When it comes to moving dirt for State Route 347’s long-planned improvements, shovels could be hitting the ground for early construction work as soon as June.

State Rep. Teresa Martinez (R-Casa Grande) told InMaricopa that a presentation by the Arizona Department of Transportation at the State Capitol on Wednesday offered a tentative construction timeline. While ADOT cited a broad summer 2026 window, Martinez shared a slightly more specific target.

“They’re looking for shovels to hit the ground by June 2026,” she said in an interview today.

That timeline could shift if archaeological reviews are still underway by early summer, but Martinez and her seatmate, Rep. Chris Lopez (R-Casa Grande), said they were encouraged by both the schedule and ADOT’s decision yesterday to move forward with a single contractor for the roughly $400 million project.

“Because it’s all-inclusive, it should go through the process quicker because we won’t have anybody saying, ‘We’re waiting on this design’ or ‘We’re waiting on this utility to this or that,’” Lopez told InMaricopa. “So, it’s very encouraging on the business and professional sides to have one contractor.”

Martinez said large infrastructure projects are often split among multiple contractors, a setup that can push deadlines back or result in construction unfolding in smaller, staggered sections.

Several dates are already on the calendar. A preconstruction contract between ADOT and Sundt Construction is expected to be finalized Feb. 17. Sundt is also on schedule to complete its work on Interstate 10 in August, which would allow its crews to be fully dedicated to SR 347 by September.

The remaining question is where construction will begin.

“We’re going to have to get a little more clarification because while they’re looking to have shovels in the ground [in June], the problem is they don’t know where yet,” she said.

Martinez said archaeological teams searching for artifacts and ancient dwellings could still be working in parts of the corridor by then, leaving the starting point undecided.

Even with momentum building and dates beginning to take shape, Martinez, as top Senate Republicans did last month, said she remains cautious.

“I’m a little concerned about the governor clawing back the money,” she said, recalling previous delays in SR 347 funding. “It’s plausible that she can push it back to 2027 or 2028… When I met with ADOT and the construction people, they wanted to hurry up, get the bid committed and start the work so it would be harder to claw back.”

Lopez struck a more optimistic note.

“I personally am looking forward to the first emails and texts saying, ‘Gosh dang it, I’m late again because of this damn construction,’ instead of ‘When is it going to happen?’” he said.

“I agree,” Martinez said.

Added Lopez: “But in the bigger picture, how awesome is it going to be when it’s finally all done.”