As Phoenix braces for the new year, the Arizona Department of Transportation has outlined a number of significant freeway projects set to launch in 2026. These developments, which include the first projects to utilize funds from Proposition 479, aim to improve the infrastructure and alleviate traffic congestion in the growing metropolitan area. The overview provided by ADOT details several initiatives focused on expanding and enhancing various segments of the freeway system across Maricopa County.
One of the more notable undertakings is the Loop 303 Improvement Project between I-17 and 51st Avenue. With a budget of $129 million, this initiative is scheduled to break ground by late January and plans to add direct freeway-to-freeway ramps at the I-17/Loop 303 interchange. Interestingly, it will also widen Loop 303 to three lanes in each direction from I-17 west to 51st Avenue, marking the first usage of the Proposition 479 half-cent sales tax revenue. According to a release on ADOT’s official website, “It is scheduled to be completed in 2028.”
Further west, Loop 303 will also see expansion from 51st Avenue to Lake Pleasant Parkway, with work expected to start by fall 2026. Meanwhile, the Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) already boasts new lanes between Shea Boulevard and Princess Drive as of November, with full completion of the $108 million project anticipated in early 2026. The Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) is similarly undergoing a widening process, with an additional lane being added along 6.5 miles of freeway in the Northwest Valley, set for conclusion in the spring of 2027…