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MC85 Corridor
Program Overview - West Corridor

MC 85 is a high-volume east-west trucking route to the west of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Development along the road consists of a mix of industrial, agricultural and commercial distribution and warehousing properties. MCDOT commissioned a Candidate Safety Assessment Report (CSAR) for the MC 85 corridor in 2013, which evaluated the safety along the corridor and developed countermeasures to help improve safety. From this report, MCDOT is working on several projects along MC 85 between Baseline Road and Cotton Road to increase capacity, improve safety and make roadway operations more efficient.
Program Segments & Schedule - West Corridor
Description of Work |
Status |
This project would adapt pavement marking and signing of the roadway from Baseline Road to Liberty School Road to include left turn lanes at major intersections, continuous two-way left turn lanes and passing lanes. All existing sign panels, posts and foundations would be replaced. Micro-surfacing would also be completed prior to applying pavement markings.
|
Construction: Complete
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Description of Work |
Status |
This project is designing the installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of MC 85 at Rainbow Road to increase capacity at the intersection and improve safety.
Project Budget
Phase |
FY 19 |
FY 20 |
FY 21 |
FY 22 |
FY 23 |
FY 2019 to 2023 Total |
Scoping |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Design |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Construction |
1,074,000 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
1,074,000 |
Project Total |
1,074,000 |
— |
&mdash |
— |
— |
1,074,000 |
|
Construction: Complete |
Description of Work |
Status |
This project will upgrade signing and striping to assist in improving traffic safety along a stretch of MC 85 between Liberty School Road and Cotton Lane. This segment of roadway is utilized by varied user groups including through traffic, local farm equipment, school busses, and local traffic. The project will upgrade the existing traffic signal at MC 85 and Jackrabbit Trail.
Project Budget
Phase |
FY 19 |
FY 20 |
FY 21 |
FY 22 |
FY 23 |
FY 2019 to 2023 Total |
Scoping |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Design |
260,000 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
260,000 |
Construction |
2,935,000 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
2,935,000 |
Project Total |
3,195,000 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
3,195,000 |
|
Construction: Complete
|
Description of Work |
Status |
This project will study the installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of MC 85 at Verrado Way to increase capacity at the intersection and improve safety.
Project Budget
Phase |
FY 19 |
FY 20 |
FY 21 |
FY 22 |
FY 23 |
FY 2019 to 2023 Total |
Scoping |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Design |
112,000 |
218,000 |
— |
— |
— |
330,000 |
Construction |
— |
1,370,000 |
340,000 |
— |
— |
1,710,000 |
Project Total |
112,000 |
1,588,000 |
340,000 |
— |
— |
2,040,000 |
|
Construction: Fall 2022
|
Program Overview - East Corridor

MC 85 is a high-volume east-west trucking route to the west of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Development along the road consists of a mix of industrial, agricultural and commercial distribution and warehousing properties. MCDOT is working on several projects along MC 85 between 75th Avenue and 107th Avenue to increase capacity, improve safety and make roadway operations more efficient.
Program Segments & Schedule - East Corridor
Description of Work |
Status |
This project will widen MC 85 from 95th Avenue to 75th Avenue to five lanes, including a center turn-lane or raised median in order to increase roadway capacity and enhance safety. This project will also include constructing sidewalks, improvements to drainage basins and will add turn lanes at each of the signalized intersections as well as update traffic signals. This project will install a traffic signal at the intersection of MC 85 and 79th Avenue to increase roadway capacity and enhance safety as new developments are built along this popular trucking corridor.
Project Budget
Phase |
FY 19 |
FY 20 |
FY 21 |
FY 22 |
FY 23 |
FY 2019 to 2023 Total |
Scoping |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Design |
440,000 |
1,700,000 |
— |
— |
— |
2,140,000 |
Construction |
14,260,000 |
9,138,000 |
— |
— |
— |
23,398,000 |
Project Total |
14,700,000 |
10,838,000 |
— |
— |
— |
25,538,000 |
|
Construction: Complete
|
Description of Work |
Status |
This project will widen MC 85 from 107th Avenue to 95th Avenue to five lanes, including a center turn-lane or raised median in order to increase roadway capacity and enhance safety. This project will also include constructing sidewalks, improvements to drainage basins and will add turn lanes at each of the signalized intersections as well as update traffic signals.
Project Budget
Phase |
FY 19 |
FY 20 |
FY 21 |
FY 22 |
FY 23 |
FY 2019 to 2023 Total |
Scoping |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Design |
305,000 |
500,000 |
2,000,000 |
— |
— |
2,805,000 |
Construction |
— |
1,415,000 |
16,205,000 |
— |
— |
17,620,00 |
Project Total |
305,000 |
1,915,000 |
18,205,000 |
— |
— |
20,425,000 |
|
Construction: Summer 2025
|
Questions? Contact the MCDOT Communications Team
Email Us
Project Information: 602-506-3342
Project Updates
Posted: June 17, 2019
Traveling Public: 83rd Avenue lanes of travel - One lane in each direction will be maintained, but both will be shifted over into the existing southbound lanes. With this necessary shift and reduction in lanes on 83rd Avenue, left turns from 83rd Avenue in both directions to MC 85 (Buckeye Road) will be restricted throughout this entire phase of construction through the end of August.
Left turn from MC 85 in both directions may also be restricted.
Construction: Over the past five months construction crews have completed the demolition and reconstruction of the widened roadway section along the south half of MC between 91st and 75th Avenues. Much of the surface improvements required extensive underground utility relocations and reconstruction, most of which is now complete. A majority of the new roadway base pavement, curb, gutter and sidewalk are now complete or will be complete within the next month. Improvements during the month of June will also see installation of new street light poles along the south side of the roadway.
Over the next few months, construction crews will begin the demolition of the existing northbound half of 83rd Avenue both south and north of MC 85, a portion of the intersection, and existing SRP Irrigation pipeline. This will be followed by the reconstruction of the new northbound lanes that will ultimately include a total of four lanes approaching the intersection of MC 85, two through lanes, one left turn lane and a dedicated right turn lane. This phase of improvements along 83rd Avenue will also include the construction of a continuous sidewalk along the east side of the roadway, connecting for the first time the existing 83rd Avenue, sidewalk south of MC 85, to a new continuous sidewalk along the south side of MC 85. This phase of the project will also include the start of the reconstruction of the signalized intersection at MC 85 and 83rd Avenue, with the installation of new poles and signals.
Construction during the next few months near the intersection of MC 85 and 83rd Avenue will involve additional shifts of lanes of travel as needed to facilitate new roadway surface improvements along the east side of 83rd Avenue and advanced underground demolition and construction on the west side so that all underground improvements on the west side are completed in time for the shift of 83rd Avenue lanes of travel to the new east half of 83rd Avenue later this year.
Posted: January 28, 2019

Construction is moving forward on the MC85 Corridor Improvement project. Over the past few weeks, crews have worked primarily on the sides of the roadway and on the shoulder to relocate utilities and prepare the area for roadway construction.
Now we are ready to begin our work on the roadway. This means you'll see lane restrictions starting at 9:00 p.m. on Monday, January 28. Crews will reconfigure the roadway to operate with one lane in each direction between 94th Avenue and 79th Avenue. The travel lanes will be shifted to the north side of the roadway. These restrictions are expected to remain in place for several months.
Business access will be maintained throughout construction
Posted: January 8, 2019
Road construction crews are expected to begin work on Monday, January 14. However, you may not see lane restrictions right away. Crews will be starting their work on the side of the road (shoulder work) before moving onto the roadway construction.
We recently mailed off a post card with the latest information on the upcoming construction work. Feel free to download it (below) to print or share. MCDOT has also issued a traffic advisory for the project.
Road Construction Post Card
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Posted: November 15, 2018
As previously noted, the start date for the MC 85 Corridor Improvement project on Buckeye Road between 95th Avenue and 75th Avenue has changed. MCDOT now anticipates roadway construction beginning after the New Year.
However, prior to the roadway construction starting, you may notice some utility relocation work starting at the end of November at the intersection of Buckeye Road and 83rd Avenue. This work will take place in and around the intersection. It is expected to occur during weeknight overnight hours (7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.) and on occasional weekends. This utility relocation work is expected to last several weeks.
For safety purposes during the hours of work, it is important to note that this work will require lane restrictions and/or lane shifts that will impact traffic. There will be an officer stationed at the intersection as needed to assist in directing traffic.
Posted: October 10, 2018
As of October 10, 2018, construction on MC85: 95th Avenue to 75th Avenue (TT0345) is now expected to begin in January 2019.
Thank you to the corridor business representatives who attended the MC 85 Corridor Business Meeting on Tuesday, October 9. We appreciate your feedback and input as the project moves into the construction phase.
Information shared at the meeting: (1) Fact Sheet (2) Slideshow and Displays
Questions? Contact the MCDOT Communications Team
Email Us
Project Information: 602-506-3342