The Yavapai County Department of Public Works is accepting public feedback on the draft Yavapai County Transportation Study for roads of regional significance until Monday, Jan. 15. The study aims to create a priority list of road improvements that could be eligible for grants or planned in 2020. Next 10 years.

Regionally significant roads included in the study on the Prescott side of Yavapai County include Pioneer Parkway, Williamson Valley Road, Iron Springs Road, and in the Verde Valley from State Route 89A to Solaire Drive. Cornville Road.

“Over the past 10 years, Yavapai County's population has grown by 14%, and by 2050 the county is expected to grow by an additional 25%,” the study concludes. “As a result of this projected growth, the county’s [RSRs] Traffic levels may increase significantly. The County initiated this transportation study to identify improvements needed to alleviate existing and potential future concerns regarding the four RSRs. ”

Other projects along Cornville Road that were the subject of this study have already been completed, and construction on more projects is expected to begin in the coming months. Yavapai County District 2 Supervisor James Gregory explained that a rumble strip was added between Beaver Creek Road and the top of the hill in Cornville.

“We did a rumble strip [and] There is more shoulder on the roadway,” Gregory said. “We also added guardrails in that area. You can see there's been quite a bit of work done just recently and that project just finished. The $4.2 million project is coming to a close. There is [and] 90-95% funded by the federal government; [the county] Based on that we did a 5-10% match. ”

Work on the roundabout at the corner of Cornville Road and Tissault Road is also nearing completion. The roundabout is his $5 million project, expected to take 18 months, with half of the funding coming from the federal government and the other half from Yavapai County and the state of Arizona.

“It's going to happen soon,” Yavapai County Public Works Director Dan Cherry said. “We recently signed an intergovernmental agreement. [the Arizona Department of Transportation] That's because some of that money comes through federal sources, spending as directed by Congress. Because ADOT has to manage that money, it will manage the construction phase of that project. The plan is currently 95% to 100% complete. We're waiting for ADOT to come on board with this IGA to make sure they're happy with the plan and for all the package specifications to be finalized. …We hope to begin construction in mid-2024. ”

The study also argues that Cornville Road needs to be widened to four lanes from SR 89A to Tissault Road to accommodate the expected growth of the Verde Valley over the next 20 years. Cornville's population is projected to increase from 3,817 in 2021 to 4,617 in 2042, and Cottonwood's population is projected to grow by an additional 1,500.

“Although the county currently has no plans to improve this section of Cornville Road, it is known that additional through lanes will be constructed when development of the adjacent 89 & Vine project occurs,” the study states. ing.

The 89 & Vine project is a large development proposed for the northeast corner of the intersection of Cornville Road and State Route 89A that is “expected to consist of up to 1,700 single-family homes,” the study says. is listed. “Other elements of the development include a hotel, an office complex, a working vineyard, a wastewater treatment facility and a commercial shopping complex. 89 & Vine will be built in five phases and will be fully completed by 2040. It will be built.”

“That project must be a pretty important project, because if you look at what's happening now, it's all coming from Tissaw.” [Road] We’re seeing a lot of traffic up to 89A,” Gregory said. “Part of [the conversation] will also increase [that section of the road] Up to 4 lanes… I think it's important to cover some of them once developers start making plans to build in that area [road] It costs money. ”

Yavapai County, through the Northern Arizona Council of Governments, is also conducting a separate safety study across the Verde Valley, investigating all areas where fatal accidents have occurred.

“Then you can consider your game plan when applying for grants for local road projects. [NACOG study] It gives us the information we need to address some of our resources. [where] These serious accidents and fatalities are happening,” Gregory said. “We hope to see it here in the next few months, if not sooner.”

Between 2016 and 2021, 154 crashes were observed on the Cornville Road study corridor. No injuries were recorded in 86 crashes, 25 crashes resulted in possible injuries, 34 crashes resulted in minor injuries, 5 serious injuries and 4 people died.

“[The Yavapai County Sherrifs’ Office] “We are looking closely at the traffic situation in the area and trying to make sure people are driving in a safe manner, and we need to continue to do that,” Gregory said. .

Gregory added that he is optimistic that architecture firm Gensler will issue recommendations for Yavapai County in the coming months. The county hired the company in June to evaluate all needed building space.

“We hope to have a viable project here within the next two to three months. [Gensler’s] That way we'll have a good plan for what we're going to do in terms of infrastructure over the next five to 10 years,” Gregory said. “While we can't replicate some services, I think there are a lot of things we can do. That might be through cooperation with law enforcement and fire departments…we'll have to wait and see. But it's a good thing. . I know that's something that hasn't been done with the county in a long time.”

The draft study is available below. yavapaiaz.gov/Resident Services/Public Works Select Yavapai County Traffic Survey for Regionally Significant Roads. Comments can be emailed to web.public.works@yavapaiaz.gov with the subject line “Roads of Regional Significance” by Monday, Jan. 15.