Grant would fund expansion of MCG highway stretch

The Maricopa Public Works Department has applied for a $2 million grant to fund a 1.2-mile expansion of Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway.

The highway shrinks from four to two lanes east of Porter Road. With the population and traffic growing in the area, an expansion of the road is needed. However, the city would need financial assistance to make it happen.

“The $2 million would help us design and fund the project,” Public Works Director Bill Fay said. “The plan is to expand the highway from the intersection at Porter, going east, to the intersection at White and Parker Road.”

The grant would provide up to $2 million from the Pinal County Surface Transportation Program. However, the city would have a matching requirement of $855,188, which would come from its share of the County Road Tax Fund.

“Right now we are just applying for the grant,” Fay said.

Because of the application deadline, the department had to apply for it and then seek the city council’s ratification afterward. The council approved the application.

There is no timeframe on when the city will find out if it will receive the funding, or when the project would be started.

The eventual widening of the MCG highway to four lanes all the way to Casa Grande is on long-range area transportation plans.