Phoenix Area Loops

[corco]

If you do go down that way, I'm pretty sure the interchange is at its full height now and it's definitely really, really tall.

[Sonic99]

Wow, just looking at those illustrations....that thing is a MONSTER!! I presume that even though the 303 will end for now at I-10, they will build the ramps to connect to future 303 South as part of this? Or will they just leave the space for those to be added in the future?

[swbrotha100]

From what I've seen at the scene and what I've seen online, only the connections to 303 North will be built for now. Whenever 303 is extended south of I-10, the remaining freeway-to-freeway movements will be built.

When I-17 was being widened in north Phoenix and Loop 303 was being tied into 17, no freeway-to-freeway ramps were built. There's grading for future freeway ramps, but it's basically a regular diamond interchange.

[Stephane Dumas]

I wonder how the Loop-303/US-60 interchange will look? Openstreetmap shows some proposed flyover ramps but the data seems incomplete. http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=33.68066&lon=-112.40523&zoom=16&layers=M

[Sonic99]

I wonder how the Loop-303/US-60 interchange will look? Openstreetmap shows some proposed flyover ramps but the data seems incomplete. http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=33.68066&lon=-112.40523&zoom=16&layers=M

I doubt that is anything like what will be built. Just not seeing that NB(WB?) Grand Ave/US 60 to EB 303 would work with the train tracks right there. But I have been curious as to what exactly they are planning on doing there though.

[NE2]

http://www.azdot.gov/highways/EPG/EPG_common/PDF/EAs/303_Interstate_10_to_US60/Draft_EA_Text.pdf page 61: three-level stack (left-turn ramps crossing each other at-grade).

[Stephane Dumas]

http://www.azdot.gov/highways/EPG/EPG_common/PDF/EAs/303_Interstate_10_to_US60/Draft_EA_Text.pdf page 61: three-level stack (left-turn ramps crossing each other at-grade).

Thanks It look almost like a "stacked diamond" or a "volleyball spui" http://www.kurumi.com/roads/interchanges/spui.html

[hm insulators]

From what I've seen at the scene and what I've seen online, only the connections to 303 North will be built for now. Whenever 303 is extended south of I-10, the remaining freeway-to-freeway movements will be built.

When I-17 was being widened in north Phoenix and Loop 303 was being tied into 17, no freeway-to-freeway ramps were built. There's grading for future freeway ramps, but it's basically a regular diamond interchange.

When do they expect to make it a full freeway-to-freeway interchange?

That new section of Loop 303 is nice for getting from my mother's house in Sun City West back home to my apartment near 7th Street and Bethany Home. It's out of the way but sure beats fighting all those signals on Bell Rd. to get to Loop 101 (and waiting at that LONG red light to turn east onto Bell from southbound El Mirage Rd).

[swbrotha100]

From what I've seen at the scene and what I've seen online, only the connections to 303 North will be built for now. Whenever 303 is extended south of I-10, the remaining freeway-to-freeway movements will be built.

When I-17 was being widened in north Phoenix and Loop 303 was being tied into 17, no freeway-to-freeway ramps were built. There's grading for future freeway ramps, but it's basically a regular diamond interchange.

When do they expect to make it a full freeway-to-freeway interchange?

That new section of Loop 303 is nice for getting from my mother's house in Sun City West back home to my apartment near 7th Street and Bethany Home. It's out of the way but sure beats fighting all those signals on Bell Rd. to get to Loop 101 (and waiting at that LONG red light to turn east onto Bell from southbound El Mirage Rd).

I have no idea when ADOT will add freeway-to-freeway ramps at I-17 and Loop 303. I have seen plans for future interchange work to get started when the section of Loop 303 between Grand Avenue (US 60) and Happy Valley Parkway is upgraded, between 2016 and 2025. There are future plans to extend Sonoran Desert Drive and Sonoran Boulevard (Dove Valley Road) to the east. There's also room to add frontage roads on both sides of I-17 between Dixileta Drive and Carefree Highway (SR 74).

[frozen]

Hey, new here-- but living in the quagmire area that is 303, so I think I can share some answers re: 303.

I wonder how the Loop-303/US-60 interchange will look? Openstreetmap shows some proposed flyover ramps but the data seems incomplete. http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=33.68066&lon=-112.40523&zoom=16&layers=M

From the schematics I've seen, its basically a 3-level intersection. 303 mainstem will go over the entire thing-- and Southbound 303 Bridge is already in use, serving both ways. Northbound bridge still has not been constructed.

60 will remain at-level, but a farther NW/SE there will be a on/off ramp going UNDER 60 level. The off/on ramps from 303 will go UNDER 60 to meet and create an SPUI (? -- not sure what exactly this is called now) underneath 60. This way, they will avoid having the ramps cross the BNSF Railroad tracks adajacent to 60 to get back on 303.

I personally think this is ... stupid? Especially when there's word flying around with that I-11 report of a feeder freeway ("White Tanks Freeway") going E/W from I-11 to 60 and intersecting 303 exactly where the current intersection will be. 

[swbrotha100]

I've been thinking about why Loop 303 was built the way it is currently at I-17 (no freeway-to-freeway ramps). It may have been funding, or other factors with ADOT (concerning I-17 in general between Loop 101 and Carefree Hwy), or the city of Phoenix not yet completing local street connections to I-17 in this area.

[Sonic99]

I've been thinking about why Loop 303 was built the way it is currently at I-17 (no freeway-to-freeway ramps). It may have been funding, or other factors with ADOT (concerning I-17 in general between Loop 101 and Carefree Hwy), or the city of Phoenix not yet completing local street connections to I-17 in this area.

I'm pretty sure it is funding, as the current "temporary" interchange was built in a different "budget cycle" for the sales taxes (2006-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25) than when the full interchange will be built. When I was in Phoenix last month, I have to say I was impressed with how they built it though. All the overpasses for I-17 are already built, and there's even a reasonably nice "graded" part that follows where the EB/NB ramp will eventually be. There will be very minimal "reconstruction" when they put the full interchange in. Unlike the stupid way they did the 17/101 interchange and had to rebuild the I-17 bridge over the 101 because they didn't build it wide enough to accommodate HOV lanes when they built it barely 15 years ago (geez, I can't believe it's been that long. Seems like just yesterday I was prodding my dad to take me down the NEW 101 section from 75th Ave to I-17 and see those huge flyovers under construction).

[ztonyg]

From what I've seen at the scene and what I've seen online, only the connections to 303 North will be built for now. Whenever 303 is extended south of I-10, the remaining freeway-to-freeway movements will be built.

When I-17 was being widened in north Phoenix and Loop 303 was being tied into 17, no freeway-to-freeway ramps were built. There's grading for future freeway ramps, but it's basically a regular diamond interchange.

When do they expect to make it a full freeway-to-freeway interchange?

That new section of Loop 303 is nice for getting from my mother's house in Sun City West back home to my apartment near 7th Street and Bethany Home. It's out of the way but sure beats fighting all those signals on Bell Rd. to get to Loop 101 (and waiting at that LONG red light to turn east onto Bell from southbound El Mirage Rd).

I have no idea when ADOT will add freeway-to-freeway ramps at I-17 and Loop 303. I have seen plans for future interchange work to get started when the section of Loop 303 between Grand Avenue (US 60) and Happy Valley Parkway is upgraded, between 2016 and 2025. There are future plans to extend Sonoran Desert Drive and Sonoran Boulevard (Dove Valley Road) to the east. There's also room to add frontage roads on both sides of I-17 between Dixileta Drive and Carefree Highway (SR 74).

The Sonoran Boulevard (Dove Valley Road) extension to I-17 is under construction as we speak.  Construction started about a week ago.   

[frozen]

I've been thinking about why Loop 303 was built the way it is currently at I-17 (no freeway-to-freeway ramps). It may have been funding, or other factors with ADOT (concerning I-17 in general between Loop 101 and Carefree Hwy), or the city of Phoenix not yet completing local street connections to I-17 in this area.

Funding has not arrived yet. Its scheduled for Phase III (Estimated Date: 2016-Were in Phase II). 303 from Grand to I-17 still has some sections not built to freeway standards (El Mirage Intersection to US 60) and several locations where the freeway itself dips onto future onramps with acutal bridges to be built (IIRC those are located at Jomax Parkway, Pyramid Peak Pkwy, 51st Ave, and one more I cant figure what road would attach to it) You can tell by looking at the aerial.

[swbrotha100]

I've been thinking about why Loop 303 was built the way it is currently at I-17 (no freeway-to-freeway ramps). It may have been funding, or other factors with ADOT (concerning I-17 in general between Loop 101 and Carefree Hwy), or the city of Phoenix not yet completing local street connections to I-17 in this area.

I'm pretty sure it is funding, as the current "temporary" interchange was built in a different "budget cycle" for the sales taxes (2006-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25) than when the full interchange will be built. When I was in Phoenix last month, I have to say I was impressed with how they built it though. All the overpasses for I-17 are already built, and there's even a reasonably nice "graded" part that follows where the EB/NB ramp will eventually be. There will be very minimal "reconstruction" when they put the full interchange in. Unlike the stupid way they did the 17/101 interchange and had to rebuild the I-17 bridge over the 101 because they didn't build it wide enough to accommodate HOV lanes when they built it barely 15 years ago (geez, I can't believe it's been that long. Seems like just yesterday I was prodding my dad to take me down the NEW 101 section from 75th Ave to I-17 and see those huge flyovers under construction).

I wish ADOT or the city of Phoenix had replaced the Pinnacle Peak Rd and Happy Valley Rd bridges over I-17, or found a way to incorporate new bridges into the widening project from Loop 101 to Anthem Way. If you have ever driven in one of these areas, especially westbound during rush hour, or this time of year, you would understand.

[Sonic99]

I have to agree, I was baffled that they left those two overpasses alone, and built several others that have nowhere near as much traffic to deal with. The large overpasses at Jomax and Sonoran Blvd are going to sit basically dormant for another handful of years, while the Pinnacle Peak and Happy Valley overpasses were overloaded 10 years ago, and weren't touched. For everything ADOT does right, there's usually something else that leads to a good headscratcher.

[ztonyg]

Speaking of those overpasses.  If you are driving southbound on I-17, the overhead signs affixed to the Happy Valley Rd bridge are still button copy (whereas all of the other overhead signs in the area have been replaced by Clearview reflective signage).  It's an interesting anomaly.

[swbrotha100]

The Jomax Rd overpass is in use, although I would admit mostly local traffic uses it to access I-17 in comparison to overpasses going south.

As far as button copy signs, there are still a few on I-17 northbound (2 or 3 signs for the Union Hills Dr/Yorkshire Dr exit. In most of the Phoenix area, the only button copy signs that have survived are on cross streets approaching freeway interchanges.

[ztonyg]

I drove through the valley today I-17 from Jomax - I-10 (stack), I-10 from I-17 t.o Ray Rd, US 60 from I-10 to Rural Rd, and Loop 101 from McKellips to I-17.

I-17 S and I-17 N from Loop 101 to Northern in both directions is mostly Clearview free (with a good amount of button copy and non button copy FHWA remaining).  North of Loop 101 there are button copy signs on the Happy Valley overpass (S/B).  I-10 is Clearview between the tunnel and I-17 (although east of the tunnel it's mostly non button copy FHWA with sporadic Clearview).  US 60 has Clearview signage (at least between I-10 and Rural).  Loop 101 between Loop 202 and Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd is almost 100% button copy (except for one advance sign at Shea and some advance signage near the Raintree Dr. exit).  North (and West) of Frank Lloyd Wright it's almost 100% Clearview (except for some city limit and cross road signage).     

[Stephane Dumas]

I dust-off this thread. The new HOV lane ramps on Loop-101 at Maryland Avenue are open.
http://www.azdot.gov/media/blog/posts/2014/04/03/new-loop-101-hov-lane-ramps-now-open-at-maryland-ave.-in-glendale

Also, here a post dated of March 2014 about the progress of the construction of Loop-303/I-10 interchange on AZDOT blog http://www.azdot.gov/media/blog/posts/2014/03/13/look-at-the-progress-loop-303-i-10-traffic-interchange

[swbrotha100]

I dust-off this thread. The new HOV lane ramps on Loop-101 at Maryland Avenue are open.
http://www.azdot.gov/media/blog/posts/2014/04/03/new-loop-101-hov-lane-ramps-now-open-at-maryland-ave.-in-glendale

Also, here a post dated of March 2014 about the progress of the construction of Loop-303/I-10 interchange on AZDOT blog http://www.azdot.gov/media/blog/posts/2014/03/13/look-at-the-progress-loop-303-i-10-traffic-interchange

Two of the ramps that would connect Loop 303 south of I-10 are under construction (WB I-10 to SB Loop 303 and NB Loop 303 to WB I-10).

[Alps]

I dust-off this thread. The new HOV lane ramps on Loop-101 at Maryland Avenue are open.
http://www.azdot.gov/media/blog/posts/2014/04/03/new-loop-101-hov-lane-ramps-now-open-at-maryland-ave.-in-glendale

Also, here a post dated of March 2014 about the progress of the construction of Loop-303/I-10 interchange on AZDOT blog http://www.azdot.gov/media/blog/posts/2014/03/13/look-at-the-progress-loop-303-i-10-traffic-interchange

Two of the ramps that would connect Loop 303 south of I-10 are under construction (WB I-10 to SB Loop 303 and NB Loop 303 to WB I-10).

What's going on there? Latest Google satellite imagery shows Cotton Lane cut off and the interchange gone. Is there really no access between I-10 and Loop 303 at the moment?

[mapman1071]

I dust-off this thread. The new HOV lane ramps on Loop-101 at Maryland Avenue are open.
http://www.azdot.gov/media/blog/posts/2014/04/03/new-loop-101-hov-lane-ramps-now-open-at-maryland-ave.-in-glendale

Also, here a post dated of March 2014 about the progress of the construction of Loop-303/I-10 interchange on AZDOT blog http://www.azdot.gov/media/blog/posts/2014/03/13/look-at-the-progress-loop-303-i-10-traffic-interchange

Two of the ramps that would connect Loop 303 south of I-10 are under construction (WB I-10 to SB Loop 303 and NB Loop 303 to WB I-10).

What's going on there? Latest Google satellite imagery shows Cotton Lane cut off and the interchange gone. Is there really no access between I-10 and Loop 303 at the moment?

The is a future proposal for AZ Loop 303 to extend south to Future AZ30, Cotton Lane would WB On and EB Off Ramps only.

[swbrotha100]

I dust-off this thread. The new HOV lane ramps on Loop-101 at Maryland Avenue are open.
http://www.azdot.gov/media/blog/posts/2014/04/03/new-loop-101-hov-lane-ramps-now-open-at-maryland-ave.-in-glendale

Also, here a post dated of March 2014 about the progress of the construction of Loop-303/I-10 interchange on AZDOT blog http://www.azdot.gov/media/blog/posts/2014/03/13/look-at-the-progress-loop-303-i-10-traffic-interchange

Two of the ramps that would connect Loop 303 south of I-10 are under construction (WB I-10 to SB Loop 303 and NB Loop 303 to WB I-10).

What's going on there? Latest Google satellite imagery shows Cotton Lane cut off and the interchange gone. Is there really no access between I-10 and Loop 303 at the moment?

There is no direct access from I-10 to Loop 303. For now, WB I-10 has to exit at Sarival Ave, go north to McDowell Rd, go west to the future Cotton Lane alignment. EB I-10 has to exit at Citrus Rd, go north to McDowell and east to Cotton Lane. Going north on Cotton leads to Thomas Rd, where the connection is to current (and future) Loop 303. There are frontage roads under construction, both along I-10 (Sarival Ave to Citrus Rd) and what will eventually go from McDowell to go south of I-10 to current Cotton Lane at Van Buren St. The current Cotton Lane detour between Van Buren and McDowell is still going east to Sarival or west to Citrus, and using Sarival/Citrus to go north/south between Van Buren and McDowell.

[swbrotha100]

Another Phoenix area freeway is open, albeit a small stretch:

http://azdot.gov/media/News/news-release/2014/05/05/state-route-24-freeway-connection-opens-in-mesa

Although not a state highway, the first few miles of the Northern Parkway in the west valley have been open for a few months. When a couple of overpasses are built, it is built to freeway standards, whether it's labeled that way or not.