The Arizona Department of Transportation plans to move forward on several long-anticipated projects this year, particularly on the Loop 101 and 202 highways.
All the projects will be funded through federal and state highway funds, which are collected through gas taxes, vehicle license fees, and auto registration fees, according to ADOT.
Starting this fall, one new lane in each direction will be added along Loop 101 in Scottsdale, between Shea Boulevard and the Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway). ADOT also will add asphalt along the 10-mile project.
In an enterprise that began last October, ADOT will continue working on the new Loop 101 HOV lane on- and off-ramps to better connect with Glendale's sports and entertainment facilities. The ramps will connect with the Maryland Avenue bridge, and add access to University of Phoenix Stadium, Jobing.com Arena, and the Westgate area. The project is expected to be completed this spring, in plenty of time for the Arizona Cardinals' 2014 season and Super Bowl XLIX in 2015.
Then there's the controversial proposed South Mountain freeway, which also is slated to see some progress this year. There won't be any construction, but ADOT expects to release the final version of an environmental-impact paper for the freeway in mid- to late 2014, at which time a 60-day public review period will begin. The freeway would run east and west along Pecos Road and turn north between 55th and 63rd avenues, connecting with Interstate 10 on each end.
In addition to projects around the Valley, ADOT will be making emergency repairs to the collapsed sections of US 89, after the February 2013 landslide. The $25 million project will include shifting the roadway up slope and creating a "gravity buttress" at the base of the mountain. ADOT hopes construction will begin this summer.
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