The AARoads Blog

It’s no secret that Phoenix is one of the sprawliest urban areas in the nation. Arizona’s DOT is responding to this need for infrastructure with Loop 303, a third freeway loop around Phoenix. The road has been around in a two-lane highway form for several years now, but groundbreaking took place last week on the first section of freeway for Loop 303 stretching from I-17 north of Phoenix west and south to US 60.This is the first new groundbreaking for a Phoenix area freeway since 2006.

A map and more information on the freeway is available from AZDOT here. Look for the link between I-10 and I-17 to be opened in 2015.

Photo by Rob Branch-Dasch / Decomprose on Flickr, used with permission.

Hooray, new route markers.

DFW’s tolling authority, the NTTA, is replacing all of their signs – which are now unique to each route – with a standardized version. The Dallas North Tollway’s familiar round green shields are about 30% gone; the George Bush Turnpike’s old signs are over 60% replaced, and the newly christened Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH 121) has about 25% of its signs in the new style.

One state north, Oklahoma, is updating their new state highway shields with alternatively colored signs for scenic routes. Oklahoma can be surprisingly scenic. I only wish the directional banner would match.

Lubbock, Texas has opened two new stretches of freeway in May. Phase 2 of the large Marsha Sharp freeway completed the interchange at 19th Street (where US 62 splits off) and continued the main lanes northeast and east to Avenue Q (US 84). The $131 million phase of the project started about 4 years ago. It’s still not 100% complete, as landscaping and signs are not installed yet. Additionally, no one appears to know that it is open yet, because the author was the only person on the route on a Saturday afternoon.
This view looks north at the 19th Street interchange, a few days after opening. Traffic headed eastbound on 19th gets a direct ramp to northbound US 82, and westbound 19th Street traffic gets a direct ramp to southbound US 82.

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A recent visit to State Line, Mississippi revealed changes made by 2007 to U.S. 45, Mississippi 42, and Mississipi 57. This small town derives its name from its proximity to the Alabama state line on the Greene and Wayne County lines. Mississippi 42 enters State Line as a two lane road from Richton to the west; Mississippi 57 connects the community with Leakesville to the south; U.S. 45 joins the area with Waynesboro and Citronelle.

Construction starting around 2000 involved widening all remaining two-lane sections of U.S. 45 northward from the Alabama state line to Meridian. This work included an expressway bypass of Quitman and completes U.S. 45 as a four-lane route trough to the Tennessee state line.

Widening of U.S. 45 ties into another four-lane corridor underway along Mississippi 57 south to Leakesville and Mississipi 63 between Leakesville and Moss Point. This work is partially complete with a 12-mile stretch of new expressway grade road for Mississippi 57 from U.S. 45 south. A new alignment was built east of Main Street, extending the state route to a partial trumpet interchange with U.S. 45. Included in the work was the relocation of Mississippi 42 onto St. Peter Street and a new diamond interchange between the two highways.

Further south, all of Mississippi 63 was four-laned between an interchange with U.S. 98 and the city of Moss Point by 2000. Mississippi 63 remains a two-lane route between U.S. 98 northeast of Lucedale to its overlap with Mississippi 57 through Leakesville. This is changing now with the construction of a new four-lane highway from the current stub end with U.S. 98 to a widening of existing Mississippi 57 north of its split with Mississippi 63.

The final 25-mile stretch of new four-lane is presently under construction. Completion expected by fall 2011, the $42.1 million roadway includes substantial new alignments for Mississippi 63 and 57 and a diamond interchange where they come together southeast of Leakesville.

A look at changes made to the State Line area road network between 2000 and 2009. Note the relocation of Mississippi 42 from Kennedy Street onto St. Peter Street and the realignment of its intersection west from Alabama 56. Mississippi 57 north from a crossover south of St. Peter Street to the end with U.S. 45 exists as a limited access freeway with partial shoulders.

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An extension of the Mobile County 39 (McDonald Road) divided highway constructed in the mid-2000s will take place on May 20, 2009. County Highway 39 was realigned eastward to meet Interstate 10 at a new six-ramp partial-cloverleaf interchange that opened January 12, 2005. Presently the four-lane road ends at U.S. 90 by Irvington.

Work began December 2007 on a $10.2 million extension of County Highway 39 from a folded-diamond interchange with U.S. 90 to Padgett Switch Road at Half Mile Road to the south. This construction is very near completion based upon a recent visit and a Mobile Press Register news story published today.

Upon completion, travelers heading to/from Interstate 10 and Bayou La Batre will have a direct route to Mobile and points north for hurricane evacuation purposes. The placement of a CSX Railroad parallel to U.S. 90 allows for County Highway 39 to have not only an interchange with U.S. 90. but also an interchange with Park Boulevard and Gibson Road near Mobile International Raceway.

View some images from the soon to be opened highway. (more…)