“I‑17
won’t be delayed for I‑10,” said Tim Tait, ADOT
community relations manager, at a public forum Sept. 27.
The
forum, at Fellowship Church in Anthem, was hosted by Dist.
6 State Sen. Pamela Gorman, and also featured State Rep.
Doug Clark and State Rep. Sam Crump. All are residents
of Anthem.
Tait
gave a rundown of all major highway construction in Maricopa
County, including expansion of I‑10, expected to
cost more than $100 million, that could compete with the
I‑17 widening project from Loop 101 north to Anthem
Way.
“We’re
not going to let that happen,” Tait said on the possible
competition for a limited number of contractors able to
perform such projects.
The
I‑17 projects, already underway, will lead to additional
general‑purpose lanes north‑ and southbound
between Loop 101 and Anthem Way, an additional HOV lane
in both directions from Loop 101 to Carefree Highway,
four new interchanges and improvements to existing interchanges.
All projects are scheduled for completion between 2009
and 2010.
Tait
also went over the regional transportation plan, informing
the sparse audience that there will
be several major projects over the next 20 years to improve
the Valley’s highways, including the
construction of Loop 303, which will connect to I‑17
at the future Lone Mountain Road interchange; the creation
of state Route 801 to connect Loop 202 to Loop 303 in
the West Valley,
and the completion of Loop 202 in the Southwest Valley,
otherwise known as the South Mountain Freeway.
“The
Loop 303 is going out to contract next year,” said Tait.
Gorman
related that the legislature changed the state’s bonding
rules to allow for 30‑year bonds, which in turn
permitted legislators to expand the number of projects
they could fund without breaking the taxpayers’ backs.
Asked
about an alternate route between Anthem and Carefree Highway
that was proposed to parallel I‑17 and be open during
the highway’s construction, Tait said that is a Maricopa
County roads project that currently is not funded, to
which Rep. Clark added he is trying to move that project
forward.
“It’s
still not off the board,” said Clark.
The
panel also discussed public/private partnerships and toll
roads as a way to get more roadways built faster, as well
as alternate north‑south routes to and from the
Phoenix metro area.
