Loop 202 Santan Freeway improvement project in East Valley to last over 2 years

PHOENIX — East Valley drivers are in for an extended period of closures and delays on the Loop 202 Santan Freeway, but it’s for a good reason.

A $200 million freeway widening project starts this weekend and is expected to take 2½ years to complete, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT).

The Loop 202 Santan Freeway widening project is scheduled to start Aug. 9.

Eastbound Loop 202 is scheduled to be closed between Loop 101 and Arizona Ave from 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 12, for initial work: https://t.co/GffpYWI4CW. pic.twitter.com/oDqkPKoz3H

— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) August 2, 2024

The improvements will span an 8-mile stretch of the Loop 202 between the Loop 101 Price Freeway in Chandler and Val Vista Drive in Gilbert.

Two lanes in each direction will be added between Loop 101 and Gilbert Road, and one lane will be added each way between Gilbert Road and Val Vista Drive.

Additionally, bridges will be widened and interchanges reconstructed over the length of the project. On- and off-ramps will be closed for about two months at a time so they can be rebuilt to fit the wider freeway, ADOT said.

When is first closure for Loop 202 Santan Freeway improvement project?

The first related closure is scheduled for 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday over the 3 miles of eastbound Loop 202 from Loop 101 to Arizona Avenue.

The first step of construction is removing the top layer of asphalt pavement. The concrete layer underneath will be smoothed later through diamond grinding.

The ADOT project is funded in part through Proposition 400, the half-cent sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004.

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