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.

We don’t know about you, but the Loop 303 improvement project sure has taught us lot about building a freeway …

So far, we have come to understand more about soffit fills and waste slabs than we ever thought possible. We’ve also learned quite a bit about false work and sand jacks, bridges, temporary bypasses, caissons and even dirt.

With the amount of work that’s been accomplished already, it’s hard to believe this is a project that got its start just eight months ago. Work is already about 30 percent complete and, as Sr. Community Relations Officer Kim Noetzel says in the video above, construction is on schedule to wrap up on time by the fall of 2013.

A little more about the project …

This six-mile phase stretches from US 60 (Grand Avenue) down to Peoria Avenue in the city of Surprise. When work is complete, motorists can expect a six-lane freeway with three general purpose lanes in each direction. This section of the project also includes the construction of three new bridges at Waddell, Cactus and Greenway roads.

ADOT and the contractor have worked to keep traffic flowing as work on the project moves forward … phasing of the project has helped with that, along with the construction of the temporary bypass used by crews to haul dirt.

“We have active construction going on adjacent to the existing travel lanes,” Noetzel said. “So we’ve been able to maintain two lanes of travel on Loop 303 and then, not far away, we’re actually building this new freeway.”

In upcoming months …

Commuters can expect work on the bridge at Waddell Road to finish sometime in June, with the Greenway interchange scheduled for completion sometime in August or September. Crews will begin on that Cactus interchange soon.

As the work progresses, we’ll continue to keep you updated … who knows what we’ll learn about next?

Work on the six-mile phase of the Loop 303 improvement project began just eight months ago and already crews have moved an amazing 1.5 million cubic yards of dirt!

But, they’ve done a lot more than that and next week we’ll show you a video chronicling the progress so far – this portion of the project (between Peoria Avenue and Mountain View Boulevard in Surprise) is about 30 percent complete and on schedule!

We won’t blame you if you see this green slope at the Loop 303 and US 60 (Grand Avenue) and think it's part of a St. Patrick’s Day stunt, but we promise this is no gimmick!

The mound of dirt is green for good reason, albeit one that has nothing to do with tomorrow’s holiday …

ADOT crews just seeded it with a wonderful mix of desert flowers and groundcover plant material.

The seed mixture is actually sprayed on and has an all-natural green dye in it. This dye helps whoever is doing the spraying make sure they get full coverage. In time, the dye will fade, so the slope won’t be green forever!

If we get some nice spring rains, we should see things blooming and growing on the slope in about 45 days.

About now, you might be wondering what this dirt mound is doing ... just sitting there. Maybe you're also asking why ADOT goes to the trouble of seeding slopes like this one.

Well, as part of the Loop 303 Improvement Project, crews had to excavate and haul about 150,000 cubic yards of dirt away from the roadway alignment south of US 60 so bridges could be built at Waddell and Cactus roads.

They hauled the dirt to this location just for the time being.

In the future when it comes time to build the interim traffic interchange at US 60 and Loop 303, this dirt will be used during construction.

But, by seeding it now ADOT is able to control dust. The vegetation that grows will cover the soil and prevent dust (landform graphics work in a similar manner). Seeding also helps prevent erosion.

So, even though there’s no St. Patrick’s Day connection, we’ll take this chance to wish you a little luck of the Irish anyway!

Last week we were asked on Facebook to provide an update on the Loop 303 project – specifically the bridge construction at Waddell Road.

We’re happy to oblige! We also are glad to report that the bridge construction is progressing as planned.

Crews are scheduled to pour the southbound stem walls this week and the northbound stem walls in early April. By the way, stem walls are supporting structures that join the foundation with the vertical walls built on the foundation.

With stem walls in place, crews will move onto deck work.

Interestingly, they’ll be forming “lost decks,” so named because the materials ADOT uses in the formwork will remain inside the bridge structure for the lifespan of the bridge.

Looking ahead, the schedule calls for deck pours in late April and, by May, drivers should see crews excavating the dirt mound that sits out there today.

That dirt mound actually plays a very important role: It’s a dirt soffit that is supporting the bridge structure during the construction process until the bridge can support itself.

Another look at the work being done near Waddell Road.

For this project, ADOT is using the dirt-soffit method – which saves both time and money – during bridge construction instead of the false work method that most people are accustomed to seeing.

The dirt-soffit method can be used because the bridges being built do not need to maintain traffic flow during the construction process.

The Waddell Road Bridge should be complete this summer and Waddell Road will re-open. Then, work will move a mile south to Cactus Road and repeat the process during bridge construction there. Fear not local motorists: We will not close Cactus Road until we have fully re-opened Waddell Road!

Stay tuned to the blog for more on the Loop 303 project ... next week we’ve got a video coming your way that helps explain how crews build a bridge from the ground up!

Remember this awesome time-lapse video showing the construction of a temporary bypass at Greenway Road and the Loop 303?

Well, today we’ve got an even more in-depth look at how crews built the new intersection – complete with temporary barriers, fences and traffic signals – in just about 43 hours! (Take a look at the photos below for an amazing before and after aerial glimpse of the new bypass!)

Having this new intersection/bypass in place is pretty critical for the rest of the work being completed on the Loop 303 (the project is in its second phase and stretches from Mountain View Boulevard to Peoria Avenue).

The temporary intersection not only helps motorists avoid the work zone, but the incorporation of an equipment pass-through will assist crews as they haul an estimated 75,000 loads of dirt away from the site to build the Greenway Road overpass.

“We started back in August working on this knowing that getting Greenway and the 303 relocated on the detour was going to set this project in motion,” Loop 303 Project Supervisor Mark Wheeler said.

Check out the video above and you’ll see that it took some real coordination to complete the work in such a short period of time (bonus points if you also see the lunar eclipse at about the 1:42 mark).

This photo is from December and shows the new bypass.