ADOT Sets Second Closure for South Mountain Freeway Construction
During the closures on successive weekends, crews are restriping lanes and setting nearly 4 miles of concrete barriers on both sites of a widened median, in order to create work zones.
The closing of the I-10 eastbound lanes in Phoenix during the Feb. 17-20 weekend will be a challenge for motorists, but it's necessary to prepare for construction of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway interchange at 59th Avenue, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation, which admits "there is never a good time to close a freeway, particularly one as busy as Interstate 10, but it's absolutely necessary to ensure the safety of the traveling public and construction workers. The westbound lanes were closed Feb. 10-13 for the same reason.
The South Mountain Freeway is a 22-mile corridor with a fixed $916 million contract for design and construction, and it is Arizona's first public-private partnership for a highway project, according to ADOT, which expects to open it in late 2019. During the closures, crews are restriping lanes and setting nearly 4 miles of concrete barriers on both sites of a widened median, in order to create work zones.
ADOT selected the two weekends, with work scheduled to last from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday each time, to avoid spring training baseball, the NCAA men's Final Four basketball championship (April 1-3 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale), and the recent Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament.