Traffic wrecks, congestion fuel push for interchange improvements

SURPRISE, Ariz. - If you have traveled along Grand Avenue, near the Loop 303, recently, you might have gotten stuck in traffic or seen an accident.

The backstory:

Last week, the Maricopa County Department of Transportation said during a Board of Supervisors meeting that the interchange is failing to meet the needs of commuters. Now, more conversations are scheduled, keeping West Valley residents involved.

"This traffic on the 303, the 60, 163rd, it’s a nightmare," said Wittmann resident Laura Deaver.

What they're saying:

West Valley residents who travel near the U.S. 60 / Loop 303 interchange know all too well the headaches and concerns over traffic in that area.

"It makes it very hard to feel safe, and I travel with my daughter every day.," Deaver said. 

"The infrastructure civil-wise not only needs to catch up, but I think there’s different parameters that could be put in place," a West valley resident said. 

"I have a ton of family in the area, so we’re usually texting each other about, ‘Hey, there’s a traffic jam on Grand and 163rd,'" another resident said. 

Dig deeper:

As cities like Surprise continue to expand, residents say drivers aren’t always on the same page during rush hour.

"There’s people not abiding by the traffic laws or rules, and there’s also people that are trying to be nice about it, so those cause bottlenecks," a resident said.

"There’s just been so much housing and like building and stuff like that. So there’s a lot of new people. So, yeah, there’s days when it can get pretty bad," said another resident. 

Big picture view:

The Arizona Department of Transportation is dedicating an entire page of its website to infrastructure improvements in the area, including extending or adding turn lanes.

But some residents say while they aren’t opposed to growth, they fear proposed developments like the BNSF Railroad Hub in Wittmann would only add to the congestion.

"The infrastructure cannot handle an additional increase at an already failing intersection," said Wittmann resident Kirby Anderson.

What's next:

A public meeting is set for Nov. 13 in Surprise to share future plans for the corridor and hear community feedback.

"That’s great that they’re looking to hear us and kind of the struggles we’re going through, whether it’s commuting to work or kids’ practices or things like that, just going to the grocery mart right here down the street," a West Valley resident said.

"When more than one person says there’s challenges out here, then it starts to build credibility from the residents, and that’s what’s occurred and is occurring," Anderson said. 

That public open house meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at Asante Preparatory Academy in Surprise.