By Mark Cowling | Florence Reminder
The state’s “preferred” corridor for a future north-south freeway is less-convenient to downtown Florence than the one supported by Pinal County and area cities and towns.
Arizona Department of Transportation representatives held a public meeting and gathered comments on the future freeway Oct. 1 at Florence High School. The freeway, which is 20 years or more away from construction, is intended to be a low-access, high-speed route from Interstate 10 in the Eloy area to U.S. 60 in Apache Junction. Interested persons may continue to submit comments on the draft environmental document through Oct. 29.
Tom Rankin of Florence told ADOT representatives he was glad to see the freeway effort reach this point but was upset to see ADOT’s alignment isn’t the one Pinal County voters approved with the Regional Transportation Authority. “You moved it to the west of where we had planned it,” he said.