South Mountain Freeway opens after years of work
Dec 21, 2019, 3:02 PM | Updated: Dec 22, 2019, 11:47 am
PHOENIX — Arizona drivers have 22 new miles of freeway to traverse the Valley as the Loop 202 South Mountain freeway opened to traffic on Saturday afternoon.
The state’s largest-ever highway project, costing $1.7 billion, travels between Interstate 10 at the Loop 202 Santan Freeway in the East Valley and I-10 at 59th Avenue in the West Valley.
Three travel lanes and an HOV lane are available in each direction as the highway is projected to carry about 117,000 vehicles per day within the first year and as many as 190,000 vehicles per day by 2035, according to a news release.
“This Loop 202 opening represents a big step forward in connecting the East and West Valleys, as well as prioritizing safety for drivers,” Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said in the release.
This NEW Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway is the LARGEST highway project in #Arizona history. And it is a big step forward in connecting the East Valley and West Valley. #BetterRoadsBetterFuture @ArizonaDOT @stephenroelewis @AZMayorMitchell @MBidwill #Loop202 pic.twitter.com/vewMc9atiY
— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) December 18, 2019
While construction of the freeway began in 2016, the idea originated decades ago when it was introduced as the “Southwest Loop Highway” in 1983.
“I’m sitting here on the shoulder watching traffic go by and I couldn’t be more excited,” ADOT spokesman Tom Herrmann told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Saturday.
The Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway is the first highway in Arizona history to be constructed through a public-private partnership, which Ducey announced in a press release allowed it to be completed three years early and save more than $100 million dollars.
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While the freeway is open, work will continue in several areas into 2020, including a traffic interchange at 32nd Street, a 6-mile multi-use path between 40th Street and 17th Avenue in Ahwatukee and landscaping, according to the release.
The state Board on Geographic and Historic Names approved “Congressman Ed Pastor Freeway” in October as an honorary designation for the road in memory the late congressman.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s John Roller contributed to this report
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