More of Pecos Road shifting for South Mountain Freeway work

PHOENIX – Pecos Road between 17th Avenue and 24th Street is shifting to an interim alignment for Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway construction.

During a weekend closure ending in time for the morning commute on Monday, July 17, the current eastbound lanes of Pecos Road will be widened and restriped to maintain two lanes of traffic in each direction along this nearly four-mile-long stretch in the Ahwatukee Foothills. 

In April, the Arizona Department of Transportation and Connect 202 Partners, the developer responsible for building the South Mountain Freeway, shifted Pecos Road to this configuration between 40th and 24th streets.

Moving both directions of travel slightly to the south creates a safe work zone for freeway construction while allowing local traffic to continue using Pecos Road.

The following closure will take place from 10 p.m. Friday, July 14, to 5 a.m. Monday, July 17, to install temporary traffic signals, restripe the roadway and place barricades:

• Pecos Road eastbound and westbound closed between 24th Street and 17th Avenue, with Chandler Boulevard and Ray Road as alternate routes.

In the interim Pecos Road alignment, the speed limit is reduced to 40 mph to accommodate two-way traffic, a double-yellow line separates the directions of travel and there are no shoulders.

Once construction is complete in the Pecos segment, traffic will move to the new freeway lanes in the final stages of the project. The entire South Mountain Freeway is scheduled to open in late 2019.

The South Mountain Freeway will provide a long-planned direct link between the East Valley and West Valley and a much-needed alternative to Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix. Approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985 and again in 2004 as part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan, it will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system.

You can stay informed about the South Mountain Freeway project and sign up for updates and weekly traffic alerts at SouthMountainFreeway.com.