appropriation; State Route 260; improvements

HB 2242 appropriates $175 million from Arizona's state general fund for safety and capacity improvements to State Route 260 between mileposts 200 and 346, directly affecting drivers, emergency responders, and wildlife in that corridor. The funds will specifically widen roads to four lanes where feasible ($95M), expand shoulders to five feet with modern guardrails ($35M), install wildlife mitigation systems ($25M), and upgrade drainage/slope stabilization ($20M). The Arizona Department of Transportation must prioritize projects using crash data, traffic volume, and safety needs, then submit annual public reports and maintain a project dashboard. The funding is exempt from standard appropriation lapsing rules until June 2036, after which the bill expires.