A long-anticipated freeway interchange in north Phoenix is officially moving forward, and leaders say growth tied to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is one reason it’s finally getting built.
The system interchange at Loop 303 and Interstate 17 will allow drivers to move directly between the two freeways.
Right now, drivers must exit I-17 and stop at a traffic light before entering Loop 303 – a setup that’s become a safety and congestion concern as thousands of workers travel to and from the massive chip plant site.
"Certainly it was a significant factor in the prioritization of it. … You see TSMC coming up there, you other developments are now popping up. … That’s really the catalyst for, ‘we got to get this infrastructure out there and build,'" said John Bullen, the Maricopa Association of Government’s assistant executive director and chief transportation officer.
The project is one of the first funded under the newly approved 20-year Freeway Life Cycle Program, backed by Maricopa County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation.
In the Southeast Valley, the program includes funding to complete State Route 24 – expanding the interim highway into a full six-lane freeway.
MAG says the project will ease congestion and boost access to growing manufacturing areas like Queen Creek, where LG Energy Solution announced the development of a new $5.5 billion battery plant.
West Valley drivers will also see relief. Construction of State Route 30 – a new freeway planned between Loop 202 and State Route 85 – will begin with its center segment in 2027. The freeway is expected to ease traffic pressure on I-10 and support the region’s rapid growth.
Other funded projects include upgrades to the Loop 101 Price Freeway, a new traffic interchange at Loop 303 and 155th Avenue, and reconstruction efforts along I-17 and I-10.
Officials expect construction on the Loop 303/I-17 system interchange to begin this winter, with a timeline of roughly two and a half years.
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