Throwback Tuesday: Connecting the Valley, one freeway at a time

The summer of 1988 was, indeed, a memorable one. An historic heat wave had folks Sweatin’ to the Oldies in much of the country, the Summer Olympics in Seoul was the last to feature the Soviet Union and East Germany, coincidentally, the two nations with the most medals in the competition, and Roger Rabbit made his big screen debut in a cinematic masterstroke.

Here in Arizona, the Valley was growing (when isn’t it?). And that summer, the very first stretch of Loop 101 Agua Fria, then known as the Outer Loop Freeway, was open from Northern to Peoria avenues.

On-hand for the event was Arizona’s first female governor, Rose Mofford. She took those big ceremonial scissors and cut the ribbon with ease, dedicating just the latest in what would be a continuous addition of freeway miles in the Valley of the Sun.

Today, Loop 101 spans over 61 miles from I-10 in Tolleson up through Peroia and across Phoenix, before it turns south over Scottsdale and eventually spills into the Loop 202 Santan Freeway in Chandler.

ADOT continues to open new highways to this day. Just recently, we completed the latest phase of State Route 24 in the east Valley, with much more on the way.