Loop 202 South Mountain freeway to open 3 years sooner

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - The Arizona Department of Transportation has a big announcement about the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway. ADOT says a new agreement to build all of it at once will get the job done three years faster and save over $100 million.

Construction is set to begin this summer, and the 22-mile roadway is expected to open by late 2019 instead of 2022 as originally planned.

The freeway will connect I-10 and Pecos on the south edge of Ahwatukee around South Mountain and meet up with I-10 at 51st Avenue.

A partnership of construction companies will be in charge of the whole project under the supervision of ADOT. It will build the freeway in one piece instead of the original plan of 9 separate phases.

"We are anticipating opening the freeway at the end of 2019, in a typical process it has saved us a minimum of three years of construction, motorists will be able to use it much sooner," said Dustin Krugel.

Plus the project will include a separate multi-use path running from 40th St to 17th Avenue, which is perfect for cyclists. Already over 120 properties have been removed from the freeway's path. Mountain Park Community Church at 24th St and Pecos will go soon, but the church has plans to rebuild.

"We have been on a journey for the past six months designing a new facility, we will break ground in the next month and a half at a location near 48th St and Frye Road, it's been designed and ready to go," said Senior Pastor Allan Fuller.

ADOT says the freeway will have four lanes in each direction. The companies building the freeway also have a contract to maintain it for 30 years.