Meridian Road extension improves circulation in the southeast area of town and region

Meridian Road now extends south from Cherrywood to Combs, providing an important north-south connector for Queen Creek and the region.

The Meridian Road Corridor is a multi-phase project. Phase one opened April 15 with an interim two-lane roadway, including a bridge over the Queen Creek Wash. The bridge is built to its ultimate width of seven lanes to accommodate future road improvements, but striped for two lanes until that time, according to a release.

See a town video here.

“This project is an example of prioritizing regional transportation and the importance of collaboration,” Queen Creek Mayor Gail Barney said in the release. “Phase one of Meridian Road was not scheduled to be complete for another 12 months, but our Public Works team, working with Pinal County, successfully expedited the project. The timing is significant as the widening of Rittenhouse Road continues.”

In addition to serving as a bypass during the closure on Rittenhouse Road to widen the bridge, the Meridian Road extension provides new access to the Town’s Agritainment destinations and an alternative to Ironwood Road.

“Moving Meridian Road along took the creative vision and perseverance of several governing agencies, Pinal County Supervisor Mike Goodman, District 2, said in the release. “This is a perfect example of how we can come together to accomplish necessary improvements for our neighboring communities. I want to give special thanks to our Pinal County staff, the Town of Queen Creek staff and council, and to Rummel Construction Company, who all helped move this project forward. To the developers who expedited and modified their own projects, thank you! This is a game changer for all of us."

In addition to splitting the costs of phase one, Pinal County is splitting the costs of future phases to the corridor. Phase two, constructing the permanent two-lane road from Combs to Cherrywood will begin later this year. It will include curb, sidewalks and bike lanes on the west side of the road. Additional phases include the Ocotillo intersection and extending from Queen Creek Road to the future State Route 24.

Logan Simpson completed the environmental permitting, T.Y. Lin completed the design and Rummel Construction, Inc. completed the construction, the release states.

To help provide the community with updates on capital improvement projects, the town launched a new website, hosted by ClearGov. The website includes project costs and status updates. Learn more at QueenCreek.org/BetterRoadsAhead.

To stay updated on news and events, follow the town on Facebook @QueenCreek and Twitter @TownofQC.