PHOENIX – While providing a much-needed alternative to Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix, the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway offers drivers a variety of distinctive designs and landscaping influenced by the natural beauty and history along its 22 miles.

Designs displayed on bridges, sound walls and landform graphics range from a leaf-patterned agricultural theme near Laveen to simple shapes based on chollas and ocotillos in the Ahwatukee Foothills. Closer to I-10 in Ahwatukee, drivers see horizontal patterns inspired by modern architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s connection with that area.

Near the Salt River, drivers see curving linear shapes and decorative elements that speak to water passing over rock through time. A “mountain urban link” pattern where South Mountain Freeway meets I-10 in west Phoenix combines influences from mountain views with the work of both Frank Lloyd Wright and architect, urban designer and artist Paolo Soleri.

“Design choices are an important part of providing quality freeways for today and for future generations,” said LeRoy Brady, ADOT’s chief landscape architect. “They enhance the experience of those who use the South Mountain Freeway.”

Complementing these designs are landscape themes, such as the saguaros, native trees, colorful plants and coral-colored granite that enhance the transition between Ahwatukee and I-10 in the East Valley. In the Ahwatukee Foothills, the landscaping combines salvaged native plants with new plants.

Near Laveen, green and colorful plants complement brown granite to celebrate that area’s agricultural heritage. From the Salt River north to I-10, the landscaping includes bold shapes, brilliantly colored plants and gold-colored granite, while the freeway-to-freeway interchange in west Phoenix blends I-10’s existing landscape theme with gold-colored granite.

“Together, these aesthetic and landscape character areas tell stories by highlighting land use, land forms and history,” Brady said.

With the freeway now open to traffic, crews are continuing to complete landscaping in areas.

ADOT developed these concepts, which were presented for public input, in collaboration with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Cosanti Foundation.

In Ahwatukee, an entire aesthetic character area is inspired by the 1920s camp, near what is now 32nd Street, where Frank Lloyd Wright produced designs for a desert resort that was never built after the 1929 stock market crash.

“Frank Lloyd Wright was inspired by Arizona’s desert surroundings, especially the area south of South Mountain,” Brady said. “He loved the area. He loved looking south across the desert landscape. It was important that we capture his view of this area in our designs.”

Working with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, ADOT’s project team designed simple patterns celebrating the area’s landscape and vegetation. Because the wood walls of Wright’s camp featured bold horizontal lines echoing the desert floor and long horizons, South Mountain Freeway sound walls have horizontal lines, in contrast to vertical lines used for sound walls along other Valley freeways.

“It represents the Arizona Department of Transportation’s foresight that this could be a pivotal project not only because of its size but also in its expression of the historical context it passes through,” said architect Victor Sidy, who worked with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation on the project.

PHOENIX – After spending time in temporary nurseries, more than 1,000 saguaro cactuses, palo verde trees and other native plants removed from the path of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway are now being used to grace the 22-mile corridor.

Other plants salvaged and being replanted for the Arizona Department of Transportation’s largest-ever highway project include ironwood and mesquite trees, as well as ocotillo and barrel cactuses

“Saguaros and other native vegetation are an important part of the environment and an important part of the visual experience,” said LeRoy Brady, ADOT’s chief landscape architect. “We make a significant effort to retain saguaros of any size because we don’t want to lose those decades of growth.”

These native plants were kept in several locations for the past three years, with the largest irrigated nursery near 27th Avenue and Cedarwood Lane in the Ahwatukee Foothills. Replanting began in late November, including the area west of Desert Foothills Parkway.

ADOT has been salvaging and replanting native species since the 1980s, beginning with a project widening of State Route 87. More recent efforts include work on Loop 303 in the West Valley and the Loop 101 Pima Freeway in Scottsdale.

“We take great pride in maintaining the highway scenery by preserving plants that are part of Arizona’s history,” Brady said. “It also helps promote sustainable practices and contributes to the long-term viability of the desert ecosystem.”

For more information, visit SouthMountainFreeway.com. 

PHOENIX – The Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway is open to traffic, providing a much needed alternative to Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix while improving the quality of life in a fast-growing region.

The freeway opened Saturday, Dec. 21, three days after a grand opening ceremony that featured Governor Doug Ducey, Arizona Department of Transportation Director John Halikowski and other Valley leaders.

Using an innovative public-private partnership for the state’s largest-ever highway project, ADOT was able to open the 22-mile freeway three years earlier than if it had been built as a series of traditional projects. The agreement also allowed ADOT to deliver the $1.7 billion South Mountain Freeway at a cost savings of more than $100 million.

“Arizona has solidified its reputation as a state that is open for opportunity, and as we welcome hundreds of new residents every day, we are making sure our infrastructure remains some of the best in America,” Governor Ducey said. “This Loop 202 opening represents a big step forward in connecting the East and West Valleys, as well as prioritizing safety for drivers. My thanks to the local, state, tribal, federal and private partners who helped bring this project to fruition ahead of schedule with major cost savings.”

Completing the Loop 101 and Loop 202 system, the South Mountain Freeway travels between Interstate 10 at the Loop 202 Santan Freeway in the East Valley and I-10 at 59th Avenue in the West Valley. It is projected to carry about 117,000 vehicles per day within its first year and as many as 190,000 vehicles per day by 2035.

It’s Arizona’s first highway project built using a public-private partnership, which combined design, construction and maintenance in a single contract. Connect 202 Partners, the developer chosen for the project, will maintain the South Mountain Freeway for the next 30 years under the agreement.

“This freeway is open on an ambitious timeline because of the innovation, creativity and dedication of our teams at ADOT and at Connect 202 Partners,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “This monumental achievement will benefit Arizonans for decades to come.”

While the freeway is open to traffic, work will continue into 2020 in several areas, including a traffic interchange at 32nd Street, a 6-mile multi-use path between 40th Street and 17th Avenue in Ahwatukee and landscaping. The 32nd Street interchange was added after the initial design at the request of area residents.

Connect 202 Partners, consisting of Fluor Enterprises Inc., Granite Construction Co. and Ames Construction Inc., with Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. as the lead designer, completed more than 5.5 million hours of work without an incident causing lost time while using more than 120 subcontractors and suppliers.

“Working in partnership with ADOT over the last three and half years, we have achieved our goal of providing Arizona with a safe, innovative, cost-effective and much needed freeway that will help alleviate traffic congestion, stimulate the economy and improve the safety and operational efficiency for drivers throughout the Phoenix-metro area,” said Walter J. Lewis, III, senior project director for Fluor and Connect 202 Partners.

Among the freeway’s 15 interchanges are Arizona’s first two using a diverging diamond configuration that promotes traffic flow and safety. The freeway’s 40 bridges include two half-mile spans over the Salt River that have the longest concrete bridge girders – 175 feet – ever used in Arizona.

It features three travel lanes and an HOV lane in each direction.

As with any new highway, ADOT will continue working with nearby residents to examine any concerns related to noise or lighting.

Signs at each end of the South Mountain Freeway honor the late Arizona Congressman Ed Pastor, carrying a designation approved this fall by the Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names.

The South Mountain Freeway has long been part of the region’s transportation plans. Maricopa County voters approved it in 1985 and again in 2004 as part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan.

For information on the project and to sign up for project updates, please visit SouthMountainFreeway.com. For additional current and planned construction information, click on the Construction Info tab.

PHOENIX – For those building the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, it’s obvious which vehicles belong in the 22-mile work zone. Many are very large. Smaller vehicles have flashing lights, and some have brightly colored flags waving high in the air to let others know they are in the area.

It’s just as obvious that some vehicles are personal transportation and do not belong on a work site. Some are driven by people looking to explore, others by people hoping to save a few minutes. It’s a dangerous practice that takes place on Arizona Department of Transportation construction sites around the state and has been a challenge of late at freeway work sites.

“The reason we close roads or block off construction sites is for safety,” said Robert Samour, ADOT’s senior deputy state engineer for major projects. “There are many hazards in a work zone that you might not recognize if you’re not familiar with the site.”

That includes huge construction trucks that haul material.

“Equipment operators aren’t looking for you and might not see you,” Samour said. “Construction vehicles are many times larger than a passenger vehicle and could cause significant injuries in a collision.”

In addition, construction workers are focused on building a freeway, not on traffic they don’t expect to be there. Private vehicles driving in the wrong places create an unexpected danger for the hundreds of workers are present every day on this project.

Even if workers aren’t around, unfinished job sites present many dangers to drivers. Some bridges may not be paved yet, and those that are paved may not have railings for safety. Ground that looks solid may not be compacted enough to support passenger vehicles, which could end up sliding down a hill or falling into a hole.

In addition, those stopped by law enforcement for trespassing work zones can result in substantial penalties set by local jurisdictions.

ADOT and Connect 202 Partners, the project developer, stress safety constantly for those building the freeway. Workers have undergone safety training and wear safety equipment at all times on job sites.

“That’s why we ask drivers to stay clear of work zones until we open the road to the public,” Samour said. “We want the community to enjoy the new freeway, but only when it’s safe to do so.”

To learn more about the freeway, please visit SouthMountainFreeway.com.

PHOENIX – Two sections of 59th Avenue along the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway will soon become one-way streets as new frontage roads open.

Beginning Saturday, Oct. 19, 59th Avenue will carry only northbound traffic between Lower Buckeye and Buckeye roads. A new frontage road on the west side of the future freeway will carry southbound traffic.

In November, a similar traffic switch will occur on 59th Avenue between Roosevelt and Van Buren streets. 59th Avenue will be open only for southbound drivers and a new frontage road on the east side of the future freeway will carry northbound traffic.

One-way frontage roads will run along the freeway in each direction from Lower Buckeye Road to Roosevelt Street. Two-way traffic will continue on 51st and 67th avenues.

The Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway is scheduled to be open to traffic by the end of the year with construction activities continuing into 2020. It 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.

For information on the project and to sign up for project updates, please visit SouthMountainFreeway.com. For additional current and planned construction information, click on the Construction Info tab.

PHOENIX – Connect 202 Partners, the developer building the 22-mile Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, and 10 subcontractors on the project have combined to achieve three on-the-job training goals.

Participants in the training, which is required for Arizona Department of Transportation projects that receive federal funding, are members of minority groups, women and economically disadvantaged individuals.

In the first three years of South Mountain Freeway construction, trades workers on the project have compiled nearly 275,000 hours of on-the-job training, including carpenters, project engineers, equipment operators, laborers, cement masons and iron workers. The goal for the project was 142,800 hours.

Additional goals met include having 56 trainees work at least 2,000 hours, and having 13 trainees achieve journeyman status.

On-the-job training benefits both workers and project contractors. For inexperienced workers, the training helps launch their careers. Achieving journeyman status allows them to receive higher pay and benefits. For companies, the program helps attract and retain skilled workers.

Most of the training hours – 238,875 – were accrued by workers with Connect 202 Partners, a consortium of Fluor Enterprises, Granite Construction, and Ames Construction. Two subcontractors, CS Construction and Stone Cold Masonry, each had more than 10,000 hours in on-the-job training.

ADOT’s on-the-job training programs usually are implemented on projects costing $3 million or more and involving at least 120 days of work to allow workers to have an opportunity to receive meaningful training.

For information on the South Mountain Freeway project, please visit SouthMountainFreeway.com.