Phoenix Area Highways

[Plutonic Panda]

Yes, the older segments of the Black Canyon Freeway which were part of AZ 69.

I was not aware this was part of AZ 69. This freeway must have been constructed awhile ago. Was it always a freeway from the start or did they upgrade it?

[mrsman]

Even though the races for President and Senate here have received much money and attention, the results on Prop 479 will have far more impact on the daily lives of Maricopa County residents.

Good news: Prop 479 has passed with a wide margin! 60.18% yes to 39.82% no

Yay! Can't wait for the Tres Rios Freeway

Tres Rios and the completion of the I-17/Loop 303 interchange are two that need to get moving ASAP now that the funding is approved.

ADOT's way ahead of you, they've already started ROW acquisition.

I think they had money already allocated for ROW in the current funding, it was actual construction that they said was pending Prop approval. Now that the Prop is approved, they should hopefully get the ball rolling on starting actual work sooner rather than later. And my personal hope is that they can fast-track the 202 to 17 segment as well. My personal dream would be doing a complete rebuild of the 17 segment from Durango to the Split, and truncating 17 to end at Durango and have SR 30 be a straight shot from the Sky Harbor split all the way out, making it a proper alternate to I-10 through downtown.

One possibility is to have one number to cover the east-west segment.  Another possibility is signage that indicates that I-17 leads to AZ-30.  People will come to realize that its a good way to the west with good maps and good signage.

THe 210/134/101 freeway is a straight-shot east/west freeway through the northern areas of Los Angeles.  Just because it is segments of three different numbered roads does not take away from the fact that is utilized by some as a straight shot, despite not being one number.

[Sonic99]

Even though the races for President and Senate here have received much money and attention, the results on Prop 479 will have far more impact on the daily lives of Maricopa County residents.

Good news: Prop 479 has passed with a wide margin! 60.18% yes to 39.82% no

Yay! Can't wait for the Tres Rios Freeway

Tres Rios and the completion of the I-17/Loop 303 interchange are two that need to get moving ASAP now that the funding is approved.

ADOT's way ahead of you, they've already started ROW acquisition.

I think they had money already allocated for ROW in the current funding, it was actual construction that they said was pending Prop approval. Now that the Prop is approved, they should hopefully get the ball rolling on starting actual work sooner rather than later. And my personal hope is that they can fast-track the 202 to 17 segment as well. My personal dream would be doing a complete rebuild of the 17 segment from Durango to the Split, and truncating 17 to end at Durango and have SR 30 be a straight shot from the Sky Harbor split all the way out, making it a proper alternate to I-10 through downtown.

One possibility is to have one number to cover the east-west segment.  Another possibility is signage that indicates that I-17 leads to AZ-30.  People will come to realize that its a good way to the west with good maps and good signage.

THe 210/134/101 freeway is a straight-shot east/west freeway through the northern areas of Los Angeles.  Just because it is segments of three different numbered roads does not take away from the fact that is utilized by some as a straight shot, despite not being one number.

This is honestly what I would like to see. That final 3-ish mile segment that runs E/W is rebuilt to modern standards and just continues straight through to the west instead of curving at the current Durango Curve, and I-17 just ends at a T interchange there. Could easily be signed as "SR 30 West to I-17 North" or something. I know ADOT is starting to conduct studies about how to improve the downtown section of I-10 from the 17 Split over to the 17 Stack, and I can't help but think that an overhaul of that older-than-dirt-itself section of I-17 as a proper "downtown bypass" would be a very helpful relief valve for the Deck Park Tunnel section.

[kernals12]

I found this map in an old planning document about the Piestewa Freeway. Apparently Loop 303 was originally supposed to go further East.

The freeway is referred to as Piestawa in this document from 1991 even though it wasn't renamed until 2003. That means they altered this document after the fact. That is some Orwellian shit. It doesn't serve anyone any good to memoryhole the fact that a highway (and the mountain its named for) used to be known by a racist slur.

[Rothman]

We're just throwing around the term "Orwellian" now.

[Max Rockatansky]

You can faintly see the original name behind Piestwa on the cover page. Probably would have better to use a blacked out redaction for the offending word.  I wouldn't call it "Orwellian" but it is odd to alter the name of a document from 1991 when Lori Piestwa didn't die until 2003. 

[pderocco]

"Squaw" may be racist in some contexts, but given how many geographic entities have that in their names, I don't think it's ever intended that way nowadays, or regarded it that way. It's good when common use drains some word of its offensive overtones.

[kernals12]

We're just throwing around the term "Orwellian" now.

Winston Smith's job in 1984 was altering historical documents to fit current narratives. That is exactly what this is.

[Rothman]

We're just throwing around the term "Orwellian" now.

Winston Smith's job in 1984 was altering historical documents to fit current narratives. That is exactly what this is.

1) I think your conclusion above is speculation.

2) This kind of finding hardly rises very high on the importance scale.

3) Why am I even bothering to respond to this...

[Max Rockatansky]

So K12 is a conspiracy theorist now?  That tracks with invoking references to 1984.

[kernals12]

So K12 is a conspiracy theorist now?  That tracks with invoking references to 1984.

It's not a conspiracy, it's verifiably true.

[Max Rockatansky]

So K12 is a conspiracy theorist now?  That tracks with invoking references to 1984.

It's not a conspiracy, it's verifiably true.

Let us know when the city of Phoenix sicks Big Brother on you for not agreeing with the alterations to their document.

[Plutonic Panda]

So K12 is a conspiracy theorist now?  That tracks with invoking references to 1984.

It's not a conspiracy, it's verifiably true.

Let us know when the city of Phoenix sicks Big Brother on you for not agreeing with the alterations to their document.

Once the men in Black show up, you won't be able to let anyone know anything ever again. Unless it's Will Smith in which case it's a 50-50 chance that you might just get slapped and told to keep the Phoenix freeways and mountain names out of your mouth.

[Max Rockatansky]

So K12 is a conspiracy theorist now?  That tracks with invoking references to 1984.

It's not a conspiracy, it's verifiably true.

Let us know when the city of Phoenix sicks Big Brother on you for not agreeing with the alterations to their document.

Once the men in Black show up, you won't be able to let anyone know anything ever again. Unless it's Will Smith in which case it's a 50-50 chance that you might just get slapped and told to keep the Phoenix freeways and mountain names out of your mouth.

If only the world was that interesting.

I would prefer Agent K accost me about my knowledge of older Phoenix freeway names.  Dry snark is much more my bag.

[pderocco]

Arguably, this map editing could be justified by the desire to use the names people are familiar with nowadays, so they can overlay it onto the map in their heads. My main problem is that I don't know how to pronounce it.

[kernals12]

Sad news: the SoCal tradition of putting "the" in front of freeway route numbers is spreading to Phoenix. I just watched Fox 10 reporters talking about an accident on "the I-17"

[KeithE4Phx]

Sad news: the SoCal tradition of putting "the" in front of freeway route numbers is spreading to Phoenix. I just watched Fox 10 reporters talking about an accident on "the I-17"

Spreading?  I've lived in metro Phoenix since 1994. The local media monkeys have referred to all the freeways as "The 10," "The 101," etc. the entire time I've lived here.  I have to ass-u-me that it started before that.

[Plutonic Panda]

Sad news: the SoCal tradition of putting "the" in front of freeway route numbers is spreading to Phoenix. I just watched Fox 10 reporters talking about an accident on "the I-17"

That's not sad news at all. I love that. I'm that weirdo that goes to Oklahoma and refers to I 35 as the 35. People look at me like what the fuck.

[kernals12]

Sad news: the SoCal tradition of putting "the" in front of freeway route numbers is spreading to Phoenix. I just watched Fox 10 reporters talking about an accident on "the I-17"

That's not sad news at all. I love that. I'm that weirdo that goes to Oklahoma and refers to I 35 as the 35. People look at me like what the fuck.

In fairness, most places on earth put "the" before the number, Canada and most of the US are an exception. Just watch an Auto Shenanigans video as Jon talks about "The M6" and "The A14(M)".

[Max Rockatansky]

I can't bring myself to phrase highways like an Ohio State fan would.  I do recall "the insert number" popping up on Phoenix area traffic reports now and then.

[Plutonic Panda]

Sad news: the SoCal tradition of putting "the" in front of freeway route numbers is spreading to Phoenix. I just watched Fox 10 reporters talking about an accident on "the I-17"

That's not sad news at all. I love that. I'm that weirdo that goes to Oklahoma and refers to I 35 as the 35. People look at me like what the fuck.

In fairness, most places on earth put "the" before the number, Canada and most of the US are an exception. Just watch an Auto Shenanigans video as Jon talks about "The M6" and "The A14(M)".

Texas has its own thing going on where they seem to refer to I-35 as IH-35. Are there any other states that do that?

[ztonyg]

I've lived here for 24 years. The use of "the" before the highway is very common here. I've always referred to them as "the" 101, "the" 202, "the" 143, "the" 60, etc.

[roadfro]

Sad news: the SoCal tradition of putting "the" in front of freeway route numbers is spreading to Phoenix. I just watched Fox 10 reporters talking about an accident on "the I-17"

That's not sad news at all. I love that. I'm that weirdo that goes to Oklahoma and refers to I 35 as the 35. People look at me like what the fuck.

In fairness, most places on earth put "the" before the number, Canada and most of the US are an exception. Just watch an Auto Shenanigans video as Jon talks about "The M6" and "The A14(M)".

Texas has its own thing going on where they seem to refer to I-35 as IH-35. Are there any other states that do that?

To my knowledge, Texas is the only state that uses "IH". TxDOT inventories their interstate highways as "IH", and seems to use that nomenclature publicly. So it stands to reason that other people could pick up on that usage. (In contrast, Nevada DOT inventories its interstate routes as "IR", but tends to just refer to "I-##" in press releases, signage, and such...so nobody says "IR" here.)

[Scott5114]

(In contrast, Nevada DOT inventories its interstate routes as "IR", but tends to just refer to "I-##" in press releases, signage, and such...so nobody says "IR" here.)

I mean, I could start. I'd probably pronounce it like "ear".

[Plutonic Panda]

Some idiot lawmaker is trying to overturn the prop 479 tax that funds the highways in phoenix smh. Doubt it'll happen but what a waste of time.

https://www.azfamily.com/2024/12/05/lawsuit-aims-overturn-maricopa-county-transportation-tax-15b-risk/