State Route 24 freeway connection opens in Mesa

PHOENIX – Drivers will be able to travel the Valley’s newest freeway connection during the Monday morning commute. The first mile of State Route 24, the Gateway Freeway, is complete and was opened to traffic late this afternoon, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The new freeway segment includes a direct freeway-to-freeway interchange connecting State Route 24 to the Loop 202 (Santan Freeway).

The one-mile stretch of SR 24 between Loop 202 and Ellsworth Road provides improved access to development in the region surrounding Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. Future plans call for State Route 24 to connect with the proposed North-South transportation corridor in Pinal County.

Construction of the $73 million dollar SR 24 project kicked off in March 2012. The City of Mesa accelerated the start of construction by several years through a transportation-bonding program.

Governor Jan Brewer, former Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, ADOT Director John Halikowski and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority Executive Director Jane Morris took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 15 to celebrate the new freeway. Community members also had a chance to walk, bike, and jog on the Gateway Freeway.