Latest Loop 101 milestone: New southbound lane open in Scottsdale

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has opened a new southbound lane along Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) between Princess Drive and Shea Boulevard in Scottsdale.

Crews opened the new southbound lane early Monday, Nov. 10, following a weekend closure used to place pavement markings, including lane stripes, and finish other work.

The opening is part of an ongoing $108 million widening project to add traffic capacity, enhance safety and make other improvements along the freeway. Last week, ADOT opened a new northbound lane along the 4.5-mile project work zone.

The Loop 101 project between Princess Drive and Shea, which started in January 2024, is set to be completed on schedule early next year. There are now four general purpose lanes and a high occupancy vehicle lane open along both north- and southbound Loop 101 between Shea Boulevard and Princess Drive.

A separate short-term project is slated to start in spring to improve the freeway’s pavement surface within the current project’s limits.

In addition to constructing the new freeway lanes, crews have worked on the following Loop 101-related improvements:

• Traffic-signal and turn-lane enhancements at the Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard interchange 
• Turn-lane additions at the Shea Boulevard, Raintree Drive and Princess Drive/Pima Road interchanges
• Installing new signs, traffic signals and freeway lighting

The Loop 101 widening project is funded in part by Proposition 400, a dedicated half-cent sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004. The project is scheduled under the Regional Transportation Plan managed by the Maricopa Association of Governments, which serves as the metropolitan planning organization for the Greater Phoenix region.

To learn more about this project, please visit azdot.gov/Loop101PrincessToShea. Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov and via the AZ511 app (download free for Apple and Android devices). ADOT also provides highway condition updates via its X feed, @ArizonaDOT.