Pecos Road closures scheduled in July for South Mountain Freeway work

PHOENIX – Several major milestones on the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway project will require some extended closures of roadways in Ahwatukee during the month of July, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. 

Following the Fourth of July holiday, the first girders will be set on the new bridges over 17th Avenue and 40th Street. In mid-July, crews will shift Pecos Road traffic between 24th Street and 17th Avenue to an interim roadway following a similar reconfiguration that took place between 40th and 24th streets in April.

Motorists who travel regularly on Pecos Road need to plan ahead to avoid the following closures of these local routes:

• 17th Avenue between Liberty Lane and Pecos Road will close overnight to set bridge girders for the new 17th Avenue traffic interchange from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. on July 5 and 6 (and July 7, if needed).
• 40th Street between Briarwood Terrace and Pecos Road will close overnight to place bridge girders for the new 40th Street traffic interchange from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. on July 9 and 10 (and July 11, if needed).
• Pecos Road between 24th Street and 17th Avenue will close in both directions from 10 p.m. Friday, July 14 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 17, to allow crews to widen eastbound Pecos Road for an interim roadway to maintain two lanes of traffic in each direction.

During the closures, motorists may also want to consider alternate routes, such as Ray Road or Chandler Boulevard.

The South Mountain Freeway, which is scheduled to open in late 2019, 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.