Home development has been booming along Papago Road in Hidden Valley, bringing with it a familiar side effect: more cars. The fast-developing rural community is now facing a paradox that the city of Maricopa has experienced throughout its short history .

Traffic is light enough that a stoplight isn’t justified, yet if officials wait for congestion to reach that level, it will be too late to prevent serious backups once all the new homes are occupied.

Traffic remains the most discussed issue in and around Maricopa, with State Route 347 serving as a cautionary tale of what can happen when growth outpaces infrastructure. Officials in Hidden Valley say they’re trying to get ahead of the problem, but with so many new homes coming, they aren’t yet sure how t

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