(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents a coalition of property and business owners throughout Pinal County working to bring new transportation infrastructure to the region.)
By Michael Maresh | Pinal Central
COOLIDGE — Coolidge officials are anxiously watching the North-South Corridor freeway/parkway progress, thinking that it could have wide economic impacts for the city.
The North-South Corridor that would span more than 50 miles between U.S. 60 in Apache Junction and Interstate 10 in Eloy, passing through the city of Coolidge, town of Florence and portions of unincorporated Pinal County along the way is many years off.
Still, at last Wednesday’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting the new freeway was brought up while discussing a site plan for a solar project.
Coolidge City Manager Rick Miller does not think this being done is a pie-in-the-sky possibility. He thinks it would first be more of a parkway than a freeway that runs through Coolidge.
Economic Development Services Director Gilbert Lopez said the route would be extremely important for the city, but how it would be funded is the bigger question. Hr said the corridor has been talked about for several years.
Miller said if this freeway was ever built it would take Coolidge residents just 20 minutes to reach the Valley when traveling at typical freeway speeds.
From an economic side with historical aspects, the North South Freeway Corridor would result in more retail, commercial development, hotels and restaurants for Coolidge and other locations along the route.
