Complicated SR 347, RR tracks project goes forward

A grade separation at the intersection of State Route 347 and the Union Pacific Railroad is five to 10 years away, the projected cost is $50 million to $100 million and the city can’t afford the project on its own.

And, it’s one complicated project.

Those were takeaways from a meeting Tuesday held by the Arizona Department of Transportation as it shared three possible grade-separation scenarios with the public.

“You’re probably looking at least five years, maybe 10,” said Elijah Williams of EPS, Inc. the engineering firm working with the city on the project.

And, while the city has regularly budgeted funding for the construction phase, it cannot pay for the entire grade separation.

“Nor do we have the bonding capacity as a city,” said Brent Billingsley, the city’s transportation director.

To get highway monies, the city must follow a federal process, which can be time consuming.

“The previous studies did not meet it,” Billingsley said.

Beyond time and money considerations, the audience heard other factors determining the type of project needed.

Billingsley explained that SR 347 cannot go under the railroad tracks for three reasons.

First, he said, the area is a flood plain, which essentially eliminates federal funding for construction.

Secondly, the railroad is a first-class railroad, meaning the tracks are welded and designed to support nearly the maximum amount of weight possible and disassembling or re-constructing the tracks would be both difficult and expensive. And, the tracks are actually on a very slight curve at the intersection.

Finally, for national security reasons, in part relating to the nature of cargo transported on the tracks, the railroad cannot be shut down for construction.

Williams pointed out that any separation over the tracks will have to be at least 23.5 feet high “to get the double-stacked cargo cars underneath.”

Also, the railroad has indicated it may add up to five tracks, so the roadway must be “designed to accommodate the maximum number of tracks needed,” Williams said.

A bypass, or ring road, would have to go around the Native American trust land surrounding the city but would be costly and inefficient.

Williams also pointed out that “nobody wants a bridge in the middle of their city,” adding though, “that as much as we don’t want this, there are so many other challenges that overwhelm it,” not the least of which is safety.

There have been fatal vehicle-and-train accidents at the site.

The project would “need multiple crossings” over the railroad tracks, Williams said.

Three possible grade-separation concepts were offered for the public to look at prior to the meeting, all of which came out of a previous feasibility study the city conducted in 2007.

The first two involve straightening out SR 347 to go over the railroad tracks and merging in some way with Honeycutt Road.

The first concept, Williams said, needed to be “tweaked” to accommodate more recent changes in the area and “would basically straighten (the Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway) out” and combine it with Honeycutt Road.

The second concept, a kind of inverse version of the first, calls for dead-ending Honeycutt into the Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway.

In the third option, “there’s no combining,” Williams said.

Maricopa has changed enough in the past five years at least two of the scenarios are starting points at best.

“They’re food for thought for you to get you thinking about what the size and scope of this project might be,” Williams said.

Although the cost of the preliminary studies has been equally split between ADOT and the city, it is still unclear from where the complete budget for an approved project would come.

***ADVERTISEMENT***Currently, the intersection is an at-grade intersection, meaning the railroad tracks and the road are on the same level. The proposal is for a grade separation, which would move traffic flow above the tracks.

ADOT estimates the intersection, which also is used as a crossing for school children, sees in excess of 30,000 vehicles a day.

Future projections by ADOT indicate that could increase to 69,000 cars a day and the railroad could increase the number of trains going through the city to 100 per day.

The city has “done everything possible to expedite this project,” including hiring lobbyists and applying for “every grant,” Billingsley said.

The meeting, which took place at the Maricopa Unified School District Administrative Building, was held by the city in conjunction with the ADOT and Union Pacific Railroad, was one of several to take place as the project progresses.

An environmental analysis and design concept report, required prior to any construction taking place, likely will be completed by the winter of 2013.

Mayor Christian Price said, “The sooner we can get this done the better.”

Click here for more information on the project and the process.