Pinal County Traffic Woes

Traffic congestion in northern Pinal County has hurt sales at developments like the 2,000-acre Johnson Ranch and other developments along the Hunt Highway.

Last year Johnson Ranch developer Sunbelt Holdings said it exceeded its projections for sales when it sold 1,290 homes. But January and February brought sluggish sales. "We think it's the general slowdown in the housing market, but there are also traffic issues," said Stephanie Wilbanks, Sunbelt spokeswoman.

"There's very limited entrances and exits out of either Johnson or Power Ranch," said Jay Butler, director of the Real Estate Center at ASU. "They're really congested and it can take an inordinate amount of time just to cover the last mile or two miles," he added. More...