The summer of 1988 was, indeed, a memorable one. An historic heat wave had folks Sweatin’ to the Oldies in much of the country, the Summer Olympics in Seoul was the last to feature the Soviet Union and East Germany, coincidentally, the two nations with the most medals in the competition, and Roger Rabbit made his big screen debut in a cinematic masterstroke.

Here in Arizona, the Valley was growing (when isn’t it?). And that summer, the very first stretch of Loop 101 Agua Fria, then known as the Outer Loop Freeway, was open from Northern to Peoria avenues.

On-hand for the event was Arizona’s first female governor, Rose Mofford. She took those big ceremonial scissors and cut the ribbon with ease, dedicating just the latest in what would be a continuous addition of freeway miles in the Valley of the Sun.

Today, Loop 101 spans over 61 miles from I-10 in Tolleson up through Peroia and across Phoenix, before it turns south over Scottsdale and eventually spills into the Loop 202 Santan Freeway in Chandler.

ADOT continues to open new highways to this day. Just recently, we completed the latest phase of State Route 24 in the east Valley, with much more on the way.

Now that the Loop 101 Pima Freeway has been widened with additional lanes between Interstate 17 in Phoenix and Pima Road in north Scottsdale, ADOT is working with transportation planners at the Maricopa Association of Governments on next steps within MAG’s Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). That includes improvements along Loop 101 to the west of Interstate 17. On Thursday, Feb. 24, you can learn more about those plans.

The RTP is essentially the blueprint for freeway projects via Prop 400, which Maricopa County regional voters approved in 2004. Funding includes a half-cent regional sales tax specifically for transportation improvements in the Phoenix area, including freeways.

An upcoming Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) project is designed to add an additional general purpose, or regular, lane in each direction along the freeway between 75th Avenue and Interstate 17. Construction is scheduled to begin as soon as 2023. That of course will be of particular interest to many northwest Valley residents as well as folks to regularly use that part of the regional freeway system.

You can take part in tonight’s virtual public meeting about the project. Here are the details for doing so:

What: Loop 101 Agua Fria Freeway (75th Avenue to I-17) project virtual public meeting

When: Thursday, Feb. 24, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

How To Participate: Details about participating in this virtual meeting via computer or smartphone are available at the project website.

Information for those who are not able to attend the virtual meeting, how to provide comments or get additional details is available on the project website.

In addition to gathering comments and answering questions during the meeting, ADOT also is prepared to receive any other public comments through March 10, 2022.  

In addition to providing new lanes, the Loop 101 project between 75th Avenue and I-17 also will widen bridges, reconstruct interchange ramps, provide upgraded freeway lighting, add sound walls where warranted and make other improvements.

Yes, the Loop 101 widening project in the north Valley was finished in time for this year’s edition of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. And, yes, the improved freeway will help a lot of golf fans get to the area of the TPC Scottsdale course in less time. But if you’re heading to the tourney this week, you’ll want to give serious consideration to shuttling to the event.

We’re using our “pitching wedge” at ADOT to help the Phoenix Open organizers and our partners at the City of Scottsdale get the word out about alternative parking plans for spectators.

Experience tells us that with an event as popular as the Phoenix Open, crowded conditions and delays can be expected at times for general parking near the TPC. That’s why this year there is a shuttle lot in place at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the spring training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. It’s just a “straight drive” south of the TPC near Loop 101 and Talking Stick Way.

Parking also is available at WestWorld of Scottsdale, off the Loop 101 frontage road at Bell Road north of Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard. WestWorld also is the location for a Rideshare lot. Before you head toward the Greatest Show on Grass, check on parking through the Phoenix Open’s website.

It is great to know that ADOT and its project team last month wrapped up major improvements on the $185 million Loop 101 project that added a fourth regular travel lane in each direction between Interstate 17 and Pima Road/Princess Drive in the north Valley.

In addition to the increased traffic capacity helping drivers get from Point A to Point B in less time, the big project also involved improvements and the realigning of on- and off-ramps at the interchanges within the project’s boundaries. 

As the Phoenix Open takes place this week, allowing some extra travel time should remain par for the course (sorry, couldn’t resist). And, if you’re not going to the event, consider adjusting your travel schedule and/or using alternate routes. That’s advice from a little “birdie.”

It’s that time of the year, when funny looking pants, shuttle buses, a blimp and even heavier Loop 101 traffic are par for the course in north Scottsdale. With hundreds of thousands heading to the Waste Management Phoenix Open through Sunday, Feb. 2, here are a few things to keep in mind whether you’ll be at the TPC of Scottsdale or just want to avoid rush hour commotion.

First (and you may not have known this): The Loop 101 Pima Freeway will be busier than normal. So give yourself plenty of extra travel time and at least think about alternate routes, especially when most people are heading to and from the golf course at the beginning and end of each day. 

ADOT is in the midst of the big Loop 101 Pima Freeway Widening Project stretching all the way from I-17 east to Princess Drive near the TPC course. Crews are adding new lanes in both directions along the freeway. The project will help with traffic flow when it’s done in 2021, but it’s never easy while the expansion work is taking place.

You should expect heavier, and slower, traffic along Loop 101 in the northeast Phoenix and north Scottsdale areas. That includes locations like the interchanges at Scottsdale and Hayden roads, Princess Drive/Pima Road as well as Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard.

It’s worth repeating: Extra travel time. It helps cut down on frustration. It’ll be very busy at the Loop 101 exits and entrances at Hayden Road because many golf fans will be using the large general parking area south of the freeway and taking shuttle buses to the golf course.

The Waste Management Phoenix Open and city of Scottsdale have also arranged for general parking  at WestWorld, which is accessible by exiting northbound Loop 101 at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard or southbound at Princess Drive and using the freeway frontage roads to Bell Road (travel east to the WestWorld entrance).

WestWorld also is where rideshare services such as Lyft and Uber will be operating. Shuttle buses will be operating to and from the WestWorld lot on a continuous basis from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. The city of Scottsdale expects to save par, I mean time, for rideshare users with the WestWorld shuttle program.

It’s time to think about safe driving, about patience and extra travel time (again). And about never, ever driving while impaired. Designated drivers? They win the tourney, every time. Good luck and let’s all make it Safely Home.

The project to add lanes along Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) in the north Phoenix and Scottsdale areas involves a lot of work to either widen existing bridges or, as is the case west of Hayden Road, build an all-new crossing over a future local street.

We sent a drone operated by ADOT’s video team above a couple of locations along Loop 101 where bridge work is taking place.

As part of the $185 million project that will add lanes along 13 miles of Loop 101 between Interstate 17 and Pima Road/Princess Drive, crews also are widening the freeway bridge over Seventh Street. Our first and second ADOT drone photos show the portions of the Loop 101 bridge being widened to accommodate new freeway lanes.

Two of the ramps at the Loop 101/Seventh Street interchange are currently closed for reconstruction and bridge work. The westbound Loop 101 on-ramp and eastbound off-ramp are closed until March 2020. Drivers should continue to use alternate routes, including the open freeway ramps at Seventh Avenue.

The second site, as seen in the last two drone photos, is where initial work has begun to build the new Loop 101 bridge that will allow a stretch of Miller Road to travel beneath the freeway.

You can see how Loop 101 traffic is using temporary “construction bypass” lanes in each direction to travel around the area where the new freeway bridge is being built. Traffic was switched to the bypass lanes back in August. They’re scheduled to be in use until summer 2020.

The city of Scottsdale plans to extend Miller Road in the future. So this new Loop 101 bridge was included in the Maricopa Association of Governments’ plans for this regional freeway improvement project.

The entire Loop 101 Pima Freeway Improvement Project, which started in February, is scheduled for completion in early 2021.