PHOENIX — A $72 million project 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 Department of Transportation (ADOT) announced Aug. 26.
The ADOT project, which began in May 2019, included added new right lanes and other upgrades along more than 6 miles of Loop 101. As a result, Loop 101 now has four general-purpose lanes and a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane in each direction south of the U.S. 60 interchange.
The completed Price Freeway improvements were scheduled ahead of the planned Interstate 10 Broadway Curve widening project between Loop 202 in Chandler and Interstate 17 in Phoenix, because Loop 101 will serve as a key alternate route when closures of Interstate 10 are needed, according to ADOT.
“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,” said John Halikowski, ADOT director. “New lanes, more room to merge and improved traffic flow are part of ADOT’s ‘true north’ of (the) Safely Home (mission).”
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 include adjustments to Loop 101 on- and off-ramps, construction of new retaining walls and safety barriers, upgraded freeway lighting and landscaping, new digital message signs, and the widening of northbound Loop 101 bridge over Chandler Boulevard.
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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