PHOENIX – You’ve got to start somewhere.

And for the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, “somewhere” is near Elliot Road and 59th Avenue in Laveen, where the first lane mile of pavement is in place for the state’s largest single highway project ever.

Laying pavement began in late July and has occurred in one of the flattest stretches of the South Mountain Freeway project, from north of Estrella Drive to Olney Avenue.

Mainline paving throughout the project will continue until just prior to the opening of the 22-mile freeway by late 2019. Paving will begin later this summer in the Pecos segment east of 40th Street in Ahwatukee.

“This is a huge milestone for the South Mountain Freeway project,” said Rob Samour, ADOT’s senior deputy state engineer for major projects. “The start of paving brings us that much closer to delivering traffic relief to Phoenix motorists and providing a much-needed alternative to I-10 to travel between opposite ends of the Valley.”

A 4-inch-thick asphalt base has been paved, and additional layers of pavement will follow.

To date, paving has not required any traffic restrictions.

The work involves several dump 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.

The first step toward paving is creating an embankment and compacting 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 University of Phoenix Stadium 13 times, is being hauled and compacted for the project. Once the earthwork is finished in an area, paving can begin.

Following the paving, crews will add lighting, curbs and gutters, signage and landscaping and complete other related work.

The South Mountain Freeway, which is scheduled to open in 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.

PHOENIX – Motorists can now use all of the new Interstate 10 access roads between 51st and 67th avenues as a Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway interchange emerges in west Phoenix.

After several months of construction, the final leg of the eastbound I-10 access road between 59th and 51st avenues opened this weekend. The westbound I-10 access road between 51st and 67th avenues and the eastbound I-10 access road between 67th and 59th avenues opened over the past few months.

The 2-mile-long, two-lane roadways restore access to 59th Avenue after South Mountain Freeway construction required permanently removing I-10 on- and off-ramps at 59th Avenue to make room for the freeway-to-freeway interchange.

As part of this work, which began in late January, several I-10 ramps were reconstructed to tie into a wider I-10 that will include connecting ramps to and from the South Mountain Freeway when it opens in late 2019.

The 22-mile South Mountain Freeway 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 in the Valley.

For more information, visit SouthMountainFreeway.com.

PHOENIX ‒ Construction and maintenance crews working on Arizona’s highways are taking every precaution to beat the heat with temperatures soaring this week.

Having received training on managing the dangers of extreme heat, these workers stay hydrated, have sun protection, monitor themselves and co-workers for signs of heat stress, take regular breaks and schedule work to avoid the hottest parts of the day.

While all Arizonans need to prepare for intense heat, it’s especially important for the many ADOT personnel and contractors’ employees working outside every day, from the crews maintaining state highways to those building the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway in Phoenix. One reason: Asphalt and concrete get far hotter than the air temperature.

For the South Mountain Freeway project, crews with Connect 202 Partners, the developer responsible for building the 22-mile-long freeway, are taking breaks in designated cool-down areas including shade tents, awnings and air-conditioned vehicles.

More than 1,500 South Mountain Freeway workers have completed a mandatory heat-stress training class, and there have been no reported heat-related illnesses since major construction started last year. That training includes arranging for immediate medical attention if someone appears to be succumbing to the effects of heat.

Connect 202 Partners provides shaded areas and cold bottled water supplemented with electrolyte powder. Certified emergency medical technicians can conduct medical monitoring such as checking blood pressure, heart rate, respiration and temperature.

These strategies used by ADOT can help everyone deal with extreme heat:

• If possible, start work earlier in the day and finish before the hottest hours of the afternoon.
• Use a buddy system to watch for early signs of heat illness.
• Stay hydrated with cool water.
• Have sun protection including a hat, a light-colored and long-sleeved shirt, and sunscreen.
• If you lack experience working in the heat, acclimate over several days by taking extra time to rest and stay hydrated.

In addition, ADOT has tips for traveling in extreme heat at azdot.gov/extreme-heat.

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

PHOENIX – The next phase of construction on a Southern Avenue traffic interchange for the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway will require overnight closures this week and at other points over summer.

Southern Avenue between 61st Drive and 59th Avenue in Laveen will close nightly from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, June 12-15, to place 16 steel-reinforced concrete girders that span 122 feet and weigh more than 110,000 pounds each.

Additional overnight closures will be needed over the next few months so Connect 202 Partners, builder of the South Mountain Freeway, can install deck panels and pour the concrete deck for the bridge.

Drivers should consider alternate routes, including Baseline and Broadway roads, to travel east-west between 51st and 67th avenues during these overnight closures.

The Southern Avenue interchange, which will include a 125-foot-long overpass, is one of 13 interchanges planned for the 22-mile freeway, the longest single highway project ever undertaken by the Arizona Department of Transportation.

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

PHOENIX – Work to relocate a water main located within the path of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway has been delayed, causing Liberty Lane traffic restrictions to remain in effect through this summer.

Since March, crews working for Connect 202 Partners, the freeway developer, have been digging trenches along Liberty Lane between Desert Foothills Parkway and 24th Street to install a specially designed 4-foot-wide pipe that will run more than a mile.

This work has limited Liberty Lane traffic to eastbound traffic, with the westbound and center lanes closed.

The Arizona Department of Transportation and Connect 202 Partners had planned to complete the work in June to avoid connecting the new water main to city of Phoenix mains along Desert Foothills Parkway and 24th Street during summer months when water demand is greater. But the process of obtaining the pipe took several weeks longer than anticipated, and the first portion of the pipe was installed in late May.

Connect 202 Partners will need to connect the new water main this fall to avoid potential outages to residents.

The traffic restrictions will be lifted once installation is complete and Liberty Lane has been repaved.

For more information, visit SouthMountainFreeway.com.

PHOENIX – An open house Wednesday, May 30, in Laveen will allow attendees to view renderings and provide feedback on an Ivanhoe Street traffic interchange the Arizona Department of Transportation is considering for the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway.

ADOT and project representatives will be available from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Laveen Elementary School District Office, Building A, 5001 W. Dobbins Road, Phoenix.

While there will be no formal presentation, attendees will be able to speak individually with project staff about the Ivanhoe Street interchange environmental study, which began in February. They also can complete a questionnaire.

In addition, representatives of Connect 202 Partners, the developer building the freeway, will be available to answer construction-related questions on Center segment construction occurring between 51st Avenue and 32nd Lane.

For those unable to attend, there are still plenty of ways to provide feedback through July 19, including: 

• Online: SouthMountainFreeway.com (click on the Ivanhoe Street questionnaire)
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 1.833.310.2470
• Mail: c/o ADOT Communications, 101 N. First Ave., St. 1950, Phoenix, AZ 85003-19234

The latest project information is available via the project website at SouthMountainFreeway.com, email and text updates (click “Subscribe for Updates” on the project website), and the project hotline numbers (1.855.763.5202, or para Español, 623.239.4558). 

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 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, visit SouthMountainFreeway.com.

PHOENIX – In another step toward opening the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway by late 2019, crews have set the girders for the interchange at 24th Street in Ahwatukee.

The 16 steel-reinforced girders are 128 feet long and weigh more than 400,000 quarter-pound cheeseburgers apiece. It took about an hour for two cranes to hoist and place each girder during overnight closures that began Sunday night, May 20 and continued through Monday night, May 21.

The 24th Street interchange, which will include a 132-foot-long overpass, is one of 13 planned for the 22-mile freeway, the longest single highway project ever undertaken by the Arizona Department of Transportation. Bridge girders have already been set at the 17th Avenue and 40th Street interchanges in Ahwatukee.

Another closure is scheduled 8 p.m. Tuesday until 5 a.m. Wednesday, May 23, to install a temporary deck surface.

Crews from Connect 202 Partners, the developer of the South Mountain Freeway, will return this summer to pour concrete to form the bridge deck and panels.

The South Mountain Freeway, which is scheduled to open in 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.