Arizona
 | | | ||||||
Project DescriptionThe Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Phoenix District Office received an application from the City of Goodyear for a 250-foot right-of-way (ROW) to construct, operate, and maintain a two to six-lane parkway in Rainbow Valley, Arizona. The proposed parkway originates on Rainbow Valley Road and Riggs Road at the southern end of Goodyear and proceeds southwest to intersect with State Route (SR) 238 in Mobile, Arizona. The Sonoran Valley Parkway has been identified on regional transportation plans to meet future traffic demand resulting from population growth in the Rainbow Valley southwest of Phoenix. To assist the decision-maker in determining whether to grant the ROW, the BLM is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this proposed project. The EIS is a comprehensive analysis of existing conditions and environmental impacts to resources such as air quality, water, geology, wildlife and vegetation, cultural resources, visual resources, land use, recreation, and socioeconomics. Public meetings were held in 2008. Additional data gathering was conducted during 2009 and 2010. The alternatives currently being developed through the public involvement process are:
|
|
Alternative A – Approximately 15.72 miles long, starts at Riggs Road heading south for approximately 2.5 miles along Rainbow Valley Road to Komatke, then southwest paralleling the Sonoran Desert National Monument boundary for 10.4 miles to intersect in Mobile at SR 238.
Alternative C – Approximately 18.2 miles long, starts at Riggs Road heading south for approximately 1.8 miles along Rainbow Valley Road before turning directly east along Patterson Road for 4 miles, then proceeds south on Bullard Avenue for 3 miles before turning east-southeast for 5.36 miles to intersect in Mobile at SR 238.
Alternative H – Approximately 18.3 miles long, starts at Riggs Road heading south for approximately 1.8 miles along Rainbow Valley Road before turning directly east along Patterson Road for approximately 5 miles, before turning directly south along Litchfield Road to the Sonoran Desert National Monument boundary and turning east-southeast for approximately 10 miles to intersect in Mobile at SR 238.
Sub-Alternatives F and G – Approximately 3.2 and 2.4 miles long, respectively. These were developed to avoid a historic homestead site near the proposed alignment in Mobile at SR 238.
The Parkway Concept
- Greater travel capacity
- Fewer curves and turns
- Faster speeds
- Widely spaced traffic interchanges and turn lanes
- Less traffic conflict and increased road safety
- May be designed to accommodate future transportation connections
Where are we now in the Process?
- Goodyear and its contractors have gathered resource data.
- BLM and its cooperating agencies have reviewed the alternative parkway alignments.
- BLM and its contractors are preparing the Draft EIS for public review.
- Internal BLM and cooperating agency review of the Draft EIS.
Next Steps
- Publication of the Notice of Availability for the Draft EIS in the spring of 2013.
- Following the Draft EIS publication there will be a 45-day comment period where the public has the opportunity to provide input for BLM consideration.
- Publication of the Final EIS in late summer 2013.
- Record of Decision issued in late summer 2013.
To Learn More
|