South Mountain Freeway developer to address spots with pavement issues

PHOENIX – With 30 years of maintenance part of the public-private partnership behind the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, taxpayers will face no additional cost to address spots next to some West Valley interchanges where the surface asphalt has deteriorated.

The Arizona Department of Transportation will hold freeway developer Connect 202 Partners accountable for repairing the problem and is monitoring these spots, which are next to some West Valley interchanges, to ensure the safety of drivers.

An exact reason hasn’t been determined for this deterioration, which is occurring where the rubberized asphalt surface layer meets the concrete surfaces of overpasses. The rubberized asphalt surface may not have been applied at sufficient thickness in these spots or could have been applied at too low a temperature to set properly.

Connect 202 Partners will repair these spots this spring, when warmer temperatures make paving possible. Until then, ADOT engineers will monitor these areas to ensure driver safety.

Under the design-build-maintain contract behind the South Mountain Freeway, Connect 202 Partners will provide maintenance for 30 years.

The 22-mile South Mountain Freeway, the largest freeway construction project in Arizona history, opened in December after more than three years of construction. The freeway provides a direct connection between the West Valley and East Valley that allows drivers to avoid potential congestion on Interstate 10 in downtown Phoenix.