Drivers making the trip between Phoenix and Maricopa will face temporary interruptions Sunday at the intersection of State Route 347 and Riggs Road as transportation crews carry out preparatory work. Officials have scheduled intermittent, all-direction closures at that junction between 4 a.m. and 4 p.m., with each stoppage expected to be brief — up to 15 minutes at a time. Motorists are being asked to plan accordingly and to expect delays through much of the day.
The rolling closures are intended to allow crews to complete traffic signal adjustments and necessary utility work at the intersection. Transportation officials described the activity as preparatory work ahead of a larger planned improvement for SR 347, and said the short-term disruptions will help position the corridor for the more extensive construction set for this summer. Drivers were specifically urged to allow additional travel time for trips that use that segment of SR 347 and to anticipate periodic hold-ups while crews complete their tasks.
Intermittent closures mean traffic will be stopped in all directions at the intersection for short periods, rather than maintaining a continuous lane restriction or a full-day shutdown. Each closure could last as long as 15 minutes, and the work window extends across a 12-hour period beginning in the pre-dawn hours. With activity spread across the daytime, officials warned that delays could occur at various times, and they recommended commuters and other travelers take the possibility of repeated short delays into account when planning their travel.
The work at Riggs Road is part of the broader preparation for the SR 347 improvement effort scheduled to begin construction this summer. That larger project will address long-term changes to the corridor; the signal and utility work being done now is intended to clear the way and reduce complications once construction starts. Transportation officials described the current activity as necessary steps to make sure the upcoming construction phase can proceed on schedule and with fewer interruptions once it begins.
Design rendering showing the planned Riggs Road overpass and reconfigured SR 347 intersection as part of the SR 347/Riggs Road improvement project.
A project map distributed by planners highlights the location of the Riggs Road work along SR 347 and shows related elements of the improvement plan, including traffic interchange locations and pavement rehabilitation areas. The map identifies the spots where crews will be focusing early utility and signal work as part of the staging for the larger project; drivers using the corridor are likely to see activity at those marked locations as work progresses through the preparation window.
Project map for the SR 347 Improvement Project marking the Riggs Road and Mammoth Way traffic interchanges and SR 347 pavement rehabilitation areas.
To help manage travel, officials reiterated that the closures will be intermittent rather than continuous and that crews will aim to limit each stoppage to no more than 15 minutes. Still, the spread of work across a 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. timeframe means drivers could encounter delays at multiple points during the day. Officials encouraged anyone planning to use the SR 347 corridor to build extra time into their schedule. They also pointed to available traffic-alert services for travelers who want updates sent directly to their phones; motorists can sign up for traffic alerts by texting TRAFFIC to 620620.
The short-term closures are explicitly tied to signal and utility tasks required before the full-scale SR 347 improvement project begins later this summer. Transportation officials framed the Sunday work as preparatory, necessary to ensure the larger construction phase can proceed with fewer complications. With the project scheduled to start in the coming months, motorists in the corridor should anticipate periodic disruptions during this preparatory period and during the longer construction timeline that follows.