Public comment begins for Tentative Five-Year Construction Program

ADOT's proposed 2027-2031 focus: upgrading pavement and improving major corridors

PHOENIX - The Arizona Department of Transportation is targeting pavement improvements and expanding several key highways in the $9.85 billion Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program for 2027-2031. The agency's recommended plan, which encompasses the projects that ADOT intends to design and construct over the next five years, is currently available for public comment until May 22.

The tentative five-year program allocates $4.1 billion for projects throughout Greater Arizona, which encompasses areas outside of Maricopa and Pima counties. This includes:

• $2.7 billion to preserve, rehabilitate, and replace pavement and bridges
• $431 million to expand capacity
• $939 million to improve highway safety, efficiency and functionality, including includes intersection improvements, updates to ports of entry and rest areas, smart technologies, and adding signals, signs and shoulders

The tentative program is available for review and comment at azdot.gov/tentative5year. ADOT welcomes feedback via an online form available at azdot.gov/5yearcomments, by email at [email protected], by phone at 855.712.8530 and by mail at ADOT Communications, 1655 W. Jackson St., Room 179, MD 126F, Phoenix, AZ 85007.

Comments also may be made in person and virtually at a public hearing of the Arizona State Transportation Board scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, May 15, in Cameron. Meeting information can be found at aztransportationboard.gov.

To more easily locate projects, ADOT has developed a searchable project dashboard that allows the public to look for projects by highway number, project name or other identifying features. The database is available at azdot.gov/5yeardashboard.

The public comment period for the 2027-2031 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program ends at 5 p.m. Friday, May 22. The State Transportation Board is expected to consider formal action on the final program at its June 19 meeting.

The tentative five-year program allocates $431 million for projects that increase the capacity or extent of highways throughout Greater Arizona, specifically including:

• $83 million to widen SR 260 east of Payson, known as the Lion Springs segment
• $82 million to widen US 93 at Big Jim Wash between Wickenburg and Wikieup
• $86 million to widen SR 347 south of Phoenix in Pinal County

In Maricopa County, the tentative plan allocates $2.04 billion for projects planned in conjunction with the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG). This funding will be supplemented with funds from Proposition 479, which voters approved in 2024. Individual projects have not been identified so far, as MAG is currently engaged in the process of generating new revenue projections, updating project cost estimates, establishing specific project sequencing, and considering project modifications for its plan later this spring or summer.

In Pima County, the plan allocates $615 million for projects in collaboration with the Pima Association of Governments (PAG). PAG is presently undertaking RTA Next, a ballot initiative aimed at extending an existing half-cent sales tax that is due to expire. Following the election, PAG will generate new revenue forecasts, update estimated project costs, establish project sequencing, and consider project modifications to update PAG's Transportation Improvement Program. The updates are anticipated in late spring or summer.

The five-year program also includes $178 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.

Funding for the overall statewide Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program comes from federal and state dollars, in addition to money generated by users of transportation services in Arizona, primarily through gasoline and diesel fuel taxes, the Arizona vehicle license tax and various aviation taxes. Both the Maricopa and Pima county regions have dedicated, voter-approved sales taxes for transportation that fund expansion projects.

ADOT's five-year program is developed from a compilation of regional allocations from the State Transportation Board, along with funding streams that include federal grants, legislative appropriations and contributions from local governments. It is the result of working closely with local governments, regional transportation planning organizations and tribal partners to prioritize projects that are ready to build or design