The Arizona State Transportation Board brought its January meeting to Maricopa this morning, convening in the City Council chambers as part of its practice of rotating meetings among communities across the state.

The board holds its monthly meetings in a different one of Arizona’s 91 incorporated cities each month. Chairman Ted Maxwell said the decision to start 2026 in Maricopa was intentional.

“Last year was a very busy year for the State Transportation Board and for all of you who joined us wherever we went,” Maxwell addressed the local audience. “We thought, let’s go back to Maricopa.”

Maxwell said he received a warm welcome during his visit, including a stop at Apex Motor Club last night and meetings with Mayor Nancy Smith, Maricopa City Council members and Pinal County Board of Supervisors members.

“It was quite an experience,” he said.

Vice Chair Jenny Howard joked that her drive into the city left a lasting impression.

“It gave me more adrenaline than [Interstate] 10 on the way in,” Howard said, referring to State Route 347.

SR 347 received long-awaited relief last year when the same board approved funding for a widening project. Howard said she was optimistic about what lies ahead.

“I’m very excited for the city itself and the residents as well,” she said.

Board member Jamescita Peshlakai said she was relieved to avoid a complete shutdown of SR 347 following a fatal motorcycle crash north of the city yesterday morning, her first visit back to Maricopa since the board met at City Hall in January 2024.

During public comment, Mayor Smith thanked Howard for suggesting Maricopa as the first meeting site of 2026 and praised the Arizona Department of Transportation for recently selecting a contractor for the SR 347 widening project.

“Things are headed in the right direction in regards to the State Route 347 project,” Smith said.

ADOT Director Jennifer Toth addressed construction concerns during the meeting, saying lane restrictions on SR 347 would be limited as much as possible during the widening project. She said the two future center lanes would be used primarily to keep traffic moving while work occurs along the outside edges of the roadway, where a third lane will be added in each direction.

Vice Mayor Vincent Manfredi also addressed the board, thanking ADOT for engaging directly with residents.

“We’re working together to get stuff done, and I appreciate that so much,” Manfredi said.

Local transportation advocate Ron Angerame described being caught in Thursday morning’s aftermath following the fatal crash, as congestion pushed drivers onto unsafe dirt roads and irrigation channels. After turning back, he said a pothole blew out his tire, resulting in a costly repair.

“Yesterday was not an anomaly,” Angermane told the board. “Yesterday, I was the lucky one.”

Several other residents echoed long-standing concerns about SR 347, repeatedly referencing what some called a “perfect storm” of congestion, closures and crashes between 5 and 11 a.m. Thursday.

“You missed the perfect storm,” said Bill Robertson, a Province transportation advocate and member of the Maricopa Planning and Zoning Commission. “In the 12 years I’ve lived here, I’ve seen SR 347 closed down… I’ve never seen a perfect storm like this.”

Pinal County Supervisor Rich Vitiello (R-Maricopa) spoke about safety concerns south of the city along SR 347, where significant residential growth is underway and where a ghastly rollover crash occurred yesterday afternoon.

Following public comment, the board moved into its regular statewide agenda, which included discussions on revenue bonds, rural transportation funding, construction contracts, public health considerations tied to highway construction and other routine business.

Editor’s note: Vincent Manfredi owns InMaricopa.