Interstate 10 / Hassayampa Valley Roadway Framework Study

The Interstate 10/Hassayampa Valley Roadway Framework Study is the first of four long-range planning studies that the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) will conduct in rapidly developing areas surrounding present-day metropolitan Phoenix. The purpose of these studies is to initiate the transportation process in large areas that are expected to experience intense growth and development over the next 30 to 50 years. MAG and its partners are beginning broad-brush planning in advance of growth.

The Interstate 10/Hassayampa study area covers approximately 1,400 square miles bounded by State Route (SR) 303L on the east, the 459th Avenue section line on the west, the approximate SR-74 alignment on the north, and the Gila River on the south. Large topographical features act as barriers to travel, especially the White Tank Mountains in the east central portion of the study area. West of this mountain range, however, a great deal of developable land exists. Over 100 entitlements have been granted for master planned communities and residential and commercial development.

Much of the impetus for this one-year study arose from the need to preserve and improve Interstate 10--currently the only freeway serving the area--as the primary corridor for moving people and goods across the United States, as well as between metropolitan Phoenix and the ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach. At "Buildout", when developed to their planned maximum extent, Buckeye and Surprise expect to be among the five largest cities in Arizona.