Surprise activates four traffic signals; two more set for Aug. 3

Surprise activated four new traffic signals in July, giving drivers new stopping patterns at several growing intersections. Two additional signals on Greenway Road are scheduled to begin operating August 3, but they were not yet active as of July 28.

The changes come as Surprise continues to manage transportation demand associated with growth in different parts of the city. Drivers should expect changed right-of-way expectations and allow extra caution while traffic patterns adjust at the newly signalized intersections.

Four signals are now active

The first two signals were activated July 20 at Waddell Road and 157th Avenue, and at Waddell Road and Legacy Parc Boulevard.

Two more went live July 27 at 163rd Avenue and Country Club Drive, and at Peoria Avenue and Cotton Lane.

The Peoria Avenue and Cotton Lane intersection has been associated with traffic backups, particularly during the school year, according to ABC15 reporting. The new signals change how traffic is controlled at the affected intersections, but the available sources do not establish that the installations have eliminated congestion or improved travel times.

Two Greenway Road signals are still scheduled

The city has scheduled two additional signals for August 3 at Greenway Road and 175th Avenue, and at Greenway Road and Verde Vista Drive.

Those signals remained scheduled rather than completed as of July 28. Drivers who use those intersections should watch for additional changes if the scheduled activation proceeds.

Part of a longer transportation plan

Surprise’s signal work fits within a broader transportation-planning effort. The city is updating its Transportation Master Plan to help identify future roadway, traffic-signal and related transportation priorities.

The plan is still being developed. Its project website asks residents, business owners and visitors to share travel concerns and ideas, with public input intended to help shape future recommendations.

A spring city progress update listed six traffic signals under construction, including the four intersections already activated and the two Greenway Road locations scheduled for August 3. The update also described the master plan as an effort to define a future transportation vision and preliminary multimodal recommendations.

Regional signal coordination

Surprise is also participating in the Maricopa Association of Governments’ traffic-signal optimization program. MAG materials describe activities such as traffic-data collection, signal retiming and corridor coordination. That program provides regional planning context for signal operations, but the application materials do not establish it as the sole funding source for each Surprise installation.

For commuters, the immediate update is straightforward: four new signals are operating, two more are scheduled for August 3, and drivers should use caution as the intersections adjust to their new traffic-control patterns.

Sources

• ABC15 traffic-signal report
• City of Surprise Transportation Master Plan
• City of Surprise Spring 2026 Progress Magazine