What is the work on Loop 101 near Arrowhead Towne Center?
A 7-mile stretch of Loop 101 in the northwest Valley has been under construction since September 2024 with no end yet in sight.
The northwest and western portion of the freeway, called the Agua Fria Freeway, sees almost 170,000 drivers daily, according to 2018 data from the Arizona Department of Transportation.
By 2040, the number of daily drivers on the northwest section is expected to increase by nearly 27 percent.
In an effort to ease traffic congestion in the rapidly expanding West Valley, Loop 101 between Deer Valley and Arrowhead, north of Glendale, is adding more lanes, fixing deteriorating infrastructure and improving interchanges.
Here's what to know about the northwest Loop 101 construction.
The construction aims to improve traffic flow on the freeway and cross streets. The main traffic alleviator will be the addition of one general-purpose lane in each direction, according to ADOT. Other project elements include:
Widening bridges at 51st, 35th and 31st avenues
Modifying interchange ramps and frontage roads
Adding a third southbound left turn lane onto Loop 101 at 75th Avenue
Improving the system interchange ramp between westbound Loop 101 and northbound Interstate 17
Resurfacing the roadway
Upgrading freeway and ramp lighting
Adding or modifying noise walls where necessary.
The construction is on a 7-mile stretch of Loop 101 between 75th Avenue in Arrowhead and I-17 near Deer Valley.
Construction began in September 2024 and is expected to take about two-and-a-half years, according to ADOT. It is slated to end in spring 2027.
Work will require lane restrictions and full closures on Loop 101, interchange ramps and cross streets. The closures are scheduled primarily overnight and on the weekends. ADOT emphasized that access to businesses and residences will not be restricted.
Drivers will have to navigate long-term on- and off-ramp closures. Sixty-day closures are planned to begin on May 19, including the westbound on-ramp at 35th Avenue, the westbound off-ramp at 51st Avenue and the eastbound on-ramp at 59th Avenue.
Ongoing lane restrictions were put in place for bridge work and frontage road improvements at the 31st, 35th and 51st avenue interchanges. Both 35th and 51st avenues and their on- and off-ramps were narrowed to one lane under Loop 101. The 31st Avenue shoulders were closed under the freeway.
Detours will be available, like using nearby roads to access the freeway.
Ramp closure detours: These Phoenix-area Loop 101 on- and off-ramps are closing for 2 months: What you need to know
Reporter Lauren De Young, who covers Tempe, Chandler, Maricopa County and transportation. Reach her at lauren.deyoung@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Loop 101 widening work to take 2 years in Glendale
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