Pecos Road alignment shifting for South Mountain Freeway work

PHOENIX – Motorists using Pecos Road will see a new configuration starting early Monday, April 3, as construction continues on the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway.

When the new Pecos Road alignment between 24th and 40th streets is open to traffic Monday morning, the current eastbound lanes will be widened to carry two directions of traffic. This will allow for freeway construction to proceed where the current westbound lanes are located.

Pecos Road motorists should be aware of the following changes when the new configuration opens at 5 a.m., Monday, April 3:

• The speed limit will be reduced to 40 mph to accommodate two-way traffic.
• A double-yellow line will separate directions of travel, and there will be no shoulders.
• Left turns won’t be available in both directions of Pecos Road at 32nd Street, and Pecos Storage access will be maintained from 32nd Street or by making a right turn from eastbound Pecos Road.

The following lane closures and restrictions will be in place from 9 p.m. Friday, March 31, to 5 a.m. Monday, April 3, as crews remove the existing traffic signals and install temporary signals and place barricades:

• Pecos Road eastbound and westbound closed between 24th Street and Interstate 10, with Chandler Boulevard and Ray Road as alternate routes
• All I-10 ramps to and from Pecos Road closed
• Loop 202 Santan Freeway westbound closed at I-10

Lane restrictions and periodic closures of the new Pecos Road alignment will be necessary at times during freeway construction. Motorists may also want to consider alternate routes, such as Ray Road or Chandler Boulevard.

Once freeway construction is complete in the Pecos segment, traffic will move to the new freeway lanes in the final stages of construction. The entire South Mountain Freeway is scheduled to open in late 2019.

The South Mountain Freeway will provide a long-planned direct link between the East Valley and West Valley and a much-needed alternative to Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix. Approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985 and again in 2004 as part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan, it will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system.

You can stay informed about the South Mountain Freeway project and sign up for updates and weekly traffic alerts at SouthMountainFreeway.com.