User:Shereth/PhoenixFreewayConcepts
 | This page and its contents, including the associated map, contain speculative and conceptual information not provided directly either by the Arizona Department of Transportation or the Maricopa Association of Governments. Official information regarding planned future freeways in the Phoenix area can be obtained from ADOT and MAG. |
In 2008, the 1985 Regional Freeway System in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area will be complete as the last segment of the Red Mountain Freeway is completed in Mesa. The current Regional Transportation Plan implemented in 2004 is underway with the construction of the Loop 303 freeway in the northwest Valley. When complete in 2025, the system will have added the new SR 801 and SR 802 freeways as well as preserving the right of way for future expansion of SR 74 near Lake Pleasant, as well as SR 85 between Buckeye and Gila Bend.
Several agencies including various municipalities, the department of transportation, and Maricopa and Pinal counties have identified a number of new corridors for further expansion of the freeway system to accommodate anticipated growth. This document discusses the potential future of the local freeway system.
State Route 74
Current Status
Arizona State Route 74 is currently a rural, 2 lane highway for the majority of its length between US 60 in Morristown and I-17 in north Phoenix.
Future Plans
The RTP will fund the preservation of the right-of-way along the existing roadway between Morristown and the Lake Pleasant Parkway in Peoria, as well as a small segment southward to the Loop 303. No funding exists for upgrading to freeway standards at this point, however.
A proposed bypass route around Wickenburg includes routing that would extend SR74 westward to near the current Vulture Mine Road. This alignment is reflected on the town of Buckeye's planning documents, and was chosen for the map used in this document.
A realignment of the highway's eastern section along New River Road leading to a new junction with I-17 in New River is featured on the planning documents of both Phoenix and Peoria.
As these extensions and realignments are reflected on the planning documents of the municipalities it passes through, future development of this corridor is likely when funding becomes available.
State Route 85
Current Status
Arizona State Route 85 is a rural highway connecting I-10 in Buckeye to I-8 in Gila Bend, before continuing southward to the border with Mexico. Portions of the roadway have been upgraded to a divided highway, including a freeway style grade-separated intersection with Patterson Road at the Lewis Prison Complex.
Future Plans
Funding exists in the current RTP to secure right of way for upgrading the segment between I-10 and I-8 to freeway standards at some future point, although does not provide funding for the upgrade. SR 85 currently serves as part of a bypass for truck traffic around Phoenix, and was originally considered as a segment of a proposed Phoenix-Tucson I-10 bypass. However, consideration for that route was discontinued. Should an alternate route for that bypass (L404 in this document) be constructed, future plans for upgrading SR 85 to freeway status may be revised.
State Route 88
Current Status
Arizona State Route 88 is currently a rural highway connecting US 60 in Apache Junction and SR 188 near Lake Roosevelt. Much of the route is unpaved, and serves primarily as access to the Salt River Project lakes.
Future Plans
The Maricopa Association of Governments, in cooperation with ADOT and Pinal County, have identified a potential corridor for a north-south freeway connecting US 60 in Apache Junction with the city of Coolidge. No funding exists for such a project and only preliminary studies have been conducted, but the cities of Apache Junction, Coolidge and Florence have all identified the conceptual Apache Junction - Coolidge Freeway on their general plans, meaning if funding becomes available this route would likely be built.
Numbering the route as SR 88 is conjectural and based on routing in the Apache Junction general plan, which connects the freeway with the existing SR 88. The route between Apache Junction and Florence that exists outside of any municipal planning area, as well as the segment connecting to I-10 south of Coolidge are also conjectural, as the city of Eloy does not show this route on their planning documents.
Loop 202
Current Status
Loop 202 is an existing circumferential freeway looping around southeast valley communities. It is complete except for a small gap in the northeast part of the route, scheduled to be completed as of 2008. Loop 202 was to have continued west from the I-10/Pecos Road junction, looping around South Mountain and reconnecting to I-10 in west Phoenix, in the original 1985 plan. This segment, known as the South Mountain Freeway, was cut from the plan due to funding concerns, although studies for the route continued.
Future Plans
The 2004 RTP revives the South Mountain segment of the freeway, fully funding its construction, anticipated to be complete in 2015. Concerns about the route's proximity to residential development, as well as the Gila River Indian Community, may delay or otherwise alter the timeline and route for this freeway. While the route has not been finalized, the city of Phoenix strongly favors the original alignment connecting with I-10 near 55th Avenue.
Loop 303
Current Status
Loop 303 exists as an interim 2-lane rural highway from I-10 in Goodyear north to Bell Road. The road continues north and east as an interim divided highway, with some grade-separated intersections (particularly the US 60 overpass). Sections of the roadway were upgraded by Maricopa County to near freeway standards in anticipation of future expansion. The original 1985 plan called for a full freeway connecting I-10 to I-17 west and north of the Valley, but the route was dropped due to funding concerns.
Future Plans
As with the South Mountain Freeway, the L303 was revived by the 2004 RTP. The new plan provides funding to expand the interim divided highway to an intersection with I-17 in north Phoenix by 2010, and the subsequent upgrading of the entire roadway to freeway standards by 2017. Further funding is allocated to study, design and then construct an extension south of I-10 to Arizona State Route 801 by 2020, as well as preserving right-of-way for an extension further south into Goodyear, near a future intersection with the proposed I-10 bypass (L404).
The route of the 303 north of Happy Valley Road and south of I-10 remains under study. The northern section on the included map is in agreement with the general plans of Phoenix and Peoria and is the likely alignment. The segment south to SR 801 is subject to study but agrees with the route reflected in the general plans of Goodyear and Buckeye, and is likely to be the final route as well.
This portion of the 303 is likely to be suburban in character and feature access points at arterial roads every one to two miles.
The city of Goodyear has indicated a future southern extension to I-8. A significant portion of this proposed route lies near the proposed Phoenix-Tucson bypass route, and that portion has been routed concurrently on the attached map. The final leg south to I-8 does not exist in any other planning documents and its future is highly uncertain.
Route 60
Current Status
US 60 is a major east-west highway in the state of Arizona. In the Phoenix metro area, it runs through the far west communities of Wenden to Wickenburg as a rural highway. It continues southeast as a divided highway known as Grand Avenue to its intersection with I-17 in Phoenix. Portions of the Grand Avenue segment have been upgraded to limited access expressway. Running concurrently with I-17 and then I-10 through central Phoenix, it emerges as the Superstition Freeway in Tempe, downgrading again to highway status east of Apache Junction, and then southeast to Globe.
Future Plans
ADOT is conducting studies on the northwest section of Grand Avenue between L101 and L303 to widen the highway and convert some intersections into grade separated intersections, making portions of the segment into a limited access expressway.
Studies have also been performed to identify a bypass route that would extend the Superstition Freeway segment eastward and around Gold Canyon. This segment would be upgraded to freeway standards and run south of the existing roadway. While no funding or plans to build exist, planning documents from Apache Junction reflect the routing of the bypass.
A portion of the conceptual White Tanks Freeway (L404) would run on the current alignment of Grand Avenue between L303 and Jomax Road. If built, this segment would likely be signed as US 60.
State Route 174
Current Status
No state highway with this number exists. Portions of the route overlap or closely parallel Vulture Mine Road near Wickenburg.
Future Plans
ADOT has been in the process of studying a bypass route for traffic between Phoenix and Las Vegas. Although the study is still in process, a preferred corridor has been identified that would carry traffic around the town's southwest side.
Another study being performed by MAG has identified the need for a high capacity corridor through the Hassayampa River Valley. The northernmost part of this corridor overlaps a portion of the Wickenburg Bypass. This overlapped section has been identified on this map as SR 174. SR 193 is another likely potential route numbering.
SR 174 would be a controlled access, largely rural freeway connecting US 93 in southern Yavapai County with the L404 south of Wickenburg. The highway would likely have a limited number of access points roughly every 5 miles.
State Route 274
Current Status
No state highway with this number exists. The proposed alignment roughly parallels Lake Pleasant Parkway to the east.
Future Plans
The current RTP provides funding for right of way preservation along SR 74 and a segment of the Lake Pleasant Parkway connecting to L303. City planning documents from Phoenix and Peoria instead show a conceptualized bypass of SR 74 to the north with a short (3-4 mile) connector segment. If built it would be a controlled access freeway providing a link between SR 74 and L303. It would likely have only one exit beyond other freeway junctions.
There do not currently exist any studies or preliminary funding for this conceptual freeway.
Loop 404
Current Status
With the exception of a roughly 5 mile segment of Grand Avenue between Jomax Road and L303, no portion of this route currently exists.
Future Plans
L404 as presented on this map is an amalgamation of multiple, separate concepts and studies. It would ultimately create a semicircular bypass loop around the far west valley, connecting US 60/L303 in Surprise with I-8 west of Casa Grande. This semicircular loop is why L404 has been chosen as a predicted highway number, although no planning documents support this prediction. It should also be noted that it may be broken up in to multiple segments for numbering purposes, rather than numbered as a whole, or possibly be the route of the proposed Interstate 11.
The White Tanks Freeway segment would run primarily east-west and connect the L303 with SR 174. A roughly five mile segment from the L303 junction heading northwest would run along the current alignment of US 60 (Grand Avenue) through Surprise and likely be cosigned with US 60. Near the intersection with Jomax Road, the freeway would trend west until the junction with SR 174. This segment is reflected in the general plans of both Surprise and Buckeye. It would likely be suburban in character and feature access points every 2-3 miles. No funding or plans for construction exist.
The Hassayampa North-South Corridor is a segment running north to south, connecting SR 174 with I-10 in west Buckeye. This segment runs through what is currently undeveloped land, but would eventually be suburban in character, with access points every 2-3 miles. This segment is featured on planning documents from the town of Buckeye.
The southernmost segment would be a part of the proposed Phoenix-Tucson bypass corridor. It would continue south of I-10 and head in a generally southeast direction until ultimately connecting to either I-8 east of Casa Grande, or I-10 north of the city. A freeway to freeway interchange would exist at the junctions with SR 85, L303 and SR 801. The routing for this freeway is based on the "C" corridor of the bypass study, combined with the planning documents from Buckeye and Goodyear. This section would likely be rural in character and feature limited access points about every 3-5 miles.
Depending on the route ultimately selected, it would continue southward into Pima County, and would perhaps retain the same route number. The sections traveling through the planning areas of Maricopa, Casa Grande and Eloy are uncertain as these cities do not reflect the route on current planning documents. As would provide important access through this part of Pinal County, it may again attain more suburban characteristics with more regular access points.
No segment of L404 has been funded or planned to date.
State Route 801
Current Status
No state highway exists on this route yet. It roughly parallels the old alignment of county road 85.
Future Plans
Arizona State Route 801 is planned as the I-10 Reliever in the current RTP, which will fully fund its construction as an alternate route connecting L303 in Goodyear with L202 in Phoenix. Construction of this segment is not anticipated to be completed prior to 2026. The RTP funds an interim connection from the L303 junction west to SR 85, but does not provide funds for upgrading to freeway standards.
A conceptual extension of SR 801 west to L404 exists in MAG and Buckeye planning documents, but no funding exists for this segment.
Much of the freeway is likely to be suburban or urban in character with access points every 1-2 miles. SR 801 is likely to feature freeway to freeway interchanges with the L303 and SR 85.
State Route 802
Current Status
No state highway exists on this route yet.
Future Plans
Arizona State Route 802, identified as the Williams Gateway Freeway, is included as a short spur from the L202 near Williams Gateway Airport in Mesa. The RTP funds construction of this freeway, although completion is not anticipated until 2020.
While not funded in the RTP, studies conducted by MAG and Pinal County identify an extension of SR 802 eastward to the US 60 extension south of Gold Canyon. This segment is unfunded.
The freeway is likely to be suburban in character with access points every 1-2 miles. A freeway to freeway interchange would be featured at the junction with SR 88.
State Route 803
Current Status
No state highway exists on this route yet. It follows the alignment of Hunt Highway for the majority of its length.
Future Plans
SR 803 would be an East Valley Corridor connecting I-10 in Chandler with US 60 in Florence Junction. However, little study has been done regarding this route and it does not appear on any of the planning documents of the municipalities it would run through. Given the highly developed character of parts of this route and proximity to the Gila River Indian Community, future construction of this route is highly unlikely.