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ADOT’s SR 24 extension in southeast Valley wins regional honor

ADOT’s SR 24 extension in southeast Valley wins regional honor

September 27, 2023

Expressway stretching 4.5 miles has improved mobility in growing area

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation’s 4.5-mile State Route 24 extension that improved access in the southeast Valley has received a regional Best Projects Award from a leading industry publication.

Engineering News-Record magazine honored SR 24: Gateway to the Southeast Valley in the Highways/Bridges category among projects in Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada. 

ADOT’s project created a four-lane expressway that opened in August 2022 between Ellsworth Road and Ironwood Drive along the Maricopa/Pinal county line. The segment provides a new east-west route to help ease traffic in a growing area that includes parts of Mesa and Queen Creek.

Designed by Stanley Consultants and constructed by FNF Construction, the project was completed on time and within budget, in collaboration with the Maricopa Association of Governments, Maricopa County and the Town of Queen Creek.

The highway was constructed initially as an interim expressway with two lanes in each direction, setting the stage for eventual expansion to a freeway with three general purpose lanes in each direction plus an HOV lane.

Completed in two years, the expressway features intersections at Williams Field Road, Signal Butte Road, Meridian Road and Ironwood Drive, with on- and off-ramp connections at Ellsworth Road.

Winning projects will be honored in Engineering News-Record’s Oct. 30 issue and at a luncheon in Phoenix on Oct. 31. They also are considered for the magazine’s Best of the Best Awards to be presented next spring.