Pinal Co. Considering Primitive Roadways Designation

The Board of Supervisors will soon consider designating 79 roadways within Pinal Co. as Primitive Roads.

In the past year, the Pinal Co. Dept. of Public Works have studied various roadways & road segments throughout each supervisory district & identified those which meet the description of a Primitive Road. State statute gives the Board of Supervisors the authority to designate public roads within its jurisdiction as primitive roads provided that the road is not a state or county highway; was opened to the public before June 1975; &, was not constructed to a county standard. Additionally, Public Works staff used the following criteria to evaluate the roadways to determine if the roadway meets the description of a primitive road: substandard pavement.

Public Works has found approx. 175 miles of gravel roads within the unincorporated areas of Pinal Co. used primarily for recreation, farming & ranching purposes. These roads have met the criteria of a Primitive Road & have been nominated for such status.

The list has been submitted to the Supervisors for designation as a Primitive Road. If the Supervisors approve such a designation, signs will be placed on the roadways alerting the traveling public to the status of the road. The Primitive Road designation is made to warn the public of 2 issues: that certain roads are not regularly maintained & that they use the roads at their own risk. The Supervisors will meet in open session to discuss & consider designating submitted roads as Primitive. The meeting will take place at the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room in Florence on Wed., Dec. 6th, at 9:30 a.m. The public is invited to attend & comment if they wish.