Phoenix Area Highways

[Roadwarriors79]

The speed limit on most valley freeways is 65. Usually lower in construction zones.

[AZDude]

The Speed Limit is 65 MPH.  I was cruising at 60.

[jakeroot]

The Speed Limit is 65 MPH.  I was cruising at 60.

[SSR_317]

The video gives the impression that a lot of drivers were speeding excessively.

In Phoenix?! Speeding excessively?! Shirley, you can't be serious.

LOL. I remember one spring day about 20 years ago heading back from IndyCar Friday practice at PIR (now ISM Raceway) to my Metrocenter-area hotel during the evening rush on the Black Canyon Fwy (I-17 NB) around Camelback and traffic was its usual stop (0 MPH) & go (70-75 MPH when it was moving). Drivers were splitting around and flying by an obvious snowbird in his RV who had gotten stuck in the center lane. As I passed on his left I had time to glance over and see its driver - who had a look of sheer terror on his face. Welcome to the big leagues, my friend! Of course that was back when the Black Canyon Fwy still lived up to its name with the concrete berms on either side, but after The Stack had been built at I-10.

[ztonyg]

No control cities are listed for the 202. Most of the loop freeways in the valley don't have control cities listed.

Honestly, I think that ADOT should have designated the South Mountain Freeway as I-610 and had a control city for the South / East segment as "Tucson" and the North / West segment as "Los Angeles" to encourage traffic to follow this alignment versus I-10 through downtown Phoenix.

[KeithE4Phx]

No control cities are listed for the 202. Most of the loop freeways in the valley don't have control cities listed.

Honestly, I think that ADOT should have designated the South Mountain Freeway as I-610 and had a control city for the South / East segment as "Tucson" and the North / West segment as "Los Angeles" to encourage traffic to follow this alignment versus I-10 through downtown Phoenix.

These Loop freeways were built without Federal money.  I don't believe they are eligible for Interstate designations.

[US 89]

No control cities are listed for the 202. Most of the loop freeways in the valley don't have control cities listed.

Honestly, I think that ADOT should have designated the South Mountain Freeway as I-610 and had a control city for the South / East segment as "Tucson" and the North / West segment as "Los Angeles" to encourage traffic to follow this alignment versus I-10 through downtown Phoenix.

These Loop freeways were built without Federal money.  I don't believe they are eligible for Interstate designations.

I was under the impression any freeway could be added to the system today as a non-chargeable interstate provided it is a logical addition/connection and meets Interstate design standards.

[Max Rockatansky]

No control cities are listed for the 202. Most of the loop freeways in the valley don't have control cities listed.

Honestly, I think that ADOT should have designated the South Mountain Freeway as I-610 and had a control city for the South / East segment as "Tucson" and the North / West segment as "Los Angeles" to encourage traffic to follow this alignment versus I-10 through downtown Phoenix.

These Loop freeways were built without Federal money.  I don't believe they are eligible for Interstate designations.

I was under the impression any freeway could be added to the system today as a non-chargeable interstate provided it is a logical addition/connection and meets Interstate design standards.

They can, ADOT has never sought the Loop Freeways for inclusion.  Really the system is fine the way it is and doesn't need a glob of 3D Interstate Spurs like Los Angeles or the Bay Area. 

[Bobby5280]

My feeling is if the state pays most or all of the cost of a new freeway they should be able to stick their own state highway marker on it and keep it that way. If anything, perhaps individual states should come up with a couple different options for their state highway signs to separate the freeways (and toll roads) from regular roads with stop signs and traffic signals. Create more elaborate, multi-color options for the super highways and keep it more simple and black & white for the regular roads.

[Max Rockatansky]

My feeling is if the state pays most or all of the cost of a new freeway they should be able to stick their own state highway marker on it and keep it that way. If anything, perhaps individual states should come up with a couple different options for their state highway signs to separate the freeways (and toll roads) from regular roads with stop signs and traffic signals. Create more elaborate, multi-color options for the super highways and keep it more simple and black & white for the regular roads.

Which is probably the reasoning behind the numbering of the Loop Freeways.  Lets not forget, Arizona was stiffed decades ago on chargeable three digit Interstate designations.  One of the early concepts for AZ 202 was in fact AZ 217.  AZ 51 has origins as a potential I-510.  Personally I'd like to see ADOT go all out with the X0X concept and have all future new routes adhere to the convention.

[Sonic99]

My feeling is if the state pays most or all of the cost of a new freeway they should be able to stick their own state highway marker on it and keep it that way. If anything, perhaps individual states should come up with a couple different options for their state highway signs to separate the freeways (and toll roads) from regular roads with stop signs and traffic signals. Create more elaborate, multi-color options for the super highways and keep it more simple and black & white for the regular roads.

Which is probably the reasoning behind the numbering of the Loop Freeways.  Lets not forget, Arizona was stiffed decades ago on chargeable three digit Interstate designations.  One of the early concepts for AZ 202 was in fact AZ 217.  AZ 51 has origins as a potential I-510.  Personally I'd like to see ADOT go all out with the X0X concept and have all future new routes adhere to the convention.

The "loop" routes seem to stick to the "x0x" numbering, while the "straight" routes seem to have more conventional numbering. Obviously the 51 is basically N/S orientation, and the newer SR 24 and SR 30 are straight E/W routes.

[ztonyg]

No control cities are listed for the 202. Most of the loop freeways in the valley don't have control cities listed.

Honestly, I think that ADOT should have designated the South Mountain Freeway as I-610 and had a control city for the South / East segment as "Tucson" and the North / West segment as "Los Angeles" to encourage traffic to follow this alignment versus I-10 through downtown Phoenix.

These Loop freeways were built without Federal money.  I don't believe they are eligible for Interstate designations.

I was under the impression any freeway could be added to the system today as a non-chargeable interstate provided it is a logical addition/connection and meets Interstate design standards.

They can, ADOT has never sought the Loop Freeways for inclusion.  Really the system is fine the way it is and doesn't need a glob of 3D Interstate Spurs like Los Angeles or the Bay Area.

The reason I propose the South Mountain freeway getting an interstate designation is the nature of its traffic flows. Most of the other Loop freeways primarily serve local traffic. The South Mountain Freeway is a useful truck bypass of downtown Phoenix (and based upon the ratio of trucks to cars I saw when I drove it the other day seems to back this up) so therefore I believe it makes sense to receive an interstate designation (as well as control cities) to highlight the fact that it is the best connection between two points of I-10 bypassing downtown Phoenix.

[Roadwarriors79]

Many of the current freeways in the Phoenix area had SR x10 or SR x17 numbers in the original 1985 plan. It would have been nice to have more of those numbers (for instance, SR 51 should have been SR 510 if not I-510). But the current numbers are fine, and would just cause more confusion if changed now. I do think it would be helpful to have control cities listed on portions of the regional freeways.

[dfwmapper]

I made a couple trips on the South Mountain Freeway while in AZ over the holidays. It's very confusing driving on an 8 lane urban freeway where all you can see is a soundwall on one side and empty desert on the other. Most traffic was well-behaved (by Arizona standards) and kept it to 70-75, probably because DPS was maintaining a very visible presence and pulling over a lot of people who were going faster than that.

[Plutonic Panda]

Glad DPS was out getting those horrible fiends going 80-90!

[Pink Jazz]

No control cities are listed for the 202. Most of the loop freeways in the valley don't have control cities listed.

Honestly, I think that ADOT should have designated the South Mountain Freeway as I-610 and had a control city for the South / East segment as "Tucson" and the North / West segment as "Los Angeles" to encourage traffic to follow this alignment versus I-10 through downtown Phoenix.

These Loop freeways were built without Federal money.  I don't believe they are eligible for Interstate designations.

I was under the impression any freeway could be added to the system today as a non-chargeable interstate provided it is a logical addition/connection and meets Interstate design standards.

They can, ADOT has never sought the Loop Freeways for inclusion.  Really the system is fine the way it is and doesn't need a glob of 3D Interstate Spurs like Los Angeles or the Bay Area.

The reason I propose the South Mountain freeway getting an interstate designation is the nature of its traffic flows. Most of the other Loop freeways primarily serve local traffic. The South Mountain Freeway is a useful truck bypass of downtown Phoenix (and based upon the ratio of trucks to cars I saw when I drove it the other day seems to back this up) so therefore I believe it makes sense to receive an interstate designation (as well as control cities) to highlight the fact that it is the best connection between two points of I-10 bypassing downtown Phoenix.

The South Mountain Freeway wasn't designed to be a truck bypass.  The I-8/SR 85 route is still the route that ADOT prefers long haul truckers to take to bypass Phoenix.

[ztonyg]

No control cities are listed for the 202. Most of the loop freeways in the valley don't have control cities listed.

Honestly, I think that ADOT should have designated the South Mountain Freeway as I-610 and had a control city for the South / East segment as "Tucson" and the North / West segment as "Los Angeles" to encourage traffic to follow this alignment versus I-10 through downtown Phoenix.

These Loop freeways were built without Federal money.  I don't believe they are eligible for Interstate designations.

I was under the impression any freeway could be added to the system today as a non-chargeable interstate provided it is a logical addition/connection and meets Interstate design standards.

They can, ADOT has never sought the Loop Freeways for inclusion.  Really the system is fine the way it is and doesn't need a glob of 3D Interstate Spurs like Los Angeles or the Bay Area.

The reason I propose the South Mountain freeway getting an interstate designation is the nature of its traffic flows. Most of the other Loop freeways primarily serve local traffic. The South Mountain Freeway is a useful truck bypass of downtown Phoenix (and based upon the ratio of trucks to cars I saw when I drove it the other day seems to back this up) so therefore I believe it makes sense to receive an interstate designation (as well as control cities) to highlight the fact that it is the best connection between two points of I-10 bypassing downtown Phoenix.

The South Mountain Freeway wasn't designed to be a truck bypass.  The I-8/SR 85 route is still the route that ADOT prefers long haul truckers to take to bypass Phoenix.

I understand that it wasn't designed to be a truck bypass, but trucks make up a major percentage of the traffic on the highway and it is the only all freeway truck bypass of downtown Phoenix.

[dfwmapper]

Glad DPS was out getting those horrible fiends going 80-90!

If ADOT set limits based on 85th percentile speeds without any outside influence and wasn't deathly afraid of limits ending in 0, the 202 Red Mountain east of the 101 would be 70, all of the 202 San Tan would be 70, and the 202 South Mountain would be 75. The 101 through Scottsdale might earn its number .

[Exit58]

Glad DPS was out getting those horrible fiends going 80-90!

If ADOT set limits based on 85th percentile speeds without any outside influence and wasn't deathly afraid of limits ending in 0, the 202 Red Mountain east of the 101 would be 70, all of the 202 San Tan would be 70, and the 202 South Mountain would be 75. The 101 through Scottsdale might earn its number .

The Price and Pima segments of the 101 are the worst. I was doing 65 in the construction zone and still had people riding my bumper and blowing past me on the left. Between that and the fact that people on the Price frontage road never yield to freeway off ramp traffic, I avoid the 101 whenever possible.

[Roadwarriors79]

This weekend I checked out the Northern Parkway/Northern Ave construction. Most of it is from west of Dysart Rd to a little ways east of El Mirage Rd. All traffic is using the future EB frontage road. I don't know if overpasses will be built over Dysart and El Mirage, but I think that will happen much later. Nothing else seems to be happening along Northern Ave.

I also have driven on the new section of Loop 202 a few times. It would be treated like an autobahn if it wasn't for all the cops along the way. The only slowdowns I observed were on the ramps to and from I-10 at both ends.

[Zonie]

Speaking of Loop 202, they desperately need to repair the Santan stretch between Loop 101 and I-10. 

I've had to replace two windshields in a month due to loose asphalt.

[KeithE4Phx]

Speaking of Loop 202, they desperately need to repair the Santan stretch between Loop 101 and I-10. 

I've had to replace two windshields in a month due to loose asphalt.

It's been bad for years.  If somebody started a thread called "What freeways are gravel roads?" that section of the 202 would be #1 on my list. 

[Roadwarriors79]

For those of you who drive on the valley freeways, would you rather see ADOT continue with rubberized asphalt or go back to concrete? Maybe it's because of the heavy traffic, or weather, or end of life cycle on some freeway pavement, but I personally wouldn't mind if ADOT rolled back the use of rubberized asphalt.

[ztonyg]

For those of you who drive on the valley freeways, would you rather see ADOT continue with rubberized asphalt or go back to concrete? Maybe it's because of the heavy traffic, or weather, or end of life cycle on some freeway pavement, but I personally wouldn't mind if ADOT rolled back the use of rubberized asphalt.

The rubberized asphalt seems to go bad within a few years. I wouldn't mind if ADOT rolled back its use but I don't see that happening, especially with all of the urban freeways near residential areas.

[Pink Jazz]

Glad DPS was out getting those horrible fiends going 80-90!

If ADOT set limits based on 85th percentile speeds without any outside influence and wasn't deathly afraid of limits ending in 0, the 202 Red Mountain east of the 101 would be 70, all of the 202 San Tan would be 70, and the 202 South Mountain would be 75. The 101 through Scottsdale might earn its number .

I would probably also raise I-10 east of US 60, I-10 west of 43rd Avenue, I-17 north of Loop 101, and the Loop 101 Agua Fria Freeway.