Freeway
advisory team to discuss route selection
Doug Murphy The South Mountain Citizens Advisory Team will meet
Thursday to develop criteria they will use to evaluate possible routes for a
South Mountain Loop 202 Freeway. The meeting will be held at the Gila River Indian
Community's District 6 Learning Center, at 51st Avenue and St. John's Road in
Komatke. The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The advisory team, which is made up of residents in a
number of communities including Avondale and Ahwatukee Foothills, meets to
advise the Arizona Department of Transportation on where to build the freeway. The Loop 202 will connect Interstate 10 near Ahwatukee
Foothills to I-10 in the West Valley. So far the team has identified five possible
north-south routes for the freeway's western portion. They extend from roughly
the western edge of South Mountain Park to I-10, connecting at any of a number
of locations between 51st Avenue and Loop 101. The evaluation criteria the team selects will be used
to further narrow the selection of possible western routes. Possibilities for an eastern route stretching from
I-10 to South Mountain Park identify Pecos Road only, but discussions
continue with the Gila River Indian Community about constructing the freeway
south of Pecos Road on Indian land. The reporter can be reached at (480)
898-7914 or by e-mail at dmurphy@aztrib.com. |