FLORENCE, AZ — On March 30, 2026, the Florence Town Council held a work session to review and prioritize Florence transportation projects planned from 2026 through 2036. No votes were taken; the session gave council members an opportunity to provide staff with direction and priorities. Public Works Director Andy Smith and Senior Civil Engineer Lindsey Randall walked the council through a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) funded through a combination of sources including the town’s recently approved sales tax increase, existing state Highway User Revenue Funds, and Development Impact Fees.
Town Manager Bruce Walls introduced the agenda item: “Our community elected to go ahead and give us a 1.5% tax increase, and now we want to be transparent in regards to the 11 projects that we have projected out in 10 years.” The 11 projects Walls referenced are those highlighted during public outreach and town hall meetings; the full CIP inventory spans a larger number of projects across the decade.
Why Road Funding Falls Short
Smith opened the presentation by explaining the financial forces behind the funding shortfall. He said that “conditions on the system are deteriorating, as the need for transportation improvements far outpaces the amount of state and federal funding available.”
Smith said the Federal Highway Administration’s construction cost index, which tracks the rate of inflation in labor and materials, increased by 54% beginning in 2022.
“Since 1991, the gas tax hasn’t been raised. This translates to about an 81% loss in purchasing power for our projects.” – Andy Smith, Public Works Director
Smith also noted that “on average, the roads in Arizona are at a level of service D.” The town’s target for Hunt Highway and Attaway was a C. “A would be great,” Smith said, “but our roads are getting to the point that they’re D and they’re declining.”
Smith said the new 1% transportation sales tax, the portion of Florence’s recently approved 1.5% sales tax increase dedicated exclusively to road projects, is intended to leverage other funding sources. “This will help us within public works and the town leverage those dollars that we get from this tax, as well as our HURF dollars, TPT dollars, and Development Impact Fee dollars, to help leverage working with the private sector, working with the state, working with the federal government, working with whoever we can work with to come up with these partnerships to fund these projects.”
The Sales Tax Behind the Plan
The Florence Town Council approved a sales tax increase in March 2026, with 1% of the increase dedicated exclusively to transportation projects. For a full breakdown of what the tax covers, what residents will pay, and the funding gap that remains, see the Pinal Post’s coverage of the Florence sales tax vote.
Vice Mayor Cathy Adam said the council is working to close the funding gap. “I have real good confidence in this council and our mayor in lobbying for money from our state legislators, getting some of our tax dollars back,” she said. She also asked whether staff could move projects from later years into earlier ones if additional funding is secured. Randall confirmed that was possible.
Hunt Highway: Florence Transportation Projects on the Corridor
Multiple projects on the 10-year list target different segments of Hunt Highway.
Click on a segment or pin to view a description of the project.
Widening: Franklin Road to Hiller Road, $7.2 million, FY2027
The widening will expand Hunt Highway to five lanes from Franklin Road to Hiller Road. It is the first phase of a two-phase project with Pinal County. Florence’s portion moves first. Construction is expected to begin in late summer 2026.
However, Randall reminded council that a right-of-way issue remains unresolved. The American Leadership Academy, located at Franklin Road and Hunt Highway, holds a parcel the project requires. The easement was not dedicated through ALA’s original site plan as previously assumed. The town, not Pinal County, is responsible for acquiring and paying for that easement. ALA has since retained legal counsel, and the town is coordinating with them.
Rehabilitation: Ripken Road to Franklin Road, $2 million, FY2027
This stretch of Hunt Highway “hasn’t been touched in quite a long time,” Randall said. The project will apply a Type III micro seal to the pavement. Construction is scheduled to begin in July 2026. The road will remain open during the work. The project will also fix a striping configuration near the firehouse that has drawn complaints about unsafe vehicle movements. Mayor Eaton confirmed the project covers both directions of Hunt Highway from Ripken to Franklin.
SR 79 and Hunt Highway Intersection Light, $2 million, FY2028
Randall said the intersection signal was raised repeatedly by residents during the town hall meetings held for the sales tax. The town has budgeted $2 million for the signal in FY2028.
Widening: Fire Station #2 to Attaway Road, $9.5 million, FY2031
This project would extend the five-lane widening further along Hunt Highway. Mayor Eaton said: “There’s no use spending $8 million to widen something that goes back down to two lanes everywhere as you get to the intersection.”
Hunt Highway: Felix Road to SR 79, $9.25 million total, beginning FY2031
The town is pursuing grant money for a design concept report on this segment. The total project cost is estimated at $9.25 million, with $750,000 budgeted to begin in FY2031.
2026 Priorities: Already Underway
Two projects top the 2026 CIP list.
Hunt Highway and Attaway Intersection Improvements: Randall said “the level of service has been greatly increased just from adding those turn lanes.” The project adds turn lanes at the intersection.
Main Street Extension Design: The project will reconstruct Main Street from Ruggles Street to SR 79. Design work is underway with engineering firm Dibble and is targeted for completion by January 2027.
2027 Priorities: $15.5 Million in Projects
The 2027 budget totals $15,550,000 and includes these key projects. Some projects span multiple years; the FY2027 column reflects only what is allocated for that year.
| Project | Total Cost | FY2027 Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Hunt Highway Widening (Franklin to Hiller Road) | $7,200,000 | $7,200,000 |
| Butte Ave Bridge Replacement | $3,150,000 | $3,150,000 |
| Hunt Highway Rehabilitation (Ripken to Franklin) | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Pavement Preservation | $15,000,000 | $1,500,000 |
| Plant Road (Butte to Hunt Hwy) | $10,300,000 | $800,000 |
| Hunt Hwy & Attaway Intersection Improvements | $500,000 | $500,000 |
| Main Street Extension (Ruggles to SR 79) | $3,300,000 | $400,000 |
Butte Avenue Bridge Replacement, $3.15 million total
The existing Butte Bridge is limited to 6 tons and cannot support emergency vehicles including ladder trucks and fire engines. The replacement will increase capacity to meet emergency access needs. The town has received a $1 million grant and submitted a separate application requesting $2,191,416 in additional funding. Construction is targeted for winter 2026. The bridge crosses the SCIDD canal and serves as an important access route for emergency responders to reach residents east of SR 79.
Mayor Eaton said: “We owe our residents out there, our businesses out there, and our first responders.”
Pavement Preservation, $1.5 million annually
This recurring line item funds ongoing maintenance across the town. The 2027 scope includes work in the Anthem community, on Felix Road, Arizona Farms Road, Christensen Road, and throughout Florence proper. Randall said: “Once you build the infrastructure, you have to take care of it.”
Plant Road: Butte to Hunt Highway, $10.3 million total, starting FY2027
This is a new road construction project. The town is pursuing a public-private partnership to reduce the town’s financial share. Finance Director Carl Dudding noted: “We don’t have commitment yet on that, so just want to keep things in perspective.”
Mayor Eaton said there are “only two ways to cross the river,” and if one is impacted by construction or an emergency, residents have limited options. Councilmember Nicole Buccellato said routing high schoolers via Plant Road “is gonna just lighten some of that congestion up when people are trying to get to work.”
Council Members Weigh In on Priorities
Centennial Park Avenue and Adamsville Road
Several council members, including Councilmembers Bencina, Buccellato, and Bedford, and Vice Mayor Adam, asked staff to explore moving Centennial Park Avenue and the related Adamsville Road segment into the 2027 budget. Both projects are currently scheduled for FY2028. Mayor Eaton estimated the two projects together at approximately $3.5 million and confirmed the town has already received cash-in-lieu payments from a developer that can be applied to them.
Buccellato cited a safety concern: “There’s only one entrance and exit.” She recalled that during a past accident on the bridge during Country Thunder, residents were locked in for hours with no alternate route. “I don’t think we should ever find ourselves in a situation like that again.”
Vice Mayor Adam raised a property acquisition concern about the Centennial corridor. “I think we’re looking at eminent domain and a lot of right-of-ways to do that,” she said. She asked whether any advance work on those matters could begin now. Randall said design work would need to come first, before specific right-of-way discussions with property owners could proceed.
Adam also connected the Hunt Highway rehabilitation project to the Rankin Mine. “We approved a rock and gravel mine on Hunt,” she said, referencing the council’s November 2025 decision to rezone the Rankin Mine site and grant a conditional use permit. “Heavy trucks, right? So I’m glad we’re putting in some extra money to maintain Hunt Highway.”
Councilmember Neal
Councilmember Arthur Neal said residents want to see projects completed. “It doesn’t matter what gets done. Just get things done,” he said. “If council has already approved it, just fire down the list as you feel the need to.” He said project execution should be driven by staff rather than repeatedly returned to council.
Councilmember Bencina and Finance Director Dudding
Bencina asked Dudding whether the town could borrow from its reserve fund to accelerate major projects. Bencina estimated the transportation sales tax would generate roughly $2.5 million annually, and asked whether the town could borrow $25 million from its reserve fund to be repaid over time. Dudding said the town is currently modeling a $15 million internal loan and that he would need to revisit earlier meeting notes before confirming a higher figure. He added: “I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer here, but I do want to put things in perspective.”
Councilmember Maldonado
Maldonado said he liked the idea of a roundabout as part of the Main Street Extension design, noting that roundabouts keep traffic flowing without full stops. He also noted a railroad merger discussion he had attended involving Southern Pacific and Union Pacific, saying increased rail use could reduce heavy truck traffic on town roads and slow pavement degradation.
Councilmember Bedford
Bedford said she would like to see Centennial Park Avenue completed. “Everybody that lives over there… I could go right through Centennial Park and I’ll be right where I’m supposed to be,” she said.
2028–2031 Projects on the Horizon
Projects scheduled for later years include:
SR 79 Access Control Study, $2.5 million, FY2029: A joint study with ADOT, extended to SR 60 and covering the corridor through Florence. The town is budgeting a 50% match.
North-South Interim Corridor, $29.4 million total, starting FY2029: A new north-south route through Florence running from Arizona Farms Road to SR 287. A separate design-only line item covering the full alignment is budgeted at an additional $600,000. The corridor is related to the long-term planned State Route 505, a proposed 55-mile freeway through Pinal County that would run from US 60 in Apache Junction to Interstate 10 near Eloy. For more information, see the ADOT North-South Corridor project page.
Arizona Farms Road, $11.8 million, FY2031: A future corridor improvement project.
Mayor’s Closing Direction on 2027
At the close of the work session, Mayor Eaton said the 2027 priority list as presented reflects the council’s general direction. He specifically asked staff to explore moving Centennial Park Avenue and Adamsville Road into the 2027 priority list, noting that the town has reserve funds from the Western Crossings developer that can be applied to those projects. Randall said design work would need to come first.
Eaton also noted the town is currently engaged with state legislators on two active bills that could bring in an additional $6 to $10 million for transportation. Randall said that if additional funding is secured, projects from later years could be moved up.
The full presentation from the March 30 work session is available here on Pinal Post.
