FHWA approves Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway

[Pink Jazz]

South Mountain Freeway gains final federal approval

It looks like the FHWA has approved the South Mountain Freeway.  I expect there will be some lawsuits, but I expect them to be tossed quickly.

[Thing 342]

Link appears to be broken. When clicked, it redirects me to a Viglink site telling me that the URL is invalid.

[roadfro]

South Mountain Freeway gains final federal approval

It looks like the FHWA has approved the South Mountain Freeway.  I expect there will be some lawsuits, but I expect them to be tossed quickly.

Corrected link: http://azdot.gov/media/News/news-release/2015/03/10/south-mountain-freeway-gains-final-federal-approval

Seems like a decent project overall. Nearly $2 Billion to construct...

[blanketcomputer]

I am glad this project is moving forward. It will be interesting (and probably somewhat frustrating) to watch the effects of the interchange construction along I-10.

[Henry]

This is a good thing! Hopefully we'll be able to drive on it in five years, if not sooner.

[hm insulators]

I still think it should hook into I-10 at the Loop 101 in Tolleson, rather than 59th Avenue.

[Pink Jazz]

I still think it should hook into I-10 at the Loop 101 in Tolleson, rather than 59th Avenue.

Downtown Tolleson would have to be bulldozed if that were to happen.

[NE2]

I still think it should hook into I-10 at the Loop 101 in Tolleson, rather than 59th Avenue.

Downtown Tolleson would have to be bulldozed if that were to happen.

Downtown Tolleson is a distribution center and a Freightliner truck dealer? Arizona sucks.

[pumpkineater2]

I can't wait to drive on it!  Hopefully this will bring some relief to I- 10.

[JKRhodes]

I still think it should hook into I-10 at the Loop 101 in Tolleson, rather than 59th Avenue.

Downtown Tolleson would have to be bulldozed if that were to happen.

Downtown Tolleson is a distribution center and a Freightliner truck dealer? Arizona sucks.

Once the 202 is tied in with the 10 at 55th ave, I-10 will have eight freeway to freeway interchanges within a 28 mile span. Once 85 is upgraded to a full freeway, that number will be ten within 50 miles.

[707]

I still think it should hook into I-10 at the Loop 101 in Tolleson, rather than 59th Avenue.

Downtown Tolleson would have to be bulldozed if that were to happen.

Downtown Tolleson is a distribution center and a Freightliner truck dealer? Arizona sucks.

Once the 202 is tied in with the 10 at 55th ave, I-10 will have eight freeway to freeway interchanges within a 28 mile span. Once 85 is upgraded to a full freeway, that number will be ten within 50 miles.

Good thing they have SR 30 planned.

[Sonic99]

I still think it should hook into I-10 at the Loop 101 in Tolleson, rather than 59th Avenue.

Downtown Tolleson would have to be bulldozed if that were to happen.

Downtown Tolleson is a distribution center and a Freightliner truck dealer? Arizona sucks.

Once the 202 is tied in with the 10 at 55th ave, I-10 will have eight freeway to freeway interchanges within a 28 mile span. Once 85 is upgraded to a full freeway, that number will be ten within 50 miles.

This has been my biggest gripe for how they are planning this.

Starting at the 85, you have this to go through.

85 -> 303 - 12 miles
303 -> 101 - 9 miles
101 -> 202 - 5 miles
202 -> 17 - 4.5 miles
17 -> 202/51 - 4 miles
202/51 -> 17 - 3 miles
17 -> 143 - 3.5 miles
143 -> 60 - 3 miles
60 -> 202 - 6 miles

Sounds like a lot of weaving and merging.

That, and the construction process is going to be a mess along I-10/59th Ave. I just don't see how they are fitting a full freeway-to-freeway interchange in the middle of this...

[roadfro]

^ Lots of property acquisition...

An ADOT page linked earlier has a fairly detailed simulation video showing the whole freeway proposal.

[NE2]

http://wwwa.azdot.gov/projects/south-mtn-final-eis/smfeis_ch_3_alternatives.pdf (pp. 49, 56) shows that it'll be entirely east of 59th, meaning it'll fuck the apartments but not the single-family homes.

p. 64 shows the I-11 corridor far to the west on Vulture Mine Road. This, currently a two-lane road, actually looks like a reasonable bypass right now.

[707]

The I-10 relieving part may happen at a better scale with the building of AZ 30. Honestly without AZ 30, this stretch of Loop 202 would seem pretty indirect, long and out of the way for Interstate traffic compared to the straight forward route of I-10.

[swbrotha100]

I still think it should hook into I-10 at the Loop 101 in Tolleson, rather than 59th Avenue.

Downtown Tolleson would have to be bulldozed if that were to happen.

Downtown Tolleson is a distribution center and a Freightliner truck dealer? Arizona sucks.

I think the connection to I-10 could have been along 99th Ave. So maybe they redo the current I-10/Loop 101 interchange, and turn current 99th Ave into one-way frontage roads with the 201/101 in the middle for a few miles. Tolleson could have had residences and businesses and still have potential freeway frontage. Guess it's too late now.

Looking at the map regarding Proposition 300 in 1985, the Loop 202 connection to I-10 was originally proposed at around 55th Ave.

http://wwwa.azdot.gov/projects/south-mtn-final-eis/smfeis_ch_1_purpose-and-need.pdf

Look on page 6 of the pdf.

[Pink Jazz]

Looks like PARC is planning a lawsuit against ADOT and the FHWA.  Hopefully ADOT files a countersuit as criminal rather than civil charges against PARC and sends every single member of that criminal organization to jail.

[Zeffy]

Looks like PARC is planning a lawsuit against ADOT and the FHWA.  Hopefully ADOT files a countersuit as criminal rather than civil charges against PARC and sends every single member of that criminal organization to jail.

What exactly are they even filing a lawsuit for?

[Pink Jazz]

What exactly are they even filing a lawsuit for?

Just to stop the freeway.  This is why ADOT should file a countersuit for abuse of the legal system and interfering with ADOT's and the FHWA's legal authority.

[swbrotha100]

I've heard that one of the top people in PARC purposely bought two houses in Ahwatukee, along the current Pecos Road corridor.

Anyway, for those of you on Facebook, here's a page that supports the South Mountain Freeway:

https://www.facebook.com/Loop202

[blanketcomputer]

I just don't see how they are fitting a full freeway-to-freeway interchange in the middle of this...

Right-of-way maps and plans for the I-10 interchange can be seen here http://smfonlinehearing.com/maps/

[DJStephens]

ADOT seems to have built these newer roads in the phoenix metro area for the most part right the first time around.  The SW section or 202 should link directly into the 101 freeway, to make it coherent, and to continue the pattern, and finish the network correctly.   

[Pink Jazz]

Looks like PARC and several other criminal leftist organizations have filed a lawsuit to block the South Mountain Freeway:
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2015/05/19/phoenix-south-mountain-freeway-lawsuit-abri/27578365/

Hopefully ADOT files a countersuit with criminal charges against all of those organizations to throw every single member of those organizations in jail.

[707]

Looks like PARC and several other criminal leftist organizations have filed a lawsuit to block the South Mountain Freeway:
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2015/05/19/phoenix-south-mountain-freeway-lawsuit-abri/27578365/

Hopefully ADOT files a countersuit with criminal charges against all of those organizations to throw every single member of those organizations in jail.

Amen.

[Anthony_JK]

Sorry, but however you may oppose frivolous lawsuits like this one, calling opponents "criminal leftists" for exercising their Consitutional rights is way over the line. Their case is bogus and should be thrown out of court, but they have that right to express their grievances. Plus, there are plenty of lefties who aren't radically anti-freeway...I'm one of them.