Apache Junction staff: US 60 corridor study expanded to Kings Ranch Road; public meetings planned

City staff told the Apache Junction council on March 3 that the US 60 corridor study now extends from Ironwood Road to Kings Ranch Road, up from an earlier study limit near Superstition Mountain. Rob Wessler, a management analyst for the city manager’s office, said the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) budgeted the corridor study and that staff and MAG are reviewing consultant submittals following the RFP window.

"The study is anticipated to conclude in early 2027," Wessler said, and staff expects two public meetings — one early in the study and one near its conclusion — to solicit community input. The plan is to move from study to environmental review and final design and then pursue funding for construction when appropriate.

Councilmembers asked whether the study could extend beyond the current endpoints to include Peralta Road or the Renaissance Festival area. Staff noted federal corridor study requirements that generally call for a clear end point such as a connection to another highway, which limited extending the study to the Renaissance Festival site; nevertheless, traffic during the Renaissance Festival will be included in the study’s data collection.

Staff said MAG and county traffic analyses will be used to inform the study and that staff will keep the council apprised as consultants are selected and public outreach is scheduled.