SR 347 construction puts the brakes on getting around

With construction on SR 347 commencing Thursday, Maricopa commuters are getting a taste of things to come. For some, the trip hasn’t been too bad so far. For others, they are already counting the days until the project ends.

“I haven’t had any issues with the construction,” Erin Cookmeyer said. “I am happy to be inconvenienced for a couple months for the roads to be better.”

Cookmeyer commutes 80 miles round trip from Maricopa to her job five days a week in the Biltmore area of Phoenix. Cookmeyer said she will try to leave her office right at 4 p.m. to beat the backup. “If I leave closer to 5, then I just run errands to avoid the traffic,” she added.

While many drivers seem to be obeying the speed limits through the construction zone, some are not. Asked if she witnessed drivers going at their own determined speeds, Cookmeyer said yes.

“I was coming home last night (southbound SR 347) and people were in the right lane going way too fast,” Cookmeyer said. “This caused debris and gravel to be scattered all over my car and windshield. They should think twice when they speed pass someone on the grated road, for their own safety and the safety of others.”

Maricopa resident Fred Cannon was returning home late Thursday afternoon from Phoenix when he witnessed a driver taking matters into his own hands.

“One lane was available for traffic with the other lane being resurfaced and not drivable,” Cannon said. “The lane being resurfaced was closed and cones were placed in an attempt to alert drivers not to use it. The driver decided that he would use the lane, creating a dangerous situation for others on the road.”

Cannon, who travels to the Phoenix area four to five times a week, said the posted speed limit in the area was 45 mph, though he estimated the driver was doing 65 to 70 mph on the portion of road under construction.

“Stones and broken asphalt were propelled by his tires, risking the safety of others,” Cannon said. “He followed the lane that was ‘blocked’ until he was required to get back in the drivable lane. At that point, he had to cut in front of others to return to the proper lane, creating another hazard.” Cannon said the safety of his travel is his biggest concern with the construction.

Patrick Kennedy of Maricopa said both his commute and his wife’s have been horrible in just the last two days.

“Traffic is starting to congest very badly in the southbound 347 lanes at Smith-Enke as well due to the road work,” Kennedy said. “People are using Smith-Enke and Villages at Rancho El Dorado as an alternate route and shortcut instead of continuing through south on John Wayne Parkway. My wife just tried to drive into Chandler at 1 p.m. today, and it took her 20 minutes just to get past Rancho El Dorado.” That was with traffic going less than 10 mph due to the northbound lanes being restricted.

Kennedy, who commutes daily to Tempe for work, said it took him more than an hour to get home Thursday from his job. “Normally it takes 40 minutes or less to get home,” he added.

As for advice for the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), Kennedy said it should complete all phases of this project in the evening hours.

“There is way too much traffic on SR 347 at most times during the day,” Kennedy said. “With SR 347 being the lifeline to and from Maricopa, better thought and planning should have gone into this project before they started. They need to hold another public meeting about the major traffic congestion problems we are already having one day into this project and resolve them now. They need to get a traffic representative assigned to this to give the public constant updates as we have no idea what is going on.”

ADOT spokesperson Teresa Welborn said their office had received a handful of calls from Maricopa residents. “All of them want more information on the project,” Welborn said. “Yesterday there was an equipment breakdown and the lanes opened up later than scheduled.”

Department of Public Safety (DPS) Spokesperson Harold Sanders is advising drivers using SR 347 during the construction to drive with extreme caution.

On Friday, two DPS units were visible during the early afternoon hours as traffic inched through the area heading northbound. “This is a high profile enforcement area,” Sanders said. “DPS will be looking for aggressive driving, driving under the influence, speeding, following too close.”

Sanders said a good strategy for the department is using unmarked vehicles in the area. “We’re able to create an additional presence of the unknown,” Sanders said.

Sanders recommended drivers be patient with the construction zone and follow all traffic laws.

“People need to be aware of what is going on,” Sanders said. “DPS is very much aware that there are some traffic violators out there. We’re committed that the area remains safe not only during construction but after.”

For those receiving citations in the construction zone area for speeding and other offenses, the fines are doubled.

Construction continues on SR 347 over a number of weeks. The ADOT schedule includes:
• Saturday, July 28, milling is scheduled beginning at the county line to Edison Road on the inside southbound lane.
• Monday, July 30, milling is scheduled beginning at Edison Road to the county line on the inside northbound lane.
• All work on the southbound lanes is scheduled from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. All work on the northbound lanes is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• On Wednesday, Aug. 1, the paving phase will begin on the southbound lanes, starting at the Pinal County line. Work hours on the southbound lanes will be 4 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• On Monday, Aug. 13, the paving work will begin on the northbound lanes, starting at Edison Road. Work hours on the northbound lanes will be 7 p.m. to 4 a.m.
• All paving work has been scheduled so that rush hour traffic will not be affected. The project is scheduled to be completed Aug. 24.