Members of the public have a final opportunity to comment on the proposal to build the South Mountain Freeway. The Arizona Department of Transportation has started another review period for the freeway’s environmental impact statement.
Since the early 1980s, there have been a variety of plans for a South Mountain Freeway.
The latest proposal would build a 22-mile freeway from Interstate 10 in Ahwatukee around South Mountain going west to where it would reconnect with I-10 near 59 th Avenue.
ADOT spokesman Tim Tait said 8,000 comments were collected about the environmental statement last year, but there’s still time for people to share their opinion about the project.
“We are accepting those through November 25," Tait said. "Then after that we expect to issue a record of decision in early 2015 that will finally make a decision on the fate of the South Mountain Freeway proposal."
ADOT, the Maricopa Association of Governments and state lawmakers will have final say on whether the nearly $2 billion freeway will be built.
One source of funding would come from the voter-approved regional half-cent transportation sales tax.
Some members of the Gila River Community oppose the freeway saying it would desecrate land they consider sacred.