Wait for New River to flood. Then take all the motorists from northwest Peoria, throw in drivers from Surprise and the Sun Cities, and funnel them through the intersection of 83rd Avenue and Union Hills Drive. Add to that mix increasingly more vehicles from the rapidly growing Peoria communities in the northwest, future apartments on 83rd Avenue, and the planned Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Costco in the immediate area. Peoria resident Paulette Roberts says the traffic at the intersection to the Loop 101 is dangerous regardless of whether the New River floods. In two years, the situation has worsened considerably, she said.
People are nasty with each other.
Glendale thinks so. It plans to go ahead and build a bridge on 83rd Avenue south of Union Hills and to widen the Union Hills bridge. That work will take 18 months to complete. The work on 83rd will close down that portion of the road for up to five months, but Union Hills will remain open when construction begins there. Glendale accuses Peoria of reneging on a deal to pay for half the bridge and half the widening.