A year after construction began for the South Mountain Freeway, crews are beginning work on sound-reduction measures along the roadway.
The Arizona Department of Transportation began laying the first of a million masonry blocks that will make up 11 miles of sound barriers for the new Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway.
The 22-mile freeway will connect the east and west sides of the Valley by bypassing Interstate 10 and is expected to open in late 2019.
Dustin Krugel with ADOT says the walls will provide needed sound relief for the freeways soon-to-be neighbors.
“They may not look like much now. But when they are completed and painted, they’re gonna have aesthetic treatments,” Krugel said. “They’re really going to really blend into the surroundings. They should be a great amenity for the neighborhoods that live near the freeways.”
Krugel also adds that rubberized asphalt will cut down on road noise.