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New funds bolsters road projects; Lane additions, new freeway aim to reduce congestion

Posted 7/22/19

Some officials may feel entitled to a victory lap, an exercise which could become easier with completion of several key roadway projects over the next two …

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New funds bolsters road projects; Lane additions, new freeway aim to reduce congestion

Posted

Some officials may feel entitled to a victory lap, an exercise which could become easier with completion of several key roadway projects over the next two years.

Traffic congestion has been a perennial concern in the country’s fastest-growing metro area, but lane expansions slated for Interstate 17, Loop 101 and Loop 202 could provide relief to commuters around the Valley.

On Monday, U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema joined Gov. Doug Ducey and the Arizona Department of Transportation in announcing the award of $90 million in federal funding to expand travel lanes on the I-17 from Anthem to Sunset Point.

“I-17 is a vital commercial and passenger route that connects the Valley to northern Arizona,” Ms. Sinema explained in an email statement to Daily Independent. “According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, nearly 110,000 commercial, commuter and tourist vehicles travel on I-17 every day. On summer weekends, and especially holiday travel weekends, this number can be even higher.”

Designated as Arizona Veteran’s Highway, that freeway segment ranks among the nation’s most dangerous, Arizona’s senior senator noted.

“The stretch of I-17 between Anthem and Sunset Point is one of the most dangerous stretches of interstate in America. The road currently consists of two lanes in each direction, including a mountainous region where a single accident can stop traffic for hours, creating economic and public safety burdens,” Ms. Sinema stated.

Between 2011 and 2015, more than 120 fatalities occurred along I-17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff, according to data cited from the Maricopa Association of Governments.

This week’s announced award will provide funding to add a third lane in each direction, adding to $130 million in state funding announced in May. “This additional funding will expand Interstate 17 in a critical commerce corridor, helping reduce congestion, improve traffic flow and increase public safety,” stated Mr. Ducey in a Monday release.

The new funding also allows state officials to redirect state funding to other priorities, according to ADOT spokesman Doug Nintzel.

“The $90 million INFRA grant allows us to fund construction of the I-17 improvements while reallocating remaining funds through the ADOT and State Transportation Board standard planning and programming process,” Mr. Nintzel stated. “This federal funding allows an opportunity to address the I-17 improvements while providing additional resources for other high-priority projects in the state.”

Federal and state funding comprise an overall $320 million widening project, which will add northbound and southbound regular traffic lanes, as well as eight miles of flex lanes between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point.

Flex lanes are separate two-lane road sections, which can be converted by use of gates and signs to flow either north or south, providing extra capacity during special situations to reduce backups caused by holiday traffic, accidents and road closures.

For instance, this could benefit travelers leaving town for a holiday weekend trip, lessening northbound traffic congestion as motorists head north on Friday and again when they are returning Sunday.

Likewise, flex roads provide an alternative for motorists who might otherwise become stranded along I-17 when it closes due to construction or during an accident, according to ADOT Director John Halikowski.

“This is great news for the entire state and in particular for those living in and traveling to northern Arizona,” Mr. Halikowski stated. “There are no reasonable alternative routes when traffic on I-17 is impacted. That’s why this is both a state and national priority.”

Environmental studies for the I-17 corridor north of Phoenix are scheduled for completion later this year; construction is scheduled to commence before 2021 with completion planned for 2023.

Loop 101 projects

Officials at MAG announced in December plans for a two-year widening project along the Loop 101 in the northern reaches of Scottsdale and Phoenix.

The $225.5 million project adds lanes in both directions along a 13-mile stretch of the Loop 101 between Pima Road and I-17.

Project planners hope to reduce commuter congestion at crucial bottleneck points, including the I-17 interchange, State Route 51, Cave Creek Road and Tatum Boulevard.

Officials estimated some portions along that stretch host up to 215,000 vehicles daily and capacity demand is only expected to increase.

Queen Creek Mayor Gail Barney, who chairs MAG’s Regional Council, praised the expansion plans in a January press release.

“A smoother commute means people can travel to work and back home to their families more easily,” stated Mr. Barney. “This is just one of several critically planned improvements being constructed under Prop 400. It is reflective of the region’s decades-long pledge to implement the plan.”

The Loop 101 widening is part of a long-range transit plan approved by voters in 2004 with the passage of Prop 400, which extended a half-cent sales tax to fund transportation improvement projects.

Earlier this month, officials announced the Loop 101 project will close the 15th Avenue bridge through late 2020, lengthening the existing half-mile-street bridge to accommodate the new lanes of freeway running beneath it.

The latest phase of the multi-year effort, which commenced July 8, will also close portions of Scottsdale Road, but only four nights each week.

Between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Monday through Thursday, Scottsdale Road will be closed to traffic in both directions between Mayo Boulevard and the Loop 101 westbound frontage road, according to a July 5 release.

Area drivers are encouraged to choose alternate routes, including Hayden Road or Pima Road (Princess Drive) to get around the nightly closures.

The Loop 101 expansion started early this year and is expected to wrap up in early 2021.

New Loop 202

In another release earlier this month, ADOT officials announced their crews had placed the final girder of more than 1,000 installed in the construction of 40 bridges as part of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway project.

Commenced in January 2017, the 22-mile roadway project – touted by officials as historic – will connect Interstate 10 between the Loop 202 Santa Freeway and 59th Avenue in West Phoenix, completing the Valley’s loop freeway system.

“The largest freeway construction project in Arizona history, the South Mountain Freeway will provide a long-planned direct link between the East Valley and West Valley and a much-needed alternative to I-10 through downtown Phoenix,” officials state at the agency’s website, www.azdot.gov.

The estimated $916 million project was awarded to an affiliation of contractors known as the Connect 202 Partners, which are responsible for the design and construction, as well as for maintaining the roadway for 30 years.

“The design, build, maintain delivery model is an innovative approach used nationwide to efficiently reduce the cost to taxpayers without sacrificing quality,” the agency states at its website. “Upon completion, the developer will be responsible for maintaining the freeway and ensuring the safety of the traveling public for 30 years, which results in the developer constructing a freeway with the highest possible quality.”

The South Mountain Freeway is expected to open to traffic before the end of 2019, with work continuing into 2020.