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The Broadway Curve project is finally complete. But a new year is approaching, and that means new freeway construction projects that will have you laying on the horn.
The Arizona Department of Transportation is planning to begin several new projects on Phoenix-area freeways in 2026, including several funded by the half-cent sales tax increase passed as Proposition 479 in 2024.
But for the weary conservatives already getting a hemorrhoid over new taxes, take it easy and grab a holiday beverage before you flee to Texas or Florida — it’s a continuation of another sales tax that funded transportation projects in the Valley for 20 years.
Two of those projects are widening State Routes 101 and 202. Others include widening portions of Interstate 10 and Interstate 17, and building State Route 24 near Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.
Here are the road projects to look out for in 2026.
State Route 101 between Shea Boulevard and Princess Drive
This 4.5-mile, North Scottsdale section of the 101 is currently in the process of being widened. Construction started in January 2024 and is scheduled to wrap up in early 2026, according to ADOT. After that, a separate project will begin in the spring to improve the pavement surface in the same area of the freeway, which will mean overnight restrictions in certain parts.
State Route 303 between Interstate 17 and 51st Avenue
In late January, ADOT will build freeway-to-freeway ramps at the spot where the I-17 and Loop 303 meet. It will also widen Loop 303 to three lanes going in both directions. This project won’t be fully completed until 2028.
SR 303 between 51st Avenue and Lake Pleasant Parkway
West of the above Loop 303 project is another with the same purpose: widening the freeway to three lanes. This one won’t begin until the fall.
SR 303 between Van Buren Street and State Route 85
Starting at some point in mid-2026, ADOT will add a third lane to either side of this four-mile stretch of West Valley freeway between Van Buren Street and Lower Buckeye Road. Between Van Buren Street and State Route 85, the 303 is being expanded to two lanes. ADOT has estimated that it will take about four years to complete. Some reconstruction work is already underway.
SR 101 and I-10 interchange
Both freeways will be widened near their meeting point in the West Valley, and a separate ramp will be constructed on I-10 to create an exit for 91st Avenue for southbound drivers. The project is scheduled to start in the spring and take about three years to complete.
SR 101 between I-17 to 75th Avenue
The project started in 2024 and is scheduled to wrap up in 2027. New lanes are being constructed along these 6.5 miles of the freeway, and improvements are being made on frontage roads. In addition, a southbound 75th Avenue turn lane onto the 101 is being added.
SR 202 between SR 101 and Val Vista Drive
This Chandler-Gilbert area project also started back in 2024. When finished, it will add two more lanes in each direction between the 101 and Gilbert Road, and just one more lane from there to Val Vista Drive. This project won’t be finished until spring 2027.
