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ADOT to adopt new 5-year transportation plan

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The entire Board of the Arizona State Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting in the Globe City Hall beginning at 9 a.m. Friday, June 15 for adoption of the state of Arizona’s new 5-year transportation plan.

Major corridors for passenger and freight traffic would be expanded and improved during the next five years as part of a proposed annual update to ADOT’s lineup of projects that will be available for public comment now underway through June 5.

The 2019-2023 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program also reaches the department’s goal of allocating at least $260 million per year for preservation of bridges and highways throughout the state highway system.

In addition, ADOT has proposed increasing the amount of preservation funding to $320 million per year during the next six to 10 years as part of the recently adopted Long-Range Transportation Plan, a blueprint for investment priorities over the next 25 years.

Preservation projects include repaving highways, filling potholes, extending the life cycle of existing pavement, and repairing or reconstructing bridges.

Key expansion projects round out the system by increasing mobility and connectivity while reducing traffic congestion.

The complete report, posted with a “how to read it” guide is now available at azdot.gov for review and comment. ADOT welcomes feedback via an online form at surveymonkey.com/r/G6DNQVG, by email at fiveyearconstructionprogram@azdot.gov and by phone at 855.712.8530.

The public comment period on the tentative ADOT 5 Year Transportation Plan started Friday, March 16 with the board to hold a public hearing in Sahuarita. Two other public hearings are scheduled April 20 in Flagstaff and May 18 in Phoenix at the ADOT headquarters. Then the board of directors will be in Phoenix June 5 in a study session before traveling to Globe on June 15 where final action is scheduled.