Gavilan
Peak Pkwy. to join North Valley Pkwy.
by
Brian DiTullio
ANTHEM/NORTH
PHOENIX – Maricopa County Department of Transportation
is preparing design plans to connect Anthem and Tramonto
by extending Gavilan Peak Parkway to meet North Valley
Parkway.
The
project would involve construction of a two‑and‑a‑half‑mile
connecting segment of road between North Valley Parkway’s
northern end within Tramonto and Gavilan Peak Parkway
which
currently terminates south of Anthem at the Joy Ranch
Road alignment.
“This
is an entirely new road,” said Bruce Bartholomew, liaison
between MCDOT and the
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
The
roadway will connect to the I‑17 interchange at
Pioneer Road, providing a third access to Anthem from
the interstate.
In
addition, the project includes a plan for a two‑lane
extension of Cloud Road from 33rd Lane to Gavilan Peak
Parkway, according to MCDOT, allowing for access to Desert
Hills other than New River Road or Carefree Highway.
The
issue at the moment is acquisition of right‑of‑way
necessary to build the road through land owned by the
State Land Department.
Bartholomew
pointed out the area in question is a narrow corridor
between I‑17 and the nearby hills, saying, “It really
only looks suitable for putting a road on. You really
couldn’t do much else with it.”
Total
cost of the project is estimated at $8 million, with about
$3 million of that amount reserved for right‑of‑way
acquisition. Actual construction is estimated to cost
$4.4 million for the two‑lane roadway. Sufficient
right‑of‑way will be secured so the road may
be widened to a four‑lane divided roadway once traffic
counts demand it.
A
MCDOT appraisal of the land lowered original cost estimates
for right‑of‑way acquisition from more than
$11 million, according to a fact sheet prepared last year
on the project.
“We
just have to try and convince the State Land Department
that it’s a really good, fair number,” Bartholomew said.
MCDOT
is aiming for a fall of 2008 start of construction, but
no specific date has been set because the transportation
department is still working to find a source of funding.
Bartholomew noted there are a lot of projects going on
right now, all competing for the same dollars. The level
of participation by Phoenix has not yet been determined.
“We’re
looking at all sources,” he said. “We’re in a situation
where we need to form a partnership.”
