Valley street to close for 6 months for South Mountain Freeway construction
May 20, 2018, 4:31 AM
(Photo/Arizona Department of Transportation)
(Photo/Arizona Department of Transportation)
PHOENIX — A main street in a Phoenix-area neighborhood will shut down for a six-month period starting next week to allow crews to continue construction on the South Mountain Freeway interchange.
The Arizona Department of Transportation said Estrella Drive west of 51st Avenue in Laveen will close on Monday and will remain closed until November.
The closure will accelerate the construction of one of 13 interchanges planned for the South Mountain Freeway, the department said.
During the closure, crews will:
• Build 100-foot-long freeway bridge over Estrella Drive
• Construct two roundabouts to improve access to the freeway
• Install underground utilities and drainage structures
• Place foundations for traffic signals and lighting
The interchange will have an “innovative modern roundabout design” that will “[minimize] its footprint while moving traffic efficiently and safely,” it added.
Traffic during the closure will be detoured to Elliot Road between 51st and 67th avenues.
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A similar closure was enacted two months ago to allow crews to complete an Elliot Road overpass in Laveen.
The South Mountain Freeway was first approved in 1985 and again in 2004 by voters.
It is part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan that will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system.
The interchange is scheduled to open in late 2019 and will provide a direct link between the East and West valleys.
