SCOTTSDALE – Drivers on the now-wider Loop 101 (Pima Freeway), where new lanes have been added south of Shea Boulevard, may also have noticed construction crews working in recent months to transplant large saguaros, other cactuses and trees that had temporarily been stored in nurseries near the freeway. Many of the tall saguaros have been around longer than Arizona has been a state.

As part of the Arizona Department of Transportation's $74 million project to improve an 11-mile stretch of Loop 101 between Shea Boulevard and Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway), the project team early on salvaged more than a thousand plants. That includes approximately 400 saguaros that are now back as part of the desert-based landscaping next to the freeway.

ADOT worked closely with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the city of Scottsdale on the plans for salvaging, storing and transplanting the cactuses and other plants, including thorny ocotillos and ironwood trees.

“This restoration work is challenging but also very rewarding because many of the saguaros are more than a hundred years old and it’s great to have them in place as an iconic symbol of Arizona,” said ADOT Landscape Construction Supervisor Richard Adamson.

The plant-restoration work next to Loop 101 ramped up this summer, with crews using heavy equipment to transport individual plants from each of the nurseries to a location mapped out for their replanting. In addition to the plants that were saved over the last two years, crews also are adding approximately 10,000 new shrubs, trees and cactuses along the freeway.

“We’ve learned a lot over the years about including plant restoration in our freeway-improvement projects,” said Madhu Reddy, district engineer for ADOT’s Central Construction District in Phoenix. “Local communities support these efforts and we receive compliments from local residents and Valley visitors who like what they’re seeing.”

PHOENIX – This weekend’s planned full closure of northbound Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) between Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) and Thomas Road for rubberized asphalt paving has been postponed with rain and cooler temperatures in the forecast, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Crews are scheduled instead to resurface several northbound Loop 101 on- and off-ramps and right merge lanes in the Scottsdale area late Friday night and Saturday (April 8-9).

The northbound Loop 101 on-ramp at Thomas Road, off- and on-ramps at Indian School Road and off-ramp at Chaparral Road are scheduled to be closed from 11:30 p.m. Friday to 11 p.m. Saturday (April 9) for rubberized asphalt paving. The northbound Loop 101 right lane also will be closed between Thomas and Chaparral roads.

Drivers are asked to allow extra travel time in the area and use other on- and off-ramps, including those at McDowell Road and McDonald Drive.

Work to add a new layer of smooth rubberized asphalt on Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) in the Scottsdale area will require a series of weekend freeway closures lasting into June. The paving schedule is subject to change due to inclement weather or other factors, including availability of equipment and materials.

The work is part of the $73 million project to widen an 11-mile stretch of Loop 101 south of Shea Boulevard, where new lanes and other improvements are being added to the freeway. The project started in August 2014 and is set for completion by this fall.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has opened elevated ramps connecting State Route 51 at the Loop 101 Pima Freeway with Black Mountain Boulevard, improving access in the Desert Ridge area.

A roundabout serves as a transition to slow traffic to and from the freeway, and a pedestrian bridge has been added over Black Mountain Boulevard near Pinnacle High School.

ADOT and Phoenix partnered on the $17.8 million ramps project, with ADOT managing construction that began in June 2015. A separate project, also managed by ADOT on behalf of the city, included improvements to Black Mountain Boulevard north to Pinnacle Peak Road.

“Our goal has been to deliver a project that helps the city with its transportation plans for the Desert Ridge area and beyond,” said ADOT Assistant Director Steve Boschen, who leads the agency’s Infrastructure Delivery and Operations Division. “The ramps provide local drivers with direct access to State Route 51.”

“As the city continues to develop in the north, better transportation options are needed to meet the needs of a growing city,” said Phoenix Councilwoman Thelda Williams, who chairs the City Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. “The new ramps will provide options for a rapidly growing area.”

At the roundabout, along Black Mountain Boulevard south of the high school, signs direct drivers to slow to 20 mph. Motorists also should be prepared to yield to traffic already in the roundabout.

While helping high school students cross Black Mountain Boulevard, the pedestrian bridge also is part of the Reach 11 trail within a 1,500-acre recreation area popular with hikers and bicyclists.

The connections between State Route 51 and Black Mountain Boulevard have been part of Phoenix’s plans for the Desert Ridge region for several years. The project was funded as part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan approved by county voters in 2004.

PHOENIX - All four of the Loop 101 on- and off-ramps at Via de Ventura are open to traffic again as progress continues on ADOT's freeway-widening project in the Scottsdale area.

Following a two-month closure for reconstruction work, the Loop 101 ramps at Via de Ventura were reopened overnight (Thursday night). The ramps were reconstructed to fit with the new freeway lanes being added along Loop 101 between Shea Boulevard and Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway).

The entire $73 million Loop 101 project in the East Valley is scheduled for completion next year.

PHOENIX — There’s good news for many Loop 101 commuters in the Scottsdale area. Drivers are again able to use the on- and off-ramps at the Chaparral Road interchange near Scottsdale Community College, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Crews reopened the Loop 101 ramps at Chaparral Road Thursday night (Nov. 12), following two months of improvement work. The ramps were reconstructed to fit with the new freeway lanes being added as part of the Loop 101 widening project between Shea Boulevard and Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway).

Meanwhile, ADOT anticipates the southbound Loop 101 off- and on-ramps at Thomas Road, which closed in September, will reopen by late this month. All four of the Loop 101 on- and off-ramps at Via De Ventura, which closed in October for reconstruction, are due to reopen by late December.

The work is part of the $73 million project to add new right lanes along Loop 101 between Shea Boulevard and Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway). The entire project is scheduled for completion next year.

PHOENIX — As the Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) widening project continues in the Scottsdale area, drivers are again able to use the on- and off-ramps at the 90th Street interchange, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Crews reopened the Loop 101 ramps at 90th Street late last night (Thursday night) following two months of reconstruction work. The ramps were adjusted to fit into the new lanes being added as part of the Loop 101 widening project between Shea Boulevard and Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway).

The next stage of reconstruction work will close the Loop 101 on- and off-ramps at Via De Ventura for approximately 60 days starting at 10 p.m. Monday (Oct. 19). While the freeway ramps at Via De Ventura are closed, drivers can use the ramps at Indian Bend Road or 90th Street.

The work is part of the $73 million project to add new right lanes along Loop 101 between Shea Boulevard and Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway). The entire project is scheduled for completion next year.