A $72 million project in Arizona to add new lanes and make other improvements along Loop 101 (Price Freeway) between Baseline Road and Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) in the East Valley has been completed on schedule.
The Arizona DOT’s (ADOT) project has added new right lanes and other upgrades along more than 6 miles of Loop 101. Construction began in May 2019 on the highway improvements project. As a result, Loop 101 now has four general-purpose lanes and an HOV lane in each direction south of the U.S. 60 interchange.
The completed Price Freeway improvements were scheduled ahead of the planned I-10 Broadway Curve widening project between Loop 202 in Chandler and I-17 in Phoenix, since Loop 101 will serve as a key alternate route when any upcoming I-10 closures are needed.
“ADOT remains committed to delivering improvements that will help local communities, the Phoenix region, and the state with the movement of people and products for decades to come,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said in a statement. “New lanes, more room to merge, and improved traffic flow are part of ADOT’s True North of Safely Home.”
According to ADOT, crews finished the Price Freeway project by diamond grinding the concrete pavement, using specialized machines with diamond-tipped blades to smooth the freeway’s riding surface. Other improvements included adjustments to Loop 101 on- and off-ramps, construction of new retaining walls and safety barriers as well as upgraded freeway lighting and landscaping. New digital message signs were installed, and the northbound Loop 101 bridge over Chandler Boulevard also was widened.
The Loop 101 Price Freeway improvement project was funded as part of the Regional Transportation Plan approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004. Funding sources for the plan’s projects include a regional half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements as well as the Phoenix region’s share of federal highway funds.
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SOURCE: Arizona DOT
