This study focuses in the area surrounding the municipalities of: Town of Pima, City of Thatcher and City of Safford. The junction of the two major state routes, US 191 and US 70 is located in the heart of these communities and serves as major arterials for local travelers. Parsons Brinckerhoff has been commissioned by ADOT to perform this preliminary assessment for the development of an alternate route through the Thatcher/Safford/Pima area.

This transportation plan includes an assessment of the City’s streets, bridges, sidewalks, public stairs, shared-use pathways, transit, public parking, airport, and transportation-related drainage facilities. The transportation plan also includes an implementation plan that sets forth a comprehensive capital improvement program to bring the transportation infrastructure up to current standards and to provide an acceptable level of service for current and forecast travel demands.

The Arizona Department of Transportation awarded funding for the Wellton Transportation Long-Range Plan PARA Study through the Planning Assistance for Rural Areas program. The purpose of the PARA program is to assist rural counties, cities, towns, and tribal communities in addressing a broad range of multimodal transportation planning issues related to roadways, transit, and non-motorized modes of travel. The principal purpose of the Wellton PARA Study is to develop a multimodal transportation plan for a 44-square-mile planning area in the vicinity of the Town of Wellton. The study has resulted in a plan of improvements for short-term, mid-term, and long-term transportation planning horizons. The recommendations are multimodal, considering roadways, transit, and nonmotorized (i.e., bicycle and pedestrian) transportation modes. The executive summary provides a brief summary of current and future conditions, transportation needs and issues, recommended improvements, and the implementation plan.

The Arizona Department of Transportation is the primary decision maker for federal-aid transportation plans and investments in non-metropolitan areas with populations below 50,000. However, ADOT understands the importance of consulting with local governments before, during, and after the decision making process to ensure participation results in improved transportation system planning, performance and project development. Therefore, ADOT has developed guidelines that outline the consultation process, and defines how and when outreach will occur with officials from rural areas. It is intended that this document is subject to review and revision every 5 years. In the event that Congress enacts new transportation language, this document will be subject to immediate revision.

Through the Planning Assistance for Rural Areas program, the Arizona Department of Transportation and the City of Yuma cooperatively conducted the Yuma Expressway Corridor Study to develop a preliminary assessment and feasibility of a proposed corridor alignment along the south and western portions of the City of Yuma. Improvements to this corridor would benefit the region by addressing a number of different customers traveling around and through the region.