Work progresses on Loop 303 project north of I-10

We don’t know about you, but the Loop 303 improvement project sure has taught us lot about building a freeway …

So far, we have come to understand more about soffit fills and waste slabs than we ever thought possible. We’ve also learned quite a bit about false work and sand jacks, bridges, temporary bypasses, caissons and even dirt.

With the amount of work that’s been accomplished already, it’s hard to believe this is a project that got its start just eight months ago. Work is already about 30 percent complete and, as Sr. Community Relations Officer Kim Noetzel says in the video above, construction is on schedule to wrap up on time by the fall of 2013.

A little more about the project …

This six-mile phase stretches from US 60 (Grand Avenue) down to Peoria Avenue in the city of Surprise. When work is complete, motorists can expect a six-lane freeway with three general purpose lanes in each direction. This section of the project also includes the construction of three new bridges at Waddell, Cactus and Greenway roads.

ADOT and the contractor have worked to keep traffic flowing as work on the project moves forward … phasing of the project has helped with that, along with the construction of the temporary bypass used by crews to haul dirt.

“We have active construction going on adjacent to the existing travel lanes,” Noetzel said. “So we’ve been able to maintain two lanes of travel on Loop 303 and then, not far away, we’re actually building this new freeway.”

In upcoming months …

Commuters can expect work on the bridge at Waddell Road to finish sometime in June, with the Greenway interchange scheduled for completion sometime in August or September. Crews will begin on that Cactus interchange soon.

As the work progresses, we’ll continue to keep you updated … who knows what we’ll learn about next?