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Former AZ 153

Started by Max Rockatansky, May 27, 2023, 01:07:26 PM

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Max Rockatansky

Put something together for the history of former AZ 153 (AKA the Sky Harbor Expressway):

https://www.gribblenation.org/2023/05/former-arizona-state-route-153.html


74/171FAN

I felt after reading this that AZ 143 being right to the east of this made AZ 153 a bit goofy to be a freeway.
I am now a PennDOT employee.  My opinions/views do not necessarily reflect the opinions/views of PennDOT.

Sonic99

Quote from: 74/171FAN on May 27, 2023, 05:54:35 PM
I felt after reading this that AZ 143 being right to the east of this made AZ 153 a bit goofy to be a freeway.

Yeah it was definitely a pretty redundant highway. Seems like they wanted one to be dedicated to the airport as a direct connection from I-10 and for some reason keep 143 as a 10/202 connector (was the 143 ever proposed to go north of McDowell? The ROW at the intersection is tight but seems like it's wider than needed for the simple intersection that's there now). I also wonder if the "abandoned" 153 will ever be condensed down to eliminate the excess ROW at University along with the Salt River Bridge that's more than twice as wide as necessary. In reality, I can't help but wonder if the entire road south of Sky Harbor Blvd. is just pointless and could be demolished. I can't imagine the traffic counts come even close to justifying the maintenance costs on an 8 lane bridge over the river. And as I'm looking at the road layout on Google Maps, the entire eastern end of the airport is a bit of a mess because there's still signs of the originally proposed idea of the 143 and 153. Can't help but wonder if Sky Harbor will ever go through a top-to-bottom redesign and reengineering of that end of the property and streamline everything.
If you used to draw freeways on your homework and got reprimanded by your Senior English teacher for doing so, you might be a road geek!

Zonie

Up to the early 90s, there was a plan to extend SR 143 along about 48th St to at least Thomas Road. 

https://kjzz.org/content/1679173/phoenix-50-years-ago-look-back

In that graphic, it seems like SR 153 would have gone from I-10/40th St and hooked into the Loop 202 spur.  Realigning SR 143 to its current configuration really made that redundant.

The Ghostbuster

I think former AZ 153 shouldn't have been built, at least as a freeway. If anything, it should have been constructed as a signaled boulevard with at-grade intersections.

Sonic99

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on June 04, 2023, 01:03:51 PM
I think former AZ 153 shouldn't have been built, at least as a freeway. If anything, it should have been constructed as a signaled boulevard with at-grade intersections.

Yeah in hindsight it was a complete waste of resources. I can't help but wonder if the people who pushed so hard for it were somehow in it for personal gain with contacts or real estate. I wonder about the influence of Sky Harbor too and how much they dictated to ADOT that this has to be built.
If you used to draw freeways on your homework and got reprimanded by your Senior English teacher for doing so, you might be a road geek!

JKRhodes

Quote from: Sonic99 on June 05, 2023, 11:20:54 AM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on June 04, 2023, 01:03:51 PM
I think former AZ 153 shouldn't have been built, at least as a freeway. If anything, it should have been constructed as a signaled boulevard with at-grade intersections.

Yeah in hindsight it was a complete waste of resources. I can't help but wonder if the people who pushed so hard for it were somehow in it for personal gain with contacts or real estate. I wonder about the influence of Sky Harbor too and how much they dictated to ADOT that this has to be built.

The one benefit I can see is Tatum/44th corridor having complete continuity from Cave Creek Road all the way to I-10, had the original plans been completed

Concrete Bob

I still think that the south end of the former AZ 153 (44th Street at University Avenue) should be tied directly into 40th Street just above i-10 as a surface-level arterial.  Perhaps the new arterial could spur some retail Urban Retail/Residential development in the area.  It would to the ambiance of the strip clubs along University Avenue.  Things may have changed since I was in the area twenty-plus years ago, but I doubt it. 

JKRhodes

Google search reveals one strip club in the neighborhood, on Illini tucked behind all of the hotels. Other than that, it's a typical phoenix busuness/industrial neighborhood. Lot more restaurants than I realized; Peppersauce Cafe actually looks really good. That being said the area's also packed to the gills with buildings now, completely filled in making any hope of a 40th street tie-in a pipe dream.



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