The Arizona Department of Transportation has named Tempe-based Sundt Construction as the highest-ranking contractor for the $396 million State Route 347 Improvement Project, a major highway upgrade designed to ease congestion and improve safety south of Phoenix.
According to a news release from the agency, Sundt will enter negotiations with ADOT on a preconstruction services contract, a process expected to be finalized in February. Once complete, the agreement will allow the contractor to provide constructability input and cost insights as the project’s design advances.
The project will overhaul a 15-mile stretch of State Route 347 between Interstate 10 and the city of Maricopa, spanning portions of Maricopa and Pinal counties. Much of the corridor runs through the Gila River Indian Community, a rapidly growing area that has seen increasing traffic volumes in recent years.
Planned improvements include adding one additional lane in each direction along the corridor, rehabilitating existing pavement and constructing grade-separated interchanges at Riggs Road and Mammoth Way. The scope also calls for new turn lanes and intersection upgrades at Casa Blanca Road and Maricopa Road, aimed at improving traffic flow and reducing crash risks.
State officials say the upgrades are intended to address long-standing congestion challenges on SR 347, a critical commuter route connecting Maricopa residents to employment centers in the Phoenix metro area.
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Sundt was selected following a competitive review by the project team, according to ADOT. The upcoming preconstruction phase will allow the contractor to collaborate with designers and the state to refine phasing strategies, manage costs and identify opportunities to streamline construction while minimizing disruptions to traffic.
The selection adds to a busy stretch for Sundt, which has continued to expand its transportation portfolio across the Southwest and beyond.
In recent months, the contractor has announced several high-profile developments. In October, Cade Rowley, formerly the company’s president and chief operating officer, assumed the role of president and CEO. Sundt has also been tapped alongside Dallas-based Jacobs for a separate $600 million Arizona roadway project.
Outside the state, a joint team including Sundt, Jacobs and HDR of Omaha, Nebraska, completed a $597 million wastewater infrastructure project in California in November, underscoring the firm’s continued presence in large, complex public works programs.
The SR 347 project represents one of Arizona’s most significant near-term transportation investments and reflects the state’s ongoing push to modernize infrastructure amid rapid population growth.
Originally reported by Matthew Thibault, Reporter in Construction Dive.
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