Loop 101 (Price Freeway) widening work gears up May 31

PHOENIX – Construction is scheduled to start May 31 on the Arizona Department of Transportation’s project to improve traffic flow along a 6.4-mile stretch of Loop 101 (Price Freeway) by adding one lane in each direction between Baseline Road and Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) in the Tempe, Mesa and Chandler areas.

The $76 million Loop 101 improvement project will begin with a weekend closure of southbound Loop 101 south of the US 60 (Superstition Freeway) interchange to allow crews to begin setting a work zone along the freeway.

Southbound Loop 101 is scheduled to be closed between US 60 and Warner Road from 10 p.m. Friday, May 31, to 5 a.m. Monday, June 3, for work zone setup.

The project is scheduled for completion by fall 2020. In addition to adding a fourth general purpose lane in each direction along Loop 101 south of Baseline Road, crews also will construct retaining walls and safety barriers and make upgrades to sign structures, freeway lighting and landscaping. The northbound Loop 101 bridge over Chandler Boulevard also will be widened.

Drivers who use Loop 101 between US 60 in Tempe and Loop 202 in Chandler should plan ahead for restrictions, including weekend closures and overnight restrictions. For safety, the speed limit within the work zone will be reduced to 55 mph.

The Loop 101 Price Freeway improvement project is funded as part of the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Regional Transportation Plan approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004. Funding sources for the plan’s projects include a regional half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements as well as the MAG region’s share of federal highway funds.