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Non Resident Letter |
I am writing you to express my opinion on the ADOT plans to improve the route of U.S. 60 between Superior and Globe. I fully agree that this highway is clearly in need of safety improvements, and I would like to ensure ALL the safety, economic, social and environmental concerns are heard and understood by the parties involved.
According to the ADOT web site two route alternatives near Top of the World have been offered for consideration. I am writing you to stand in strong opposition of any route that expands or further divides this community.
I would point to a project recently completed near the community of Wheatfields, North of Globe on Highway 188. A new by-pass route was built, with little or no impact on the traveling public or the local businesses during construction, and was successful at improving the speed and safety of this highway.
It would be nearly impossible to calculate the economic impact that the current construction between Top of the World and Pinto Valley has caused. The hours of time lost and the gallons of fuel consumed by the public during closures and lane restrictions must be in the hundreds of thousands by now. Yet that is probably a smaller total than the hours of productive time lost and gallons of fuel used by the construction crews, as they wait for traffic to clear so they can resume their work. The hours and tax dollars spent setting up, maintaining, and moving just the traffic control barricades alone must be in the tens of thousands.
An important part of the local economy in Globe-Miami is based on tourism, as we are the gateway community to Roosevelt Lake, the White Mountains, and the San Carlos Apache Lakes and reservation. No one could ever calculate how much traffic has simply given up using this route because of the long construction delays, choosing to detour through Mesa to the Beeline Highway, and so no one could ever calculate how many tourism dollars have been lost by these communities.
The impact of this construction on Emergency Services should also be considered. The current construction project has caused our local hospitals and ambulance services to transfer MANY patients by Helicopter, rather than risk a patient’s health in a traffic closure or delay. At an average cost of $16,000 to $18,000 per trip to insurance, this is an unacceptable burden placed on our Health care system.
These are just a few of many reasons why widening an existing route through an existing rural community is a poor idea, and why a by-pass is clearly needed.
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Resident Letter |
I am writing you to express my opinion on the ADOT plans to improve the route of U.S. 60 between Superior and Globe. My purpose is not to halt progress but to ensure the safety, economic, social and environmental concerns are heard and understood by the parties involved.
I am a resident of Top of The World, A small community along US 60. According to the ADOT web site two route alternatives through my community have been offered for consideration. I am writing you to stand in strong opposition of any route that expands or further divides our community.
This new route not only effects regional traffic, but will effect traffic in all regions of our great state. My goal is to promote a safe, time efficient
route that will not divide and endanger my community.
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