Nearly 35 years after Maricopa County voters first approved funding it, the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway is scheduled to open later this month.
The 22-mile project in Phoenix will connect Interstate 10 near 59th Avenue with I-10 and Loop 202 San Tan Freeway. Drivers will be able to bypass downtown.
Tom Remes, Phoenix’s freeway coordination manager, said the city pushed the state to incorporate ground level traffic interchanges.
“So ADOT went back to the table and redesigned some of the drainage basins,” he said. “That way 2. 5 million square feet of developable land was now available at Dobbins.”
Earlier this year, Sprouts Farmers Market and Harkins Theaters announced plans to build at 59th Avenue and Baseline. Phoenix leaders would like to see technology and manufacturing companies move into the South Mountain corridor where they could draw on workers from the West and East Valleys.
Ini 2017, Westmarc, a public-private partnership of 15 communities, reported that 69% of the West Valley’s workforce commutes to jobs in other parts of Maricopa County. Westmarc considers areas west of Interstate 17 in Phoenix part of the West Valley.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of this story said the Arizona Department of Transportation would hold a community celebration on Dec. 21. ADOT says it had been in discussion with Phoenix and other entities to hold a party but decided against doing so to focus on completing the freeway.