A public hearing will take place Friday morning in Gilbert to discuss the state’s tentative five-year transportation construction program.

The hearing is set to begin at 9 a.m. May 19 at the town’s council chambers, 50 E. Civic Center Drive.

The Arizona Department of Transportation will conduct the hearing in person and virtually. The meeting can be accessed at aztransportationboard.gov, with requests for online comment accepted until 8 a.m. the day of the hearing.

The 2024-28 plan proposes spending more than $9 billion, $2.6 billion of which will pay for pavement and bridge preservation projects across Arizona, upgrading pavement that is in poor or fair condition, according to ADOT.

Among the major projects in the Valley is widening I-10 between Phoenix and Casa Grande, with $851 million budgeted for the corridor. An additional $89 million was approved by Gov. Katie Hobbs and the Arizona Legislature as part of the state budget for next fiscal year. 

Funding of the freeway work supports ADOT’s goal of widening I-10 to three lanes in each direction between Phoenix and Tucson, and the first stage of construction on the corridor is the Gila River Bridge project planned to start later this year, transportation officials said.

Other program highlights include $469 million for projects that improve highway safety, efficiency and functionality, such as smart technology or adding shoulders, according to ADOT.

The public comment period for the 2024-28 tentative plan ends 5 p.m. June 1. The State Transportation Board is expected to consider formal action on the program at its June 16 meeting.

The complete report is available at azdot.gov/tentative5year for review and comment.