First phase of construction of South Mountain Freeway to begin Monday night
Sep 19, 2016, 5:00 AM | Updated: 11:07 am
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX — Road crews will start work on the first phase of a major construction project in the East Valley on Monday night.
It’s the beginning of the South Mountain Freeway construction.
“Crews are going to set up a temporary concrete barrier at the (Interstate 10)/Loop 202 San Tan Freeway interchange in the East Valley,” said Dustin Krugel, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Transportation.
It’s expected that the barriers will be in place in time for the morning rush hour on Tuesday.
The first phase of construction of the freeway is expected to take about four months.
“The work’s going to include widening the shoulders and extending the existing Loop 202 HOV lanes from Pecos Road near 48th Street all the way to the I-10/Loop 202 interchange,” Krugel said.
He said that this is the start of construction of a much needed freeway.
“This freeway, when it’s opened to traffic by the end of 2019, is going to provide a much needed east-west alternative to the I-10,” said Krugel.
He added that when completed, the freeway will give drivers the option of getting between the East and West Valleys without having to drive on the often-congested Broadway curve or through downtown Phoenix.