Today, thanks to a multi-phase project that began in 2014 and was completed last year, Broadway Road has been widened, extended to 51st Avenue, and portions renamed to Avenida Rio Salado. General News, Safe and Smart Travel, Transportation Prop 400 Above: An aerial view of the Broadway Road/Avenida Rio Salado project. Under Proposition 400 in 2004, Maricopa County voters approved an extension of the half-cent sales tax for transportation. This series highlights projects built under Prop 400—to let you know where your money is going and how it is improving your transportation experience. For many years, Broadway Road dead-ended at 43rd Avenue in the Southwest Valley. Today, thanks to a multi-phase project that began in 2014 and was completed last year, Broadway Road has been widened, extended to 51st Avenue, and portions renamed to Avenida Rio Salado, making travel in the south central portion of the Valley significantly easier for more than 26,000 commuters each day. “We have seen a significant rise in traffic each day now with this improved corridor. The addition of this stretch of roadway has reduced congestion for several other major roadways in the area. It also has increased access, improved the economy, and reduced travel time from the southwest metro area to downtown Phoenix,” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “This project is a great example of how investment in transportation through Proposition 400 has paid off for Valley residents.” One of those residents is Reza Mohkami. He owns Rio Grande Material, a sand, gravel and rock supplier at 51st Avenue and Broadway Road in Laveen, where the project ends. Before the project, customers would have to take surface streets and come north on 51st Avenue from Southern Avenue. “Without a doubt, it did help our business as far as the traffic goes, because you are dealing with a lot of trucks in and out daily and it has made their life a lot easier, going and coming,” says Mohkami. “It helped traffic quite a bit also. It slowed down the traffic on 51st, and I can’t tell you how much it’s helped. It’s too early even to say (how much), but without a doubt it helped quite a bit.” The project included widening Broadway Road to six lanes between 51st Avenue to 7th Street. Additional project improvements included new traffic signals, medians, bike lanes, sidewalks, curb and gutter improvements, extensive storm drainage improvements, and landscaping. The project included extensive right of way acquisitions, as Broadway Road had several adjacent front-facing businesses. The city commissioned an artist to design and incorporate several small rest areas to enhance the landscape. This project was one of many included in the MAG Arterial Life Cycle Program (ALCP). The ALCP is the financial management tool to implement arterial street projects identified in the MAG Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and is funded through the Proposition 400 half-cent sales tax extension and federal highway funds allocated to the region. Published January 28, 2020