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By Mila Besich Lira
Superior Sun
Last week the Arizona Department of Transportation held a public meeting to discuss and share the plans for the upcoming expansion of Highway 60 through Superior. The project has been on the drawing board for at least a decade and this past Summer community leaders, business owners and residents lobbied the State Transportation Board to keep the project on the drawing board. The $45 million dollar project was slated for the chopping block due to declining transportation revenues.
In June the State Transportation Board met and voted to keep the US 60 expansion project on the transportation plan. ADOT officials explained at the meeting that construction of the four lanes from the Arboretum through Superior will begin in July 2014.
Initially residents will not see much construction. The first months of the project will be used for contract bidding and scoping. Actual construction will begin in December of 2014.
Several business owners and community advocates commented on ADOT’s plans to add a raised median between the lanes. Business owners on the highway expressed concern that the medians will restrict access to their businesses and will force visitors to just keep going if the business they wanted to patronize is on the other side of the street.
A potential plan to build a new Circle K where the current RV Park is located has several others concerned about the limited availability to make left hand turns. The current plans presented by ADOT will force right turns only at Belmont and local drivers will not be able to cross the highway at Belmont. The only streets where residents will be able to cross the highway or turn both left and right will be Church St. and Western Ave. ADOT officials contend that the raised medians wont hurt local business, and will help to create safe access to the business.
You can learn more about the ADOT US 60 Expansion on the ADOT website at: http://bit.ly/18QQIYw.
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