Loop 202

A first-of-its-kind highway contract in Arizona accelerated the design and construction of the South Mountain Freeway by three years and saved the state more than $100 million.

Ames was a member of the joint venture Connect 202 Partners group selected to design, build, and maintain a 26-mile segment of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway in Phoenix. The long-planned direct link between the East Valley and West Valley was designed to ease traffic congestion while providing a much-needed alternative to Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix. The new corridor also opens opportunities to businesses migrating or expanding to the West Valley, creating economic value for the entire area.

Using the innovative P3 (public-private partnership) delivery method, the team accelerated the schedule while reducing project costs without compromising quality. This was the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken by the State of Arizona, and the first time ADOT had used P3 construction.

The project included 22 miles of new mainline, 4 miles of improvements on the existing I-10, 13 interchanges, 40 bridges, and five multi-use underpasses. New northbound and southbound bridges over the Salt River were constructed with the largest girders ever installed in the state—292 total, each 170 feet long. The project also had a significant environmental component, including the capture and relocation of more than 150 chuckwallas (rock-dwelling lizards).

The highly anticipated 6-mile-long shared-use recreational path along the freeway’s south side accommodates pedestrians and other forms of non-vehicular traffic. The path provides connectivity for bicyclists as part of the City of Phoenix Comprehensive Bicycle Master Plan.

The freeway opened to traffic on December 21, 2019.

Learn more: Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT)