to design and construct safety, security and capacity enhancements; prepare various plans and studies; and fund improvements at the Grand Canyon Airport, which ADOT operates.
