ADOT project adding two Loop 303 interchanges wins regional award
ADOT project adding two Loop 303 interchanges wins regional award
America’s Transportation Awards cites community development benefits
PHOENIX – A recent Arizona Department of Transportation project that constructed Loop 303 interchanges at 43rd and 51st avenues near Interstate 17 is a winner in the 2024 America’s Transportation Awards competition that includes a focus on community development.
The $70 million Loop 303 project earned a West Region award in the “Quality of Life/Community Development, Medium Project” category in the national competition among state departments of transportation. The competition is sponsored by AASHTO, an association representing highway and transportation departments nationwide, as well as AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
ADOT partnered with the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), the regional transportation planning agency, and city of Phoenix to accelerate construction of the Loop 303 bridges and ramps to address current and future traffic growth near the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. plant in the north Valley. The interchanges were completed in September 2023, several years sooner than originally planned.
“This project is an example of great teamwork and cooperation among partnering organizations,” said ADOT’s Central District Administrator Randy Everett. “It took a lot of hard work by staff at MAG, city of Phoenix, ADOT and the contractor, Fisher Sand and Gravel, to deliver this project on the accelerated schedule.”
The award was presented this week at the annual meeting of WASHTO, which represents departments of transportation in the West.
Construction of new Loop 303 interchanges at 43rd and 51st avenues was funded through the dedicated Proposition 400 half-cent sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004. The project is part of the Phoenix area’s Regional Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Investment Plan managed by MAG.
The new interchanges were designed to help manage future transportation needs in the area, support the Phoenix area’s growing semiconductor footprint and its supply chain, and allow for community development, including businesses and services.
ADOT manages the construction and maintenance of nearly 7,000 miles of state highways, including Phoenix-area freeways. Project information is available at azdot.gov/projects.