THATCHER — More than 60 people wanted to hear more from the Town of Thatcher and Graham County about the widening of 1st Avenue.
Thatcher and Graham County held a public conversation with the public Tuesday at Thatcher Town Hall, giving residents a chance to talk with planners, engineers and elected officials about the project.
“This is a very much needed project, very much needed,” said Thatcher Mayor Jenny Howard. “We understand that there (are) residents along the way. Our forefathers should have done this 40 years ago, and it’s unfortunate that it’s on our shoulders, but it’s very much needed.”
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
The plan is to repave and widen 1st Avenue similar to 8th Street, with curbs, sidewalks, bike lanes and turning lanes where needed.
Not all residents agree that widening the roadway is the best path to safety. Clara Ochoa said she collected five pages of a petition to stop the widening project, due to a lack of space, and enact other measures first.
“The concern is, right now, the speeds are already ridiculous,” Ochoa said. “Nobody does anything about controlling the traffic, controlling the speed of all the traffic that uses us as a speedway.”
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
The goal is to improve 1st Street from 8th Street to Golf Course Road, making it a joint project between Thatcher and the County. The project has bi-partisan support in Congress, with U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., requesting $9 million in discretionary funding, and Democratic Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego requesting $430,000 in discretionary funding to acquire rights-of-way.
