Arizona transportation board approves $11.5B capital improvement plan

Arizona is planning to spend $11.5 billion on statewide capital improvements to crucial transportation infrastructure through 2030.

The Arizona State Transportation Board recently approved the 2026-2030 Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program, which emphasizes pavement and bridge improvements and expands several key highways.

The program features over $11 billion in transportation investments for roads, bridges and airports.

Funding for the statewide program comes from federal, state and local dollars in addition to money generated by users of transportation services in Arizona, primarily through gasoline and diesel fuel taxes and the Arizona vehicle license tax.

Transportation officials say the plan meets the Arizona Department of Transportation’s goal of investing $2.4 billion in the next five years to preserve, rehabilitate and replace pavement and bridges on the state highway system.

Projects include improvements to highway safety, efficiency and functionality, such as intersection improvements, updates to ports of entry and rest areas, smart technologies and new signals, signs and shoulders.

The five-year program also includes $135 million for the Airport Capital Improvement Program, which provides funding for projects to design and construct safety, security and capacity enhancements, prepare various plans and studies, and fund improvements at the Grand Canyon National Park Airport.

Greater Arizona expansion projects in the program include:

• Widening I-17 from Sunset Point to State Route (SR) 69 beginning in Fiscal Year 2028.
• Widening the Pinal County portion of SR 347 between the city of Maricopa and Riggs Road starting in fiscal year (FY) 2027.
• Widening the Lion Springs portion of SR 260 east of Payson starting in FY 2026.
• Widening US 93 north of Wickenburg along the Vista Royale segment starting in fiscal year 2026 and widening US 93 at Big Jim Wash between Wickenburg and Wikieup starting in FY 2027.
• Building an interim road connecting a new commercial port of entry facility planned in Douglas with SR 80 starting in FY 2026.

Projects in Pima County include:

• Widening Interstate 10 from Kino Parkway to Country Club Road, which includes building a new interchange at I-10 and Country Club Road and reconstructing the Kino Parkway interchange, starting this month.
• Working on I-10 from Alvernon Way to Valencia Road starting in FY 2028.
• Improving the I-10 interchanges at Park Avenue in FY 2028 and Sixth Avenue in FY 2029.
• Reconstructing the I-19 interchange at Irvington Road starting in FY 2026.

Projects in Maricopa County include:

• Widening Loop 303 from Lake Pleasant Parkway to 51st Avenue and improving the I-17/Loop 303 interchange starting in FY 2026.
• Constructing SR 30 from 97th Avenue to 71st Avenue starting in FY 2030.
• Widening SR 24 between Loop 202 and Ironwood Road in the Southeast Valley starting in FY 2030.

Photo by Enric Cruz López from Pexels