appropriation; State Route 260; improvements

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details about how improvements will be prioritized beyond listing criteria.

Improvements for State Route 260

HB2242 allocates $175 million from the state General Fund to improve safety and capacity on State Route 260 between mileposts 200 and 346, including widening roads, expanding shoulders, wildlife protection measures, and drainage upgrades.

What This Bill Does

• Allocates $95 million for widening the road and adding passing lanes where feasible.
• Sets aside $35 million to expand road shoulders to at least five feet on each side and update guardrails.
• Funds $25 million for wildlife safety measures like fencing, crossings, and detection systems.
• Provides $20 million for drainage improvements, runoff control, and slope stabilization.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Arizona Department of Transportation
• Drivers using State Route 260 between mileposts 200 and 346

Terms To Know

Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT)

A state agency responsible for managing transportation systems, including highways and airports.

General Fund

The main fund used by the government to pay for various programs and services.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how the improvements will be prioritized beyond listing criteria.
• It is unclear what happens if funding runs out before all projects are completed.

Official Summary Text

HB2242 - 572R - House Bill Summary

ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th
Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

HB
2242
: appropriation; State Route 260; improvements

Sponsor:
Representative Blackman, LD 7

Committee
on Transportation & Infrastructure

Overview

Appropriates
$175,000,000 from the state General Fund (GF) to the Arizona Department of
Transportation (ADOT) for design and construction of safety and capacity
improvements (improvements) to State Route 260. Lists prioritization requirements
for the improvements. Requires ADOT to create a public dashboard containing information
about the status, timeline and expenditures for the improvements.

History

Laws 1973, Chapter 146
established ADOT to provide for
an integrated and balanced state transportation system with a director
responsible for the Department's administration (
A.R.S. � 28-331
). ADOT has exclusive control
and jurisdiction over state highways, state routes, state-owned airports and
all state-owned transportation systems or modes.

The duties of ADOT
are as follows: 1) register motor vehicles and aircraft, license drivers,
collect revenues, enforce motor vehicle and aviation statutes and perform
related functions; 2) do multimodal state transportation planning, cooperate
and coordinate transportation planning with local governments and establish an
annually updated priority program of capital improvements for all
transportation modes; 3) design and construct transportation facilities in
accordance with a priority plan and maintain and operate state highways, state
owned airports and state public transportation systems; 4) investigate new
transportation systems and cooperate with and advise local governments
concerning the development and operation of public transit systems; 5) have administrative
jurisdiction of transportation safety programs and implement them following
applicable law; and 6) operate a state motor vehicle fleet for all motor
vehicles that are owned, leased or rented by this state (
A.R.S. � 28- 332
).

Provisions

1.

Appropriates
$175,000,000 from the GF to ADOT for improvements to State Route 260 between
milepost 200 and milepost 346 as follows:

a.

$95,000,000
for widening the roadway and expansion of the passing lane to include widening
to four lanes where feasible;

b.

$35,000,000
for expansion of the shoulder to not less than five feet on each side of the
roadway and modernization of guardrails;

c.

$25,000,000
for mitigation efforts for strikes to wildlife, including fencing, crossings
and wildlife detection systems; and

d.

$20,000,000
for upgrades to drainage, runoff control and slope stabilization. (Sec. 1)

2.

Prioritizes improvements
based on the following criteria:

a.

crash and
safety data;

b.

traffic volume
and freight movement;

c.

rural emergency
response and evacuation needs;

d.

local and
regional economic impact; and

e.

engineering
feasibility. (Sec. 1)

3.

Requires
ADOT, by December 1, 2027 and annually thereafter, to submit a report on these
projects to the Chairpersons of the House of Representatives Government
Committee, the Senate Transportation, Technology and Missing Children Committee,
or their successor committees, and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and
provide a copy to the Secretary of State, regarding:

a.

project schedules;

b.

expenditures
and cost projections;

c.

safety
improvements and crash-reduction data;

d.

environmental
compliance updates and delays; and

e.

any funding
deficiencies (Sec. 1)

4.

Tasks ADOT with
maintaining a public dashboard for each project, showing their status, timeline
and expenditures. (Sec. 1)

5.

Exempts the appropriations
from lapsing until June 30, 2036. (Sec. 1)

6.

Repeals
appropriations on June 30, 2036. (Sec. 1)

7.

8.

9.

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2242

11.

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12.

13.

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Current Bill Text

HB2242 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
appropriation; State Route 260; improvements

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2242

Introduced by

Representative
Blackman

AN
ACT

Appropriating monies to the department of
transportation.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.
Appropriation;
department of transportation; State Route 260; safety and capacity
improvements; annual report; exemption; delayed repeal

A. The sum of $175,000,000
is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026-2027 to
the department of transportation for design and construction of safety and
capacity improvements to State Route 260 between milepost 200 and milepost
346. Monies appropriated by this section shall be allocated for the
following projects:

1. $95,000,000 for widening
the roadway and expansion of the passing lane to include widening to four lanes
where feasible.

2. $35,000,000 for
expansion of the shoulder to not less than five feet on each side of the
roadway and modernization of guardrails.

3. $25,000,000 for
mitigation efforts for strikes to wildlife, including fencing, crossings and
wildlife detection systems.

4. $20,000,000 for upgrades
to drainage, runoff control and slope stabilization.

B. The projects listed in
subsection A of this section shall be prioritized based on the following
criteria:

1. Crash and safety data.

2. Traffic volume and
freight movement.

3. Rural emergency response
and evacuation needs.

4. Local and regional
economic impact.

5. Engineering feasibility.

C. On or before December 1,
2027 and each year thereafter, the department of transportation shall submit a
report on projects listed in subsection A of this section regarding project
schedules, expenditures and cost projections, safety improvements and crash-reduction
data, environmental compliance updates and delays and any funding deficiencies
to the chairperson of the house of representatives government committee, or its
successor committee, the chairperson of the senate transportation, technology
and missing children committee, or its successor committee, and the joint
legislative budget committee and shall provide a copy of this report to the
secretary of state.

D. The department of
transportation shall maintain a public dashboard for each project listed in
subsection A of this section showing each project's status, timeline and
expenditures.

E. The appropriation made
in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35-190,
Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations until June 30,
2036.

F. This section is repealed
from and after June 30, 2036.