Loop 202

From the Director: South Mountain Freeway will drive economic development

From the Director: South Mountain Freeway will drive economic development

From the Director: South Mountain Freeway will drive economic development

August 24, 2016

South Mountain Freeway (Loop 202) Final Environmental Impact Statement

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

Construction will begin on the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway in early September after the U.S. District Court in Phoenix dismissed legal challenges against the long-planned and long-studied new corridor. The court ruled ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration completed all steps required to move this construction project forward.

The court’s decision is a victory for the Phoenix metropolitan region. Beyond the benefits to traffic on I-10 through the Broadway Curve and on local streets, this new freeway means economic development, connecting people with employment, entertainment and educational centers.

It requires a team to successfully undertake the extensive environmental review to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. The Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway represents the most extensive environmental review of any highway project to date in Arizona. The court’s ruling affirms the good work of the entire project team.

Besides the Federal Highway Administration, our partners include the city of Phoenix and the Maricopa Association of Governments. Both Phoenix and MAG have been strong allies in the project’s development for years and have guided ADOT in the planning, design and development phases. It is impossible to complete a project like this without strong partnerships, but ADOT is fortunate to have a solid team helping to move this project forward.

The South Mountain Freeway is a 22-mile corridor with a fixed $916 million contract for design and construction as Arizona’s first public-private partnership for a highway project. It is expected to open in late 2019.

For more information, please visit www.azdot.gov/SouthMountainFreeway.

This post originally appeared on ADOT Director John Halikowski's
LinkedIn page. He has led the agency since 2009.

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ADOT, archaeologists look to learn more about past before South Mountain Freeway construction

ADOT, archaeologists look to learn more about past before South Mountain Freeway construction

ADOT, archaeologists look to learn more about past before South Mountain Freeway construction

May 25, 2016

By Dustin Krugel / ADOT Communications

“Who knows only his own generation remains always a child.”
– University of Colorado President George Norlin, based on an inscription by Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero

This saying applies to the archaeological work the Arizona Department of Transportation is conducting in advance of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway project, according to Mark Chenault of WestLand Resources, an archaeological company contracted by ADOT.

“If you don’t know history, you don’t get the big picture of this life,” said Chenault, who says he knew at age 6 that he wanted to be an archaeologist.

On an early morning in May at a location along the 22-mile-long footprint of the freeway, a dozen or so archaeologists worked in an opening field, digging systematically in 5-foot-deep trenches. They were searching for signs that the prehistoric Hohokam built irrigation canals in this area.

This is one of 16 field investigations ADOT will be conducting following an archaeological survey during the freeway's study phase, which began in 2001.

It may come as a surprise that ADOT is one of the largest sponsors of archaeological research in Arizona. Prior to any transportation project, the agency studies the potential effects the environment, and it abides by environmental laws that are designed to preserve history and manage our cultural resources. This process often requires the aid of archaeologists.

Digging in a trench.

“Although ADOT is a transportation agency, environmental stewardship is very important,” said Linda Davis, ADOT Historic Preservation Team leader. “ADOT is very sensitive of the cultural sites that we encounter. We work closely with tribal communities to ensure the best preservation and protection when avoidance is not possible.”

While some may think of “Indiana Jones” when the topic of archaeologists comes up, Chenault said that’s far from the truth.

“A lot of people think archaeologists go out and find something that solves some big riddle, but it rarely works that way,” he said. “It’s a cumulative science, so we are getting information that we add to information gathered by archaeologists from decades prior to use. It gives us a bigger and fuller picture of what the Hohokam lifestyle was like.”

While some of these archaeological sites may be fenced off and/or have security guards, it’s for good reason.

“We are just trying to protect both the site and the public,” Chenault said. “We have open trenches there. We don’t want anyone falling in and getting hurt, but we also don’t want any damage to the site. So the fencing is for protection for everyone involved.”

In addition, state and federal historic preservation laws require some of the work to be confidential until the investigations are completed.

Eventually, all of the work that ADOT and the archaeologists complete will be documented in research reports available for the public to review, and future generations will be able to learn more about the area’s history. In addition, artifacts will be housed at the Huhugam Heritage Center on the Gila River Indian Community.

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South Mountain Freeway agreement delivers lower cost, shorter timeline

South Mountain Freeway agreement delivers lower cost, shorter timeline

South Mountain Freeway agreement delivers lower cost, shorter timeline

February 26, 2016

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation will deliver the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway three years sooner and at a cost savings topping $100 million by taking an innovative approach to selecting the team to design, build and maintain the highway.

“This is another example of government working at the speed of business to save taxpayer money and improve the lives of Arizonans,” said Governor Doug Ducey. "Thanks to hard work and collaboration, the South Mountain Freeway will be completed under budget and faster than expected.”

The Department of Transportation finalized a public-private partnership Friday with the project team – Connect 202 Partners – that will serve in all three roles.

“This first-of-its-kind highway contract in Arizona has not only reduced the overall cost but allowed ADOT to accelerate the entire project, meaning motorists will be able to benefit from this critical freeway sooner,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “That’s especially important in light of transportation needs today and into the future.”

The 22-mile 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 Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix. Approved twice by Maricopa County voters, the South Mountain Freeway will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system.

Connect 202 Partners will design and build the freeway corridor and provide maintenance for 30 years after construction. The team consists of Fluor Enterprises Inc., Granite Construction Co. and Ames Construction Inc., with Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. as the lead designer.

The fixed $916 million contract for design and construction makes this the largest highway project in state history.

The amount required for the overall project is approximately $122 million less than anticipated because of innovative approaches Connect 202 Partners proposed for construction and engineering, as well as reducing the amount of property that must be acquired for the freeway.

While the phrase public-private partnership may evoke visions of a toll road, that isn’t the case with the South Mountain Freeway. Instead, this agreement, ADOT’s first for a highway project, provides the advantages of lower cost and shorter timeline that come from having one team not only design and build the freeway, but maintain it afterward.

The original plan called for construction of the freeway as nine individual projects. But after receiving an unsolicited proposal for a public-private partnership in 2013, ADOT decided to seek proposals using that approach.

Connect 202 Partners was selected as the “best value” developer in December 2015 following an extensive review that led to a final list of three prospective developer teams in March 2015. ADOT encouraged these teams to propose innovative concepts that would save time and money while adhering to all environmental commitments.

Innovations proposed by Connect 202 Partners include optimizing the design of the freeway to reduce the amount of right-of-way needed and improving efficiency by reducing the amount of earth needing to be hauled by trucks. The project will include construction of a 15-foot-wide multi-use trail along the existing Pecos Road alignment from 40th Street to 17th Avenue.

Even with the lower cost made possible by a public-private partnership agreement, motorists will enjoy the same modern amenities they have been accustomed to for decades, including a high-capacity freeway with four lanes of traffic in each direction including HOV lanes, rubberized asphalt, access-controlled interchanges and aesthetics that reflect the nearby communities.

The South Mountain Freeway, which will be paid for with state, federal and voter-approved regional transportation funding, has been a critical part of the region’s transportation plans since voters approved the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Freeway Program in 1985. It also was part of the Regional Transportation Plan that Maricopa County voters approved in 2004.

“The award provides cost certainty on the largest transportation project in the Regional Transportation Plan,” said Scottsdale Mayor W.J. “Jim” Lane, chair of the Maricopa Association of Governments. “We now know the range of savings we can put toward the rest of the freeway program.”

Halikowski said support from the Maricopa Association of Governments, city of Phoenix and Federal Highway Administration has been essential to advancing the South Mountain Freeway.

Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2016. Pre-construction activities, including geotechnical and utility work and property acquisition and preparation, have been underway since spring 2015 after ADOT received final federal clearance to move forward.

For more information, visit azdot.gov/SouthMountainFreeway.

Red Mountain Freeway improvement project update

Red Mountain Freeway improvement project update

Red Mountain Freeway improvement project update

December 8, 2015

Crews started working on the Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) project in October 2014.

When we last checked in on the Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) project, crews were adding travel lanes, widening bridges and wrapping up the placement of rubberized asphalt…

Now, as many East Valley drivers can tell you, the project is pretty much finished!

“Since April, we’ve completed all of the widening of the roadway and the bridges and the new asphalt rubber is down,” said Transportation Engineering Specialist Craig Regulski. “Now, we’re just finishing up the final striping and getting the freeway management system up and running – basically, we’re finishing up the electrical work. All travel lanes are open, but there are still restrictions on some ramps.”

More about the project

Crews started working in October 2014 on the project that added one general purpose lane in each direction along Loop 202 between Loop 101 (Price Freeway) and Gilbert Road. The project also added a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane in both directions between Gilbert and Broadway roads. In all, this project has added lanes along nearly 20 miles of the Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway).

Besides the addition of new lanes and rubberized asphalt, this project also included the construction of both retaining and sound walls, drainage improvements, updating the existing overhead freeway signs, the installation of a new median freeway lighting system, and landscaping.

This project was built utilizing the design-build method of delivery, which involves pairing the design team with the construction team. This team then both designs and constructs the project.

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ADOT responds to filing of legal action against South Mountain Freeway

ADOT responds to filing of legal action against South Mountain Freeway

ADOT responds to filing of legal action against South Mountain Freeway

May 19, 2015

PHOENIX – While the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration have not yet had an opportunity to review in detail the legal action filed against the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, the agencies are confident that any legal challenges will find that the law was followed in coming to a decision to construct this long-planned freeway.

Following an extensive environmental review process that encompassed more than a decade of comprehensive analysis, with various formal and informal opportunities for the public to learn about the project and provide comment, ADOT received a Record of Decision from the Federal Highway Administration in March 2015 to proceed with the project. Throughout the process, nearly 8,000 formal comments from community members were documented, responded to and considered by the study team in coming to the decision to construct the freeway.

The South Mountain Freeway has been a critical part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Freeway Program since it was first included in funding approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985. It was part of the Regional Transportation Plan funding passed by Maricopa County voters in 2004 through Proposition 400, and this freeway is the last piece to complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system necessary for high-quality regional mobility. The South Mountain Freeway will significantly improve travel between the southeast and southwest areas of the Valley and help reduce congestion on Interstate 10. The freeway is also expected to promote economic development in the region.

The freeway will be constructed with four lanes in each direction – three general-use lanes and one HOV lane – and modern features that have made Arizona freeways stand apart from other states for a generation, including rubberized asphalt and aesthetics designed in partnership with the community. Construction of the $1.75 billion project is expected to take about four years under an innovative public-private partnership that will have a private developer design, construct and maintain the freeway for 30 years. This public-private partnership will reduce costs to taxpayers while accelerating construction.

For more information, or to review the extensive environmental documentation, visit www.azdot.gov/SouthMountainFreeway.

Work continues on Loop 202 improvement project

Work continues on Loop 202 improvement project

Work continues on Loop 202 improvement project

April 30, 2015

It has been a while since we last updated you on the Loop 202 widening project, but if you’re an East Valley driver, you’ve probably noticed the progress.

Crews started working in October 2014 on the project that, when complete, will add one regular traffic lane in each direction along Loop 202 between Loop 101 (Price Freeway) and Gilbert Road. The project also adds High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes in both directions between Gilbert and Broadway roads. In all, this project will add lanes along nearly 20 miles of the Red Mountain Freeway.

Besides the addition of new lanes, this project also includes construction of retaining walls and sound walls, improving the freeway management system (FMS), drainage improvements and installation of updated signs, freeway lighting and landscaping. A new layer of rubberized asphalt is in the plans, too.

Right now, as you can see in the photos above, crews are continuing work on the project and things are really coming together…

Rubberized asphalt paving between Broadway and Power Roads is scheduled to wrap up this week; however the extra lanes won’t open to traffic until the remainder of the project is paved. Paving on segment two (from Gilbert Road to Country Club Drive) is also nearing completion.

On segment three, between Power and Gilbert roads, crews are busy placing Portland Cement Concrete Pavement, which is what the rubberized asphalt eventually goes on top of. On segment one, from Country Club Drive to Loop 101, crews have the girders set for bridges to be widened at Country Club Drive and Alma School Road.

What drivers need to know
East Valley motorists should be aware of some upcoming restrictions that will impact traffic on the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway:

Loop 202 westbound will be closed between Greenfield Road and Country Club Drive for milling and paving from 10 p.m. Friday (May 1) to 5 a.m. Monday (May 4).
Loop 202 eastbound will be closed between Country Club Drive and Greenfield Road for milling and paving from 10 p.m. Friday (May 8) to 5 a.m. Monday (May 11).

This project also has a long-term closure in place on the Loop 202 on- and off-ramps at McKellips Road. The ramps will be closed through early October and if you’re looking for a detour, you can use the on- and off-ramps at Alma School Road, Country Club Drive and Gilbert Road.

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Transportation Defined: Bailey Bridge

Transportation Defined: Bailey Bridge

Transportation Defined: Bailey Bridge

April 9, 2015

Located on the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway near the Val Vista Drive exit, this bridge/conveyor belt transports freshly mixed concrete to the work zone.

If you’ve driven recently on the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway, you might recognize the structure pictured to the right.

It sits near the Val Vista Drive exit, spanning westbound travel lanes, and while it’s not something you might see on every work site, it serves an important function on this project.

Referred to as a Bailey Bridge, which according to the Federal Highway Administration, is a temporary, prefabricated steel bridge that’s easy to transport, the structure shown above utilizes a conveyer belt to transport freshly mixed concrete from the batch plant just off the freeway to the median where crews are working to add an HOV lane.

It’s sort of brilliant because using the conveyor belt to move concrete over the freeway to the work zone saves countless truck trips. If the structure wasn’t there, trucks would have to be loaded up with concrete at the batch plant, get onto the freeway, and cross over several lanes to the work zone in the median.

Now, trucks can be staged within the work area without having to impact traffic – the concrete comes to them!

Transportation Defined is a series of explanatory blog posts designed to define the things you see on your everyday commute. Let us know if there's something you'd like to see explained ... leave a comment here on the blog or over on our Facebook page!

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Transportation projects in 2015 to drive economic development in Arizona

Transportation projects in 2015 to drive economic development in Arizona

Transportation projects in 2015 to drive economic development in Arizona

February 5, 2015

PHOENIX — The new year is shaping up to be a big year for the Arizona Department of Transportation, as the agency will be working on several new and existing projects that will aid economic development and support the efficient movement of goods and services across the state.

All of the projects will be funded with federal and state highway funds, which are collected through gas and vehicle license taxes. In the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas, voters have approved supplemental tax revenue that enables more transportation projects to move forward in their respective regions.

Phoenix-Area Projects for 2015

Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway
ADOT expects to release the Record of Decision for the long-proposed South Mountain Freeway this spring and work toward selecting a contractor for the proposed $1.9 billion project. The 22-mile-long freeway would run east and west along Pecos Road and then turn north between 55th and 63rd avenues, connecting with I-10 on each end. The South Mountain Freeway is also part of the Regional Transportation Plan funding passed by Maricopa County voters in 2004 through Proposition 400.

Loop 101 and Loop 202 Widening Projects in East Valley
Much of the focus on freeway improvements in the metro Phoenix area will remain on projects that broke ground in 2014 and are due for completion in 2016. The $73 million Loop 101 widening project between Shea Boulevard and Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) in the Scottsdale area is adding an additional lane in each direction along 11 miles of the Pima Freeway, as well as merge lanes between most major interchanges. The $109 million project to widen the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway between Loop 101 in Tempe and Broadway Road in east Mesa also will advance, with new general purpose lanes being added between Loop 101 and Gilbert Road, along with HOV lanes between Gilbert Road and Broadway Road.

Interstate 10/Loop 303 Interchange
Among the new freeway projects scheduled to start this year is the “south half” of the Interstate 10/Loop 303 Interchange, which will complete all ramp connections between the two freeways in Goodyear. Work is expected to start this fall. The north half of the interchange opened last August and, combined with a widened Loop 303 north of I-10, has been embraced by West Valley communities as much-needed infrastructure to help drive economic development in the region.

Additional Loop 303 Improvements in Northwest Valley
Farther north along Loop 303, ADOT will launch a project to add an interchange at El Mirage Road by this spring. The new interchange will be built at the same time that crews are improving Loop 303 into a six-lane freeway between Grand Avenue (US 60) and Happy Valley Parkway in Peoria. A third project already underway is creating improved connections at the Loop 303/Grand Avenue interchange. All three projects are scheduled for completion in 2016.

US 60 Improvements in Surprise
Also in Surprise, a project to build a Bell Road bridge over Grand Avenue (US 60) and new ramps connecting the two roadways is scheduled to start late in the year, after a design-build contracting team is selected by ADOT.

Tucson-Area Projects for 2015

Interstate 19 Traffic Interchange Reconstruction (Ajo Way)
In 2015, ADOT will begin work to replace the existing Interstate 19 traffic interchange at State Route 86, also known as Ajo Way, with a single-point urban interchange. The modern interchange will feature a single set of traffic signals, rather than signals at multiple locations. The $86 million project is expected to improve traffic flow and enhance safety for motorists traveling through Tucson’s southwest side. Construction is expected to continue through 2017 and will also include widening I-19 from Ajo Way to Irvington Road and widening SR 86 to three lanes in each direction between 16th Avenue and Holiday Isle.

State Route 77 Widening (Tangerine Road to Pinal County Line)
After starting work in summer 2014, ADOT will continue efforts to upgrade a six-mile section of SR 77 (Oracle Road) between Tangerine Road and the Pinal county line from two lanes to three lanes in each direction. Along with widening the roadway, planned improvements include raised medians, traffic signal and drainage improvements, wildlife crossings, sound walls and multiuse paths. The $33.9 million project is slated to take two years to complete.

State Route 86 Widening (Valencia to Kinney Roads)
In 2015, ADOT is expected to begin construction on expanding SR 86 (Ajo Highway) in each direction from Valencia to Kinney roads in Pima County, 10 miles west of downtown Tucson. This seven-mile-long, $55 million project in Pima County will enhance safety and improve traffic flow on the highway, which serves as a regional transportation route between Tucson and south-central Arizona. SR 86 provides access to the Tohono O'odham Nation and is widely used to reach the popular tourist destination in Mexico called Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point.

Statewide Projects for 2015

Northern Arizona

US 93 Widening (State Route 71 to State Route 89 and Antelope Wash sections)
ADOT will continue long-standing efforts to transform the heavily traveled corridor between Phoenix and Las Vegas into a modern four-lane divided highway throughout the entire 200-mile stretch with two US 93 widening projects this year. After beginning last year, ADOT will complete upgrading a three-mile segment of US 93 (Antelope Wash), located approximately 20 miles north of Wikieup (mileposts 101-104) this summer. A second US 93 widening project (State Route 71 to State Route 89), just north of Wickenburg (mileposts 185-190), is expected to break ground this spring.

State Route 89A Spot Widening (Vista Overlook to JW Powell)
This $22.5 million project is slated to improve safety and traffic flow by widening the roadway and constructing passing lanes entering and exiting Oak Creek Canyon through an eight-mile stretch from the popular tourist destination Vista Overlook to the JW Powell interchange, three miles south of Flagstaff. Design of the project is nearly complete and ADOT hopes to start construction this year.

Interstate 40 Pavement Improvements (various projects)
ADOT has several major resurfacing projects in the works along the nearly 360-mile-long I-40, which is one of Arizona’s Key Commerce Corridors, as it stretches from California to the New Mexico state line, Three major pavement preservation projects are set to take place in 2015. This spring will complete final paving on the Rattlesnake Wash to US 93 (mileposts 57-72) section east of Kingman after the project began last summer. Later this year, ADOT will start two new resurfacing projects east of Flagstaff, including the Navajo county line to Minnetonka (milepost 250-259) and Walnut Canyon to Twin Arrows (milepost 214-218) segments.

US 89 Landslide Repairs (near Bitter Springs)
ADOT is scheduled to reopen US 89 south of Page after the highway was closed on Feb. 20, 2013 after a landslide caused serious damage to the highway near the Echo Cliffs. Major work on the repairs began on Aug. 11, 2014 as crews began excavating nearly one million cubic yards of rock near the highway to build a buttress, which will stabilize and reinforce the mountain slope that carries the roadway. The $25 million repair project remains on target to reopen to traffic this spring, in advance of this summer’s tourism season in Page and Lake Powell.

Southern Arizona

US 60 Widening (Silver King/Superior Streets)
This spring, ADOT is expected to start a project to convert the last remaining two-lane roadway segment on US 60 between Phoenix and Superior into a modern, four-lane divided highway. The $45 million project (mileposts 222-227), which will also include improving the urban section of highway in Superior, is expected to take two years to complete.

US 95 Fortuna Wash Bridge
This $13.5 million project is part of a larger corridor improvement project for US 95, the north and south corridor between Yuma and Quartzsite. US 95 is also the main route to the Yuma Proving Ground, which is one of the largest employers in Yuma County and one of the Army’s busiest training sites in the U.S. This project includes a bridge over Fortuna Wash, which often floods during heavy rains. This project is scheduled to begin in the spring.

US 95 San Luis Street Improvements
This $11 million project includes reconfiguring San Luis Port of Entry traffic off US 95 in San Luis to facilitate business along Main Street. The project, which began in October 2014, will help the circulation of traffic, enhance pedestrian safety and improve access to downtown businesses near the U.S.-Mexico international border. Work will be completed this year.

Major Studies

Interstate 11
ADOT’s Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study continues to move forward. This year, work will begin on an Environmental Impact Statement which will allow ADOT to begin an environmental study in the area between Nogales and Wickenburg, part of the proposed Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor. The $15 million Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement is expected to take three years to complete, once work gets underway later this year. Interstate 11, which will connect Arizona to the entire Intermountain West, is one of our state’s Key Commerce Corridors. I-11 is being planned as a multimodal freight corridor and a manufacturing belt that will drive trade, commerce, job growth and economic development while facilitating strong connections to other major markets.

Passenger Rail
The next major step for ADOT’s Passenger Rail Corridor Study: Tucson to Phoenix is to publish the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for public review. Three public hearings will be held later this year in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties to allow community members to comment on the recommendations of the study. Following the public review process, the final recommendations and environmental considerations will be issued on the Final Environmental Impact Statement for federal approval. ADOT is currently evaluating three final rail alternatives. The Passenger Rail Corridor Study is expected to be completed later this year. ADOT’s mission is to evaluate and implement modes of transportation to provide a well-balanced, flexible transportation system that moves people and commerce throughout Arizona.

Project timelines explained

Project timelines explained

Project timelines explained

November 4, 2014

The Loop 101 widening project started in August.

A couple of improvement projects happening right now on the Loop 101 and the Loop 202 are seemingly similar, but each has their own distinct timeline...

Work on the Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) got started this month and the plans call for a majority of the project (Country Club Drive to Broadway Road) to be finished by summer 2015. The portion of the project that stretches from Loop 101 to Country Club Drive will wrap up in December 2015. Crews will come back the following spring to place rubberized asphalt.

Over on the Loop 101, a widening project that kicked off in August is scheduled for completion by late 2016.

How can that be, you might ask? (Actually, one of our readers did ask, which is what spurred the idea for this post. We get some really great questions here on the ADOT Blog!)

While the projects might sound comparable – they both include lane additions, signage, lighting, etc – they actually have many differences.

One of the major differences has to do with the project delivery methods being used.

The Loop 101 effort is a “Design-Bid-Build” project, which means that ADOT (or a consulting engineer working for the department) designs the project, solicits bids and then awards a contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder to build the project.

The Loop 202 work is a being completed as a “Design-Build” project. We’ve blogged about this method before, but in case you don’t have time to read that post right now, just know that the Design-Build concept involves pairing a design team with a construction team to create one, synergistic entity that delivers a freeway project from beginning to end. While there are advantages to using the Design-Build method (it’s faster), it’s not a great fit for all projects.

Delivery methods aren’t the only differences between the projects on the Loops 101 and 202. Project restrictions also factor into the two timelines.

The Loop 101 is located in a busy corridor in the Phoenix area. In addition to the daily traffic (173,000 cars per day!), the Loop 101 is also the only connection to Scottsdale from the east side of the Valley. That means the Loop 101 project has many restrictions on when the roads can and cannot be closed. The project has 27 restrictions that spell out when the contractor cannot have any closures (some examples include the days leading up to the Super Bowl and Spring Training).

Loop 202 is also used by many motorists, but not as many as the segment being improved on Loop 101. There are also fewer big events in the area. These two conditions allow crews to work on this project more days out of the year.

One more difference between the two projects has to do with how each is being widened.

The Loop 101 project is being widened to the outside, meaning that lanes are being added to the outside edge of the freeway. This is a more time-consuming process than adding lanes to the inside.

It takes longer because the work is impacting the ramps that are used to get people on and off the roadway. Because of this, the project has restrictions on how it can be built so traffic can have access to Loop 101 at all times.

“Anytime we close the cross road to build the bridge, the ramps and the ramps on adjacent streets are utilized as a detours. This means that when we are building a bridge we cannot have any closures on the adjacent roads or ramps,” says Loop 101 Project Manager Dan Haskins. “To build the project we have had to analyze what closures we want to take and make sure that no work is taking place that will cause any restrictions to the cross street or to access the Loop 101.”

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Work begins on Loop 202 improvement project

Work begins on Loop 202 improvement project

Work begins on Loop 202 improvement project

October 23, 2014

Loop 202 Project Segment Map

Attention East Valley motorists: ADOT’s newest freeway widening project in the Phoenix area has started this week along Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway*) in Mesa.

Scheduled for completion by spring 2016, the $109-million project will add one regular traffic lane in each direction along Loop 202 between Loop 101 (Price Freeway) and Gilbert Road. Crews will also be extending the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes between Gilbert and Broadway roads.

In all, this project will add lanes along nearly 20 miles of the Red Mountain Freeway.

Besides the addition of new lanes, this project also includes bridge widening, construction of retaining walls and sound walls, drainage improvements and installation of updated signs, freeway lighting and landscaping. A new layer of rubberized asphalt is in the plans, too.

Here’s what drivers will need to know

The current existing number of travel lanes will be maintained during weekday rush hours, with most restrictions limited to nighttime hours and weekends.

Full closures of sections of Loop 202 are scheduled over the next two weekends to allow crews to set up work zones by shifting traffic lanes and placing temporary concrete barrier walls:

Westbound Loop 202 will be closed between McDowell Road and Country Club Drive from 10 p.m. Friday (Oct. 24) to 5 a.m. Monday (Oct. 27) for work zone setup. Westbound freeway traffic will detour along McKellips Road. Drivers are encouraged to consider other alternate routes, including westbound US 60 (Superstition Freeway).
The following weekend, eastbound Loop 202 is scheduled to be closed between Country Club Drive and Power Road from 10 p.m. Friday (Oct. 31) to 5 a.m. Monday (Nov. 3) for work zone setup. Eastbound freeway traffic will detour along McKellips Road. Drivers also should consider other alternate routes, including eastbound US 60.

Crews have also been performing preliminary work during overnight hours this week (Oct. 20-23) along Loop 202 between Broadway and Brown roads in east Mesa. The freeway remains open with lane restrictions during the overnight work.

* Having a hard time knowing your Red Mountain from your Santan or your Price from your Pima?? Check out this blog post and map for some help understanding all the Valley freeway names.

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