PHOENIX – The Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway remains on track to open by late 2019 with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco affirming a U.S. District Court ruling that allowed the Arizona Department of Transportation to move forward with construction.

“This is a clear victory for one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions, ensuring that progress will continue on a project that will make this a better place to live and do business,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “ADOT has worked closely with the city of Phoenix, the Maricopa Association of Governments and Federal Highway Administration to develop the most extensive environmental review of any highway project to date in Arizona, and the courts have taken notice of this by ruling in favor of this project at every step.”

In a ruling released Friday, the Ninth Circuit affirmed an August 2016 ruling by the U.S District Court of Arizona on all issues.

The 22-mile freeway will provide a 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, the South Mountain Freeway will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system in the Valley.

Halikowski added, “We’re committed to delivering on a promise to Maricopa County voters to complete the Loop 101 and Loop 202 system that will connect communities and employment centers while helping position the Phoenix area for continued growth and opportunity.”

Major construction on the South Mountain Freeway began early this year, and progress is evident throughout the entire 22-mile corridor. In Ahwatukee Foothills, interchanges are taking shape at 17th Avenue and 40th Street. In Laveen, crews are building two half-mile-long bridges that will provide a much-needed grade separated crossing over the Salt River. In the West Valley, the skyline is changing daily along Interstate 10 as work continues to create an interchange connecting with the South Mountain Freeway at 59th Avenue, including several flyover ramps.

For more information, visit SouthMountainFreeway.com.

PHOENIX – Creating the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway’s interchange with Interstate 10 in west Phoenix is no small feat of engineering, starting with the need to have supports for flyover ramps to straddle existing lanes of traffic.

As is the case at other freeway-to-freeway interchanges around the Valley, this is being done with a structure known as a straddle bent. It is an alternative when a typical one-column pier carrying a ramp would need to be in the middle of an existing roadway. Instead, the straddle bent has multiple columns supporting a wide top, or cap, that in turn supports a ramp.

In construction, “bent” refers to a structure providing lateral as well as vertical support. The first South Mountain Freeway straddle bent, over the westbound lanes of I-10 near 59th Avenue, has two columns supporting a 140-foot-wide, 12-foot-high cap. On its own, it looks a bit like a giant concrete soccer goal.

Straddle bents are part of the freeway connections Valley motorists use every day. The flyover ramp from eastbound I-10 to northbound State Route 51 (Piestewa Freeway) in central Phoenix has a bent straddling the westbound lanes of I-10, while HOV ramp connections between those two freeways use three straddle bents over westbound I-10.

In all, seven straddle bents will be part of the South Mountain Freeway connection with the I-10 Papago Freeway, with the first going up after a series of weekend and overnight closures to allow large cranes to work.

This past weekend, Connect 202 Partners, the South Mountain Freeway developer, poured more than 400 cubic yards of concrete to complete the bent just east of the current I-10/59th Avenue interchange. The falsework that held the structure in place prior to the concrete pour will be removed in the near future.

In order to safely construct the seven straddle bents for the new I-10/Loop 202 system interchange at 59th Avenue, intermittent lane restrictions and closures of I-10 are needed regularly. Fortunately, ADOT minimizes the inconvenience to the traveling public by scheduling as much work as possible during non-peak hours, but because some of the work is occurring directly above the existing I-10, full closures are often necessary for the safety of motorists and construction crews.

The 22-mile South Mountain Freeway, expected to open by late 2019, will provide a long-planned direct link between the East Valley and West Valley and a much-needed alternative to I-10 through downtown Phoenix. Approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985 and again in 2004 as part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan, the South Mountain Freeway will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system in the Valley.

While continuing efforts to connect occupants with services, the state is assisting organizers of an encampment on Arizona Department of Transportation land in Mesa with plans to relocate.

Out of concern for the health, safety and well-being of those at the site, ADOT began discussions last week with camp organizers about plans to relocate and notified them Friday that they would need to move on. At the request of organizers, the state will allow the encampment near the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway and McKellips Road to remain until March 20.

In the meantime, ADOT is arranging for the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services and the Arizona Department of Economic Security to return to offer assistance to veterans and others in the encampment.

December 20, 2016

The State of Arizona’s goal is assisting the veterans and other individuals in this area, located near Loop 202 and McKellips, by helping them find shelter and other community-based services. No one has been removed, and there are no plans to do so.

On Monday, the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services visited the site to meet veterans and offer to connect them with services. DES was also on site to help civilians. Ryan Peters, the governor’s director of Constituent Services and a Marine Corps veteran, also visited to thank the vets and offer assistance. The visits were all described as positive.

ADOT is happy to partner with these other state agencies. No one should be homeless, especially during the holidays, and our goal is to help all these individuals find shelter and other community-based services.

December 16, 2016

The State of Arizona is committed to protecting veterans. The desire is to assist the individuals in this area, located near Loop 202 and McKellips, by helping to find them shelter and assistance. No one has been removed, and there are no plans to do so. With assistance from the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services and the Arizona Department of Economic Security will be on site Monday to help connect these individuals with shelter and services. No one should be homeless, especially during the holidays, and our goal to help all these individuals find shelter and other community-based services.

December 15, 2016

ADOT continues working with local social service organizations and other state agencies, including the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, to provide services for those who need them at this camp, which moved onto ADOT right of way on Dec. 6. While ADOT did post “no trespassing” signs, no action has been taken to force relocation of the camp. We will continue to work in partnership with the organizers to appropriately support their efforts while encouraging them to relocate outside of state right of way.

PHOENIX – The eastbound lanes of Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) will be closed between Interstate 10 and 44th Street in Phoenix from Friday night until late Saturday night (Nov. 12) for resurfacing work.

Drivers should plan ahead and use alternate routes while eastbound Loop 202 is closed, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The weekend closure is scheduled as follows:

Eastbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) closed between I-10 and 44th Street from 9 p.m. Friday to 11 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 12) for resurfacing. The east- and westbound I-10 ramps to eastbound Loop 202 at the SR 51 “Mini-Stack” interchange also closed. The southbound SR 51 ramp to eastbound Loop 202 will be open but traffic will need to exit at 32nd Street and use alternate routes. DETOUR: Drivers can consider using I-10 in either direction to northbound SR 143 (Hohokam Expressway) to access Loop 202. Westbound I-10 traffic also can connect with northbound SR 51 and exit to eastbound Thomas Road before using local streets to reach eastbound Loop 202 beyond the closure at 44th Street.

For a complete list of highway and freeway restrictions in the Phoenix area and around the state, visit ADOT’s Travel Information site at az511.gov or call 511. Another great way to find out more about ADOT’s projects and programs to improve Arizona’s transportation system is the ADOT Blog at azdot.gov/adot-blog.

ADOT plans and constructs new freeways, additional lanes and other improvements as part of the Regional Transportation Plan for the Maricopa County region. The primary funding source for regional freeway improvements is a half-cent sales tax approved by county voters in 2004. More information about ADOT projects and the regional plan is available at azdot.gov/central-district.