Maricopa residents will shave a couple of minutes off their Phoenix commute by next summer — but not without months of closures leading up to it. 

The Arizona Department of Transportation began a project that will improve and widen SR 347 in Maricopa to help relieve traffic congestion and reduce travel times. 

The $7.3 million project will start its traffic restrictions next week. 

The improvements include adding a third northbound lane on 1.3 miles of John Wayne Parkway from Smith-Enke Road to just north of the city limits. 

Other improvements include: 

  • Widening the SR 347/Lakeview Drive intersection and reconstructing the existing paved median 
  • Adding a northbound acceleration lane for traffic moving onto northbound SR 347 from westbound Lakeview Drive 
  • Adding curb and gutter along the east side of SR 347 from north of SR 238 to Lakeview Drive 
  • Repairing pavement in the project area 

John Wayne Parkway. [ADOT]
Most construction activity is scheduled for weekday daytime hours with occasional overnight work as needed, according to ADOT. There will be no restrictions to businesses and neighborhood access throughout the project. 

The project is a partnership between ADOT and the city of Maricopa. When work is complete, ADOT will transfer long-term maintenance and operation of SR 347 to Maricopa. 

See traffic cameras and read more traffic-related stories here.   

Brian Petersheim Jr., Reporter
Brian Petersheim Jr., Reporter
Brian became part of the InMaricopa team in October 2020, starting as a multimedia intern with a focus on various multimedia tasks. His responsibilities included file organization and capturing photos of events and incidents. After graduating from Maricopa High School in the class of 2021, his internship seamlessly transitioned into a full-fledged job. Initially serving as a dedicated photographer, Brian's role evolved in October 2021 when he took on a new beat as a writer. He is currently pursuing his studies at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Brian's primary focus lies in covering public safety-related stories. In his free time, Brian finds joy in spending quality time with his family and embarking on adventures to explore the landscapes around him.
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3 COMMENTS

  1. At times I , Who is in charge of “Money Laundering” in Maricopa City? Less than $8 million spent to pretty much do nothing to improve life safely on the actual SR 347; however $24 million spent on a “New Jail”… can’t make this dong up if U tried. Perhaps more common sense will be used with Future Projects?

  3. How about our $30M “freeway to nowhere” (Sonoran Desert Parkway)? That project is as useless as a monorail between Fry’s and Bashas. Adding a 3rd northbound lane and an acceleration lane for the folks in Rancho is at least a decade overdue and should have been prioritized over the piles of useless pet projects that the city council deemed urgent in the interim.

    Hopefully, the City nets a profit from our anniversary party that they have sold to all of the Valley by pimping out our tax-funded Copper Sky… maybe they can use those funds to do something useful. We have REAL PROBLEMS that require REAL SOLUTIONS. Painted fiberglass horses, entrance monuments, and even the combined talents of Nelly, Flo Rida, and Uncle Kracker can’t solve them.

    We need a new city council. This place is a joke.