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While much of the recent buzz at City Hall has involved a push to find funding for a grade separation at John Wayne Parkway and the Union Pacific Railroad, it may be another intersection that gets first attention.

The city of Maricopa has put out a request for bid for a major investment study at the intersection of White and Parker Road and the Union Pacific Railroad.

“Depending on available funding, this could be the first grade separation in Maricopa,” said Development Services Director Brent Billingsley.

The study, which Billingsley said could take a year to complete, will outline the costs, design parameters, environmental constraints and needed right-of-way for a grade separation at the intersection.

“This is a major study,” Billingsley said.

The intersection was identified as a possible location for a grade separation and later approved by council through a Maricopa/Casa Grande Highway assessment in 2006 that analyzed traffic and developed alternatives to meet the transportation needs of the public.

The city's conversations with railroad representatives revealed that Union Pacific prefers that the city construct a roadway over the rail line as opposed to lifting the track or taking the road under the track.

The city has no funding written into its current five-year capital improvement plan for the construction of a grade separation, though it does have a scheduled $40 million for the project in 2014-2028.

However, money in a CIP past five years is typically not guaranteed in any manner. To fund the study, the city has $1.5 million available through an agreement that was struck with Union Pacific nearly a year and a half ago.

The agreement is a 25-year commitment that calls for Union Pacific to allocate $35 million dollars towards the funding of grade separation in Maricopa, Casa Grande and Eloy.

“I don’t know what to expect in terms of the cost of the study, but I hope we can get it done for less than the $1.5 million,” Billingsley said.

In exchange for the money, the three cities signed off to approve the railroad's double-track project, which will double the number of trains running through Maricopa each day.

The bid proposal for the project will close Nov. 23, and a city-staff consultant recommendation for the project will be made to council.

File photo

• I don't understand what this is supposed to do/solve, the next paved road is Peters & Nall, what is that going to do for the residents?? (Tempting Fait1)
• Seriously??? White and Parker...south of the Casa Grande Highway.....can we spend money on something more ridiculous??...oh wait, yes, we have....an airport. (Jerseygirl)
• I can submit a bid for $1....My study will be called "Stupid Idea"...my reccomendation..."Forget-a-bout-it!! Jackasses". (Jerseygirl)
• Y'all need to get a map. (ChimneyDuck)
• White and Parker??? Common the agreement should have been for Union Pacific to build the separation for 347. Another prime example how city officials have no clue what they are doing. Lets get a new council and mayor in office who will clean up this mess and get the city on the RIGHT TRACK! (copatruth)
• Also the only thing south on White and Parker is the feed lot (which I hear is moving) and the Nissan track. Guess the city wants to allow the drug smugglers and coyotes a direct rout and not be held up by the train. Thanks City Officials!!! (copatruth)
• Are the cows really going to be moved?? Anybody know for sure? (ladyNcopa)
• Look at agenda item 9.13. This "study" will directly benefit the same developer who has massive tracts of land in the Santa Cruz Flood Plain. This overpass will make the rich even richer while the rest of the town continues to hurt at the single most congestion point in town. (Duke Nukem)
• Rediculous. The article last week regarding the addition of tracks at 347 said that they would be able to double their capacity of trains (40 to 80 if i remember right.) This needs to be the focus of attention, not out in the middle of nowhere. Use it where it will benefit the most residents, its not rocket science. (cptpizza)
• This is insane. With the addition of more tracks, more train traffic is going to clog state highway 347. But they want to improve an intersection that few people use. City government seems hell-bent on getting themselves run out of office. (red_dawn)
• Ah, but this way city management can exclaim they built an overpass... just not the one people want. A W&P overpass would be more cost efficient, and would at least provide a bypass, albeit an out-of-the-way one to JWP. I think Duke Nukem is onto something though... this new overpass would significantly benefit the developers of the SC floodplain. Mighty convenient, eh? (OldTownCopa)
• also dont forget whos mothers restraunt would be in the way of a 347 over pass. (carbondo)
• In situations like this is when all the "good intentioned" candidates will fail. If you have never been exposed to IGA's, the red tape and burucracy Mr "good intentions" you are done. (Bachue)
• Please stop and think about all the screw-ups concerning all real estate deals done by the city. Number 1 paying 1millions dollars of your tax money for the Peed Property too this day still sits unused. Next is the 146 acre deal bought and paid for in an unbelieveable cost to make right. Ask your city fathers to show the real numbers on land they purchased, you got scammed folks. Enjoy (mrwonderful)
• Okay folks...enough is enough. How the hell-0 do we get the jackasses out of office. Can we have a "citizens" meeting somewhere and come up with a plan? (meadowland)
• And they wonder why everyone is moving out of the city, with no one new coming in. (htbeaudet)
• Seems that a few landowners get preferential treatment over 34,000 residents......... (cholo bandito)
• I agree with Mr. Wonderful. As for the poster who wants to remove everyone, it's called a re-call election. You get signatures of who you want out and a special election is held. The city of Surprise has a good reputation for recalling failing councilmen. I am sure you can use their methods as a model. (Duke Nukem)
• Okay folks...enough is enough. How the hell-0 do we get the jackasses out of office. Can we have a "citizens" meeting somewhere and come up with a plan? (meadowland). Well the next regular election is in March. But, I agree THIS City Council needs to be changed. (LeonPotter)