Drivers in the West Valley will have some new freeway miles to explore starting Monday. It is part of making the Loop 303, a freeway. The Arizona Department of Transportation closed the Loop 303, southbound, for most of the weekend to prep three new freeway lanes. ADOT spokesman Doug Nintzel said even though the freeway may not be carrying many vehicles at the moment, there will be a need in the future.
“We could have traffic volumes exceeding 100,000 vehicles per day, say after the year 2030. We’re building things not just for today, but for the future," Nintzel said.
ADOT plans to lay down rubberized asphalt on the northbound lanes, when the weather cools and monsoon conditions begin to disappear, in September.
“By this fall we’ll have three lanes in each direction along the Loop 303, in the area near Surprise, from south of Grand to Peoria," Nintzel said.
The entire Loop 303, from Interstate 17, to Interstate 10, is to be completed by the fall of 2014.