The last time we checked in on the Loop 303 project, crews were getting ready to initiate a traffic switch on a segment between Mountain View Boulevard and Peoria Avenue…

Today, as ADOT gears up for another traffic switch (this one is between Glendale and Peoria Avenues), we thought we’d take one more look at all the progress that’s happening on the project.

But first, let us fill you in on what you’ll need to know for this weekend.

Loop 303 is going to be closed between Cactus Road and Glendale Avenue from 9 p.m. tonight (Sept. 13) to 5 a.m. on Monday (Sept. 16).

Glendale Avenue and Cactus Road will remain open to east-west traffic. Drivers can use Sarival Avenue as a detour.

Views of the Loop 303 at Bell Road.

After this freeway work is completed, rubberized asphalt will be in place and drivers will be able to use three lanes in each direction as well as the overpasses at Peoria, Olive and Northern avenues (traffic currently travels on one lane in each direction from Glendale Ave. to Peoria Ave.).

This is a major milestone for the project that, when complete, will provide a fast and convenient travel option for West Valley motorists.

The Loop 303 was once a two-lane roadway that is transforming into a modern freeway (with three travel lanes in each direction between I-10 and I-17!).

Looking ahead

Over the next two weekends, workers will return to place rubberized asphalt on northbound lanes between Peoria Avenue and Mountain View Boulevard, with full northbound closures on Loop 303 to facilitate this work.

Once that work is complete, all three northbound lanes will open to traffic and that portion of the project will be finished (another major milestone!).

For a look at the project’s evolution, check out our previous posts.

We like to check in, from time to time, on the Loop 303 project…

Over the past two years we’ve been able to see a 14-mile stretch of the freeway open to traffic, witness the start of construction on new segments and mark many, many milestones along the way.

West Valley commuters already know this, but the once two-lane roadway really is transforming into a modern freeway right in front of our eyes.

And, that transformation continues still, as you can see in the video above.

Work is in the final stages on the segment between Mountain View Boulevard and Peoria Avenue –construction should be complete in fall of this year. But before that, drivers will notice a big difference in mid-July. Traffic, which is presently traveling on the completed northbound lanes while crews work on the southbound side, will begin using both north- and southbound lanes on July 15.

Construction also is well underway on the Peoria Avenue-Thomas Road stretch. Work on that portion of the Loop 303 is expected to be complete in fall 2014.

Then, there’s the big Loop 303/I-10 traffic interchange. It’s more than 60 percent complete and should be open to drivers by fall 2014. A traffic switch is planned along I-10 in mid-July and late-August.

When complete, the Loop 303 will stretch 39 miles from I-17 to I-10. Not only is it expected to provide both commercial and residential growth in the West Valley, it’s also going to provide a fast and convenient travel option for motorists.

“It’s going to be really great for commuters,” says ADOT Senior Community Relations Officer Michelle Thompson. “If you work or live in the West Valley, this is really going to cut down on your drive time.”

Check out some of our previous blog posts.

If you’ve driven the Loop 303 recently, you know that construction is now in full swing from I-10 all the way up to Mountain View Boulevard near US 60 (Grand Avenue)…

Crews are working to turn what was a two-lane roadway into a modern freeway (three lanes in each direction).

While the entire corridor won’t be finished until 2014, there is a section in Surprise – from Peoria Avenue to Mountain View Boulevard – that is nearly 90 percent complete. That means by around mid-July, drivers in the West Valley will notice a big difference along this six-mile stretch!

Not only will there be three lanes in each direction, but the project also includes a median, auxiliary lanes and signalized traffic interchanges at Bell, Greenway, Waddell and Cactus Roads.

The freeway will be essentially finished (along the Peoria Avenue to Mountain View Boulevard portion only), but crews will need to come back in the fall to place rubberized asphalt.

On the project site Right now, crews have paved most of the southbound lanes. You might remember that the northbound side was completed first (north- and southbound traffic now travels along a portion of the improved northbound lanes).

Retaining walls and the sound walls are up, too.

Crews continue to work on curb and gutters, lights, fencing, and cable barriers. They’ll also be stabilizing the slopes on the project with seeding and wattles. On the heels of this section’s completion, a landscaping project will start up to spruce up the freeway-facing areas.

Drivers will also notice that the portable batch plant will soon be moved from its current spot at Greenway Road to a location further south, so that it may be used for other portions of the Loop 303.

Drivers might also have observed two piles of dirt near the Grand Avenue and Loop 303 intersection. That is dirt that’s been excavated as a part of this project. It will be recycled and used once work starts on the 303/Grand Avenue traffic interchange.

Select photo to view album.

Time sure does fly...

Construction started on the Loop 303/I-10 interchange project last winter, but now, only about one year later, work on the future freeway-to-freeway connection is 50 percent complete!

To mark the milestone, we thought we’d share a look at the project’s progress. So, enjoy the photos, and for more information, there are a few important sites you can continue to check regularly:

• For updates on all things Loop 303 and to take a virtual drive of the interchange, visit the project page.
• For details on how construction will impact your commute, check out the closures and restrictions page.
• And, of course, you can always revisit some of our previous project posts here on the blog!

Driven the Loop 303 lately?

If you have, you know things are looking very different than they did about a year ago…

That’s when work got under way on a project designed to transform the two-lane roadway into a modern urban freeway.*

Right now construction on the segment from Peoria Avenue to Mountain View Boulevard is 60 percent complete and crews are getting ready to switch traffic over to the newly completed northbound lanes so work can continue on the southbound lanes – more on that tomorrow.

Today we’re focused on how far the project has come!

It was just April when the project was at the 30 percent mark. Back then, work was wrapping up on the bridges being built at Waddell and Greenway roads.

Now crews are working on the Cactus Road bridge … they’re also working on finishing touches for those northbound lanes – things like curbs and gutters, retaining walls, signage and striping (see photos).

After the big traffic switch (again, more on that tomorrow!), crews will immediately get started on building the southbound lanes. So, commuters who regularly drive the 303 can expect to see a lot of the work they’ve been seeing for the past year – just on the other side of the freeway.

More on the project
This portion of the Loop 303 Improvement Project is scheduled to wrap up by fall 2013. When complete, this six mile stretch of Loop 303 will include three lanes in each direction with a median, auxiliary lanes and signalized traffic interchanges at Bell, Greenway, Waddell and Cactus Roads.

* Today we’re just talking about a six-mile stretch of the Loop 303 between Mountain View Boulevard and Peoria Avenue. The entire freeway stretches from I-10 in Goodyear to I-17 in Phoenix and a few different projects are under way along the 39-mile span.

West Valley drivers have, no doubt, already noticed there’s a lot happening over on the I-10/Loop 303 interchange project, but for the rest of you, we thought we’d provide a quick update…

Just back in July, a couple of new ramps opened up at I-10/Sarival Avenue (an eastbound on-ramp and westbound off-ramp). And, since then, two additional ramps have opened – a new westbound I-10 on-ramp and eastbound off-ramp at Citrus Road.

Now that those ramps are open to drivers, ADOT has been able to move forward with the permanent closing of the I-10 on- and off-ramps at Cotton Lane and the partial closure of Cotton Lane and Loop 303 through fall 2014 (see map above). The closures are necessary so crews can continue to work on the Loop 303/I-10 interchange (you can take a “virtual” look at the future interchange online).

When the $134 million interchange project in Goodyear is complete, I-10 access to Cotton Lane will be restored via frontage roads stretching between Sarival Avenue and Citrus Road.

Besides the new interchange, ADOT is working on a series of ongoing projects that will modernize Loop 303 into a six-lane freeway between I-10 and Grand Avenue by late 2014.

What if Wouldn’t it be nice to see what a new road is going to look like before it’s built in your community?

We’re talking about more than just a two-dimensional map…

you were able to “virtually” drive on the new stretch of road and see the views around your neighborhood? Imagine if you could get a glimpse of what a freeway ramp would look like from the vantage of the road?

Sounds like something out of science-fiction, right?

Wrong. The future is here today!

OK, maybe we’re exaggerating a bit. But, ADOT does have a new tool that allows you to get an idea of what the new Loop 303/I-10 ramps will look like once they’re finished.

Developed in cooperation with ASU’s Decision Theater, the virtual drive utilizes Google Earth so you can experience the new drive virtually.

It’s pretty cool and we invite you to go give it a try. Even if you don’t live or work in the West Valley, it’s still fun to take a look!

There’s even a comprehensive tutorial in case you need a little help getting started.

This tool is a new one for ADOT and we definitely want to know your thoughts on whether or not taking a virtual drive gives you a better understanding of the project. That’s why there’s an online survey you can take after you “drive” around a bit on the site.

More about the project
When this portion of the project is complete in 2014, drivers can expect many improvements, including ramp connections between Loop 303 and I-10 and a widened Loop 303 (it’s going to be a six-lane freeway – three lanes in each direction!) extending from I-10 in Goodyear to US 60 in Surprise.

You can always find details about the project on the Loop 303 project Web page and, of course, we’ll continue to keep you updated here on the blog!

Sound walls are built to block sound waves and … actually, that’s about all they’re designed to do.

Despite serving pretty much just one single purpose, sound walls are important features in freeway design – especially to those living near a freeway. That’s because, if they’re doing their job right, sound walls very effectively reduce the traffic noise that reaches a nearby residential area.

But, you probably know all this, especially if you read the blog post from over a year ago where we detailed some of the methods ADOT employs to minimize noise impacts and described how sound walls work.

So, why are we blogging about noise again?

It’s because several sound walls are being built in the residential areas along Loop 303 and I-10 and we thought it’d be the perfect time to revisit sound walls and provide some fresh information.

Noise Mitigation and the Loop 303 project
Sound walls are going in on the Loop 303 project where warranted in accordance with scientific noise studies.

You might remember from our previous blog post that ADOT has one of the most progressive noise-reduction policies in the nation. Federal law mandates that DOTs mitigate noise when the decibel level is 67 and higher, but ADOT has taken it a step further and considers 64 decibels to be the acceptable threshold to consider noise abatement for new projects.

Right now six walls are under construction in the Surprise stretch of the project and other walls are slated for areas within the 303/I-10 interchange section.

Residents might have noticed the rebar “cages” that are being constructed along with the wall footing that’s being poured. Concrete footing, by the way, serves as the wall’s foundation and is being poured at a rate of about 400 feet per day.

After the rebar is placed and the footing is poured, crews backfill the footing with dirt, build wall and paint it. The sound walls in this area of the project will be 14-18 feet tall and should be finished by spring 2013.

We’ve followed along pretty closely as work on the Loop 303 has started to transform this two-lane freeway into a major transportation corridor for drivers in the West Valley…

First there was the 14-mile segment that opened a year ago – it stretches from Happy Valley Parkway to I-17.

Next, work started last summer on the six miles of freeway between Mountain View Boulevard and Peoria Avenue. Then, earlier this year crews began on the Loop 303/I-10 interchange.

Now we have two more projects to tell you about!

The Arizona State Transportation Board recently awarded contracts worth a total of $96.6 million for the additional sections of Loop 303 – stretching a total of five miles – between Thomas and Camelback roads and between Glendale and Peoria avenues.

That means that expansion work will soon be under way along nearly the entire length of the Loop 303 between I-10 and US 60 (Grand Avenue). We want to remind you to take precautions when driving through active work zones and prepare for a little extra travel time in case of delays.

Work on both of the new sections will begin next month. The two-mile segment between Thomas and Camelback roads is scheduled for completion by summer 2014. The three-mile stretch between Glendale and Peoria avenues will wrap up in fall 2014 and includes the construction of the Northern Parkway interchange and a one-mile section of Northern Parkway between Loop 303 and Sarival Avenue.

The sixth and final segment (between Camelback Road and Glendale Avenue) is scheduled to start this fall and be completed by fall 2014, under the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan. We will, of course, tell you all about this portion of the project when work begins!

Keep an eye on this blog for more on the Loop 303 improvement project. You also can sign up for e-mail updates and get additional traffic alerts and project details on our Phoenix Metro Projects page.