55th Avenue is the best option for new freeway

West Valley View
1/31/06 

More than 20 years ago, Maricopa County voters approved funding for a regional freeway system that included a leg of highway to be called the South Mountain Freeway, which would connect Interstate 10 south of Phoenix with Interstate 10 west of the city. Babies who were born that year (1985) are now old enough to vote, drive cars, marry, buy new homes in the West Valley and have children of their own, who in a few short years will be starting the cycle all over again. Perhaps it’s about time the Arizona Department of Transportation made a decision about where to put the South Mountain Freeway.

In 1988, the State Transportation Board approved an alignment for the South Mountain Freeway between 55th and 63rd Avenues. However, since so much time had passed without any action on the freeway, by 2001 ADOT had to start a brand new environmental impact study to see if the 55th Avenue route was still viable, or if other possible routes would work better. In other words, the state was back to Square 1.

For several years, ADOT has been holding public hearings to get people’s opinions about where they think the freeway should be built. Several options have been considered. Because the state has waited so long to make a decision, new homes and businesses have been built on all of the proposed alignments, meaning many people will have to be uprooted in order to make room for the highway.

The alignment of the future freeway has been narrowed down to three possible locations: 55th Avenue, 71st Avenue or Loop 101.

Both Avondale and Tolleson are opposed to the Loop 101 alignment and for good reason. Tolleson, a small city without any room to grow, would be divided in two by the freeway and it would gobble up much of the land now available for development of residential or commercial projects. Avondale doesn’t want it because just south of the Loop 101/Interstae 10 interchange is the Avondale automall, which would be displaced if ADOT chooses the Loop 101 alignment. The automall is fairly new and provides the city with much-needed sales tax. Everyone who lives in Avondale would be adversely affected if the Loop 101 option were selected.

The 55th Avenue alignment would displace 120 homes and 70 businesses, as opposed to 780 homes and 15 businesses along the 71st Avenue alignment.

This decision should be a no-brainer. After all these years, the 55th Avenue alignment isn’t perfect, but it’s still the best option.