South Mountain Freeway

Estrella Drive interchange completed for South Mountain Freeway

Estrella Drive interchange completed for South Mountain Freeway

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Estrella Drive interchange completed for South Mountain Freeway

Estrella Drive interchange completed for South Mountain Freeway

November 1, 2018

PHOENIX – Following a six-month closure, Estrella Drive reopened today to traffic west of 51st Avenue in Laveen with construction complete on an interchange for the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway.

The closure allowed crews to accelerate construction of the South Mountain Freeway interchange, including building a 100-foot-long bridge over Estrella Drive. In all, crews will build 40 bridges, including 13 interchanges, along the 22-mile-long freeway corridor.

Since mid-May, crews have:

  • Moved more than 160,000 cubic yards of earthwork to create bridge approaches and ramps
  • Installed underground utilities and drainage structures
  • Constructed two roundabouts at the interchange
  • Applied aesthetic treatments that feature the “River Bank” pattern honoring the area’s agricultural heritage
  • Placed foundations for traffic signals and lighting

Additional work is planned to pave the entrance and exit ramps and mainline freeway and add signage, lighting, final striping, signals and landscaping.

Unique to the Estrella Drive interchange is an innovative modern roundabout design that minimizes its footprint while moving traffic efficiently and safely. Based on projected traffic volumes and the freeway’s alignment through the area, ADOT determined roundabouts to be a better option than a conventional diamond interchange. The roundabouts will open to traffic when the freeway opens, as early as late 2019.

Just north of Estrella Drive, Dobbins Road between west of 59th Avenue and 75th Avenue in Laveen remains closed as work began this week on the construction of an interchange there. That closure will remain through April 2019.

The South Mountain Freeway 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.

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

Dobbins Road west of 59th Ave. closing for South Mountain Freeway work

Dobbins Road west of 59th Ave. closing for South Mountain Freeway work

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Dobbins Road west of 59th Ave. closing for South Mountain Freeway work

Dobbins Road west of 59th Ave. closing for South Mountain Freeway work

October 24, 2018

PHOENIX – Motorists in the Laveen area should plan ahead with Dobbins Road closing Monday, Oct. 29, from west of 59th Avenue to 75th Avenue for construction of a Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway interchange.

Traffic can detour on Baseline and Elliot roads.

The closure, which runs through April 2019, will allow crews to accelerate construction of one of 13 interchanges planned for the South Mountain Freeway.

Similar extended closures have enabled crews to expedite interchange work at Elliot Road and Estrella Drive along the 22-mile freeway corridor. Elliot Road reopened in April. Construction of the Estrella Drive interchange, which has required a closure west of 51st Avenue since mid-May, is nearly complete and the closure will be lifted soon.

In order to build the Dobbins Road traffic interchange, construction crews will complete the following work during the closure:

dobbins-rd-closure-map-to-april-2019
  • Build a two-span, 215-foot-long freeway bridge over Dobbins Road
  • Construct retaining walls, underground utilities and drainage structures
  • Build and pave connecting on- and-off ramps
  • Repave Dobbins Road through the construction zone

Crews already have relocated utilities and drilled shafts for bridge supports.

The South Mountain Freeway, which is slated to open as early as 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.

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

I-10 closures needed to pour bridge deck for South Mountain Freeway

I-10 closures needed to pour bridge deck for South Mountain Freeway

I-17 101 traffic interchange

I-10 closures needed to pour bridge deck for South Mountain Freeway

I-10 closures needed to pour bridge deck for South Mountain Freeway

October 23, 2018

A major step forward this weekend for construction of a Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway interchange in the West Valley will require a westbound closure of Interstate 10 followed by an eastbound closure, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Crews with Connect 202 Partners, the developer of the South Mountain Freeway, will be pouring concrete above I-10 travel lanes to create the deck of a 1,565-foot flyover ramp that will eventually connect to I-10.

Westbound I-10 will be closed between 51st and 67th avenues from 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, to 4 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. Eastbound I-10 will then close between 67th and 51st avenues from 4 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28, well before the end of the Arizona Cardinals’ game against the San Francisco 49ers (1:25 p.m. kickoff).

During the westbound closure, traffic exiting at 51st Avenue can detour to the westbound I-10 access road, as well as Van Buren Street or McDowell Road, before re-entering I-10 at 67th Avenue. In addition, the westbound I-10 on-ramps at 27th, 35th and 43rd avenues will be closed to help reduce traffic backups.

During the eastbound closure, traffic exiting at 67th Avenue can detour to Van Buren Street or McDowell Road, before re-entering I-10 at 51st Avenue (the eastbound I-10 access road from 67th and 51st avenues is closed during this work). In addition, the eastbound I-10 on-ramps at 91st, 83rd and 75th avenues will be closed to help reduce traffic backups.

To avoid delays on I-10, motorists should consider alternate routes, including the Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) west of Interstate 17, or exiting I-10 sooner and taking local streets to re-enter past the closure point.

Motorists should also be aware that 59th Avenue will also be closed in both directions between I-10 and Roosevelt Street from 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28.

During the closures, crews will pump approximately 730 cubic yards of concrete, enough to fill more than 60 dump trucks, into the steel-reinforced deck on the flyover ramp, the longest of five ramps that will be part of the interchange.

Once the concrete is poured, a self-propelled concrete leveling machine called a bidwell will spread the concrete to ensure a flat surface throughout. After the concrete has had an opportunity to cure and reach maximum strength, construction vehicles can travel on the ramp.

The 22-mile South Mountain Freeway, expected to open as early as 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.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule. To stay up to date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov or call 511.

Last girders set on South Mountain Freeway’s Salt River bridges

Last girders set on South Mountain Freeway’s Salt River bridges

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Last girders set on South Mountain Freeway’s Salt River bridges

Last girders set on South Mountain Freeway’s Salt River bridges

October 10, 2018

PHOENIX – Two hundred and ninety-two.

That’s the number of concrete girders installed on two Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway bridges spanning the Salt River between Broadway Road and Southern Avenue in the southwest Valley. It’s also nearly a third of the 1,000 girders to be installed on 40 bridges throughout the 22-mile corridor, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Working overnight, crews recently placed the final support beams for the half-mile-long northbound and southbound bridges that will carry traffic across the Salt River when the South Mountain Freeway opens as early as late 2019. Connect 202 Partners, developer of the South Mountain Freeway, placed the first girder at the Salt River on July 21, 2017.

Many of the girders are very long and heavy, weighing 169,000 pounds and extending 170 feet in length. That’s 9 feet longer than any single-span girder ADOT has ever used for a bridge.

All of the girders were manufactured locally and hauled to the construction site overnight, when traffic is lighter. Two large cranes carefully hoisted and set the girders atop the bridges’ abutments and piers.

Now that all girders have been installed, crews will finish pouring concrete decks and adding barrier walls on the bridges. Construction equipment is expected to be able to cross the bridges by early 2019.

The freeway’s Salt River bridges will provide a much-needed local crossing to and from Laveen, especially when the river flows, while also reducing congestion at current crossings. The city of Phoenix’s 51st Avenue bridge is currently the lone all-weather Salt River crossing between 35th Avenue and Avondale Boulevard. 

The South Mountain Freeway will provide a long-planned direct link between the East Valley and West Valley and 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.

For information on the project, visit SouthMountainFreeway.com.

Mainline paving for South Mountain Freeway begins in Ahwatukee

Mainline paving for South Mountain Freeway begins in Ahwatukee

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Mainline paving for South Mountain Freeway begins in Ahwatukee

Mainline paving for South Mountain Freeway begins in Ahwatukee

September 26, 2018

PHOENIX – In another important step toward completing the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, the first pavement along the Pecos segment is being put down this week in Ahwatukee.

Paving started Monday just west of 40th Street and extends to the Interstate 10 (Maricopa)/Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) interchange in Chandler.

A 3-inch-thick asphalt base is being applied this week, and additional layers of pavement will follow.

Minimal traffic restrictions are anticipated. Flaggers will help trucks access the construction zone.

The work involves several haul trucks delivering the asphalt, paving machines spreading it and rollers compacting it. Connect 202 Partners, the developer of the South Mountain Freeway project, can put down up to 3,500 tons of asphalt per day with a single paving pass. 

Leading up to the start of this week’s paving, crews built the embankment and compacted it to the designed height needed for the future roadway.

Approximately 10 million cubic yards of earth, the equivalent of more than 800,000 truckloads and enough to fill State Farm Stadium 13 times, is being hauled and compacted for the project. Once the earthwork is finished in an area, paving can begin.

pecos-paving-photo-2
Following the paving, crews will add lighting, signage and landscaping and complete other related work.

Mainline paving throughout the project will continue until just prior to the opening of the 22-mile freeway. In August, the first mile of the freeway was paved between Elliot Road and Estrella Drive in Laveen.

The South Mountain Freeway, which is slated to open as early as 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 by Maricopa County voters in 1985 and again in 2004 as part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan, it will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system.

You can stay informed about the South Mountain Freeway project and sign up for updates and weekly traffic alerts at SouthMountainFreeway.com.

59th Avenue frontage road construction starts on South Mountain Freeway

59th Avenue frontage road construction starts on South Mountain Freeway

I-17 101 traffic interchange

59th Avenue frontage road construction starts on South Mountain Freeway

59th Avenue frontage road construction starts on South Mountain Freeway

September 19, 2018

PHOENIX – Changes are in store for motorists traveling along 59th Avenue south of Interstate 10 with work starting on frontage roads between Roosevelt Street and Lower Buckeye Road in west Phoenix as part of Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway construction.

The Arizona Department of Transportation project is creating 2.5-mile frontage roads to maintain northbound and southbound access to businesses and residences adjacent to the freeway.

With various traffic shifts and lane restrictions planned along 59th Avenue for this construction, motorists should consider alternate routes such as 51st and 67th avenues. While business access will be maintained at all times during freeway and frontage road construction, delays are likely.

Currently, crews are relocating various underground utilities (cable, water, power, sewer, gas) along the 59th Avenue alignment prior to construction of the frontage roads.

News-091918-59th-avenue-smf-frontage-rd-map

To complete the freeway and frontage roads from Roosevelt Street to Lower Buckeye Road, more than 1 million cubic yards of dirt needs to be moved, compacted and graded. The one-way frontage roads will include two travel lanes in each direction and will have traffic signals at each major intersection.

During construction, motorists should slow down, obey the speed limit and allow extra travel time.

The South Mountain Freeway 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.

You can stay informed about the South Mountain Freeway project and sign up for updates and weekly traffic alerts at SouthMountainFreeway.com.

South Mountain Freeway: Two-way traffic returning to Liberty Lane in Ahwatukee

South Mountain Freeway: Two-way traffic returning to Liberty Lane in Ahwatukee

SR24-1

South Mountain Freeway: Two-way traffic returning to Liberty Lane in Ahwatukee

South Mountain Freeway: Two-way traffic returning to Liberty Lane in Ahwatukee

September 17, 2018

Pipe installation

By Dustin Krugel / ADOT Communications

Good news for Ahwatukee motorists!

Two-way traffic is being restored in stages along Liberty Lane, an Ahwatukee roadway providing access to schools, churches and more that runs parallel to Pecos Road, where the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway is being built.

Liberty Lane had been restricted to eastbound traffic only on a stretch of about 1.3 miles between Desert Foothills Parkway and 20th Way since work began in March to relocate a 4-foot-diameter city of Phoenix waterline from the freeway right of way.

This past weekend crews restored two-way traffic between 12th Street and west of 18th Way. That's much of the area that had been restricted to one direction of traffic.

Crews have now set a full closure of Liberty Lane between 18th Way and 20th Way as the next phase of work includes completing the waterline connection with a city of Phoenix water main. The closure is expected to remain in place through early October, and local motorists should consider Pecos Road as an alternate route in the interim.

Crews are working six days a week to install the final segment of pipe between Desert Foothills Parkway and 12th Street, but work has been especially challenging due to hardness of rock and a large concentration of underground utilities that must be avoided in the area.

The remainder of Liberty Lane, from 12th Street west to Desert Foothills Parkway, is scheduled to return to two-way traffic by the end of the year. Final resurfacing and lane striping is also scheduled to be completed early next year, along with replacement of sidewalks, curbs and gutters.

I-10 narrowed to one lane at night this week near 59th Avenue

I-10 narrowed to one lane at night this week near 59th Avenue

I-17 101 traffic interchange

I-10 narrowed to one lane at night this week near 59th Avenue

I-10 narrowed to one lane at night this week near 59th Avenue

September 9, 2018

PHOENIX – Motorists who use Interstate 10 at night in west Phoenix should allow extra travel time or consider alternate routes due to restrictions near 59th Avenue, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Crews will continue construction of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway interchange. I-10 will be narrowed to one lane overnight as follows:

  • Eastbound I-10 narrowed to one lane near 59th Avenue from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Sunday through Tuesday nights, Sept. 9-11, for bridge construction.
  • Westbound I-10 narrowed to one lane near 59th Avenue beginning from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Thursday nights, Sept. 10-13, for bridge construction.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions will occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule. To stay up-to-date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site ataz511.gov or call 511.

Ahwatukee waterline relocation progressing for South Mountain Freeway

Ahwatukee waterline relocation progressing for South Mountain Freeway

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Ahwatukee waterline relocation progressing for South Mountain Freeway

Ahwatukee waterline relocation progressing for South Mountain Freeway

September 4, 2018

PHOENIX – Crews will begin restoring two-way traffic to Liberty Lane in Ahwatukee after several months of work to relocate a 4-foot-diameter waterline from the path of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway.

Liberty Lane has been restricted to eastbound traffic on a stretch of about 1.3 miles between Desert Foothills Parkway and west of 20th Way, to provide a safe work zone for the excavation that began in March.

Starting the week of Sept. 10, two-way traffic will be restored in stages using a temporary configuration. This work will begin between 12th Street and 18th Way, about three-quarters of the stretch that currently is limited to eastbound traffic.

Once two-way traffic is restored in this section, Liberty Lane between 18th Way and 20th Way will close for approximately three weeks to complete a connection with a city of Phoenix water main.

The remainder of Liberty Lane, from 12thStreet west to Desert Foothills Parkway, is scheduled to return to two-way traffic by the end of the year.

Once the waterline is installed, water and pressure testing will be conducted from mid-November to the end of December. Final resurfacing and lane striping are  scheduled to be completed early next year, along with replacement of sidewalks, curbs and gutters.

While this work was initially scheduled to end in June, Connect 202 Partners, the developer of the South Mountain Freeway, experienced a delay when pipe delivery took several weeks longer than anticipated and installation couldn’t begin until May. Due to higher water demand in the summer, there was a June cutoff for relocating the waterline, and Connect 202 Partners is now scheduled to complete the work in the fall.

Approximately 5,500 feet of the 6,700-foot pipe has been placed along Liberty Lane between Desert Foothills Parkway and 20th Way at approximately 15 to 25 feet deep, depending on the overall grade and the need to avoid underground utilities.

Dealing with the hardness of rock and a large concentration of underground utilities near Desert Foothills Parkway has slowed work recently.  Special drilling equipment has been used to help break up the rock so workers can excavate a trench for the waterline.

For more information, visit SouthMountainFreeway.com.

Keeping tabs on South Mountain Freeway progress in West Valley

Keeping tabs on South Mountain Freeway progress in West Valley

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Keeping tabs on South Mountain Freeway progress in West Valley

Keeping tabs on South Mountain Freeway progress in West Valley

August 31, 2018

By Dustin Krugel / ADOT Communications

Construction is occurring along 95 percent of the 22-mile corridor that will become the South Mountain Freeway.

Recently, ADOT’s video team got a first-hand look at progress on the west end of the project. You can see the result above.

First up is the I-10/Loop 202 interchange that ADOT and Connect 202 Partners, the developer of the South Mountain Freeway, are building near 59th Avenue. It’s easily one of the most visible signs of South Mountain Freeway construction in the Valley as nearly 200,000 vehicles pass through this busy area daily.

The interchange will include five flyover ramps to seamlessly carry traffic to and from I-10 in the West Valley. In fact, the video interview with Rob Samour, ADOT’s lead engineer on the project, is atop a ramp nearly 100 feet above I-10 traffic. This 1,565-foot-long bridge will carry northbound South Mountain Freeway to westbound I-10.

Working on Loop 202

Next up is visiting the two largest structures on the project: two half-mile-long bridges over the Salt River between Broadway Road and Southern Avenue at 59th Avenue, about 4.5 miles south of the I-10/Loop 202 interchange.

At this location, ADOT is installing the longest bridges girders of their type in the state. These precast concrete girders are essentially support beams that weigh 169,000 pounds and are 170 feet long. That’s 9 feet longer than ADOT’s current longest span for a similar girder type.

Our last stop is Laveen, where the Elliot Road overpass opened to traffic in April and now the first lane mile of freeway has been paved north and south of this location.

While work is now over halfway complete on the South Mountain Freeway, Samour reminds everyone that there’s still a lot of work to be completed.

“We ask for patience for the motorists," he says. "We are going to have some restrictions in place for the next 15 months but the end result will be better connectivity for motorists in the East and the West Valley.”