$4.2 million allocated for improvements to US 60 (Grand Avenue) at Loop 303
Phoenix (October 24, 2024) — More than $4 million in new funding is on the way to help address congestion at the US 60 (Grand Avenue)/Loop 303 traffic interchange and the nearby intersection of US 60 and 163rd Avenue. The $4.2 million, approved yesterday by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Regional Council, will come from the Proposition 400 Freeway Life Cycle Program and is supported by Maricopa County’s dedicated half-cent sales tax for transportation. It augments $4.5 million in funding approved in 2023 by the Arizona State Legislature for near-term improvements for the corridor.
The recent growth in the Northwest Valley has resulted in heavy congestion at US 60 and Loop 303. While the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is implementing near-term improvements using legislative funding, MAG has been working in partnership with the City of Surprise, City of Peoria, Maricopa County, and ADOT to conduct the US 60: Loop 303 to State Route 74 corridor to identify further improvements in the area. MAG and ADOT have met with the community multiple times this year, including a public open house August 14, 2024, that drew 175 people.
“We have received significant feedback from concerned residents about the traffic issues on Grand Avenue, and these approved next phase interim improvements will help reduce the delay at both the 163rd intersection and the Loop 303 traffic interchange,” said Surprise Mayor Skip Hall, who made the motion in support of the improvements. “These improvements will reduce the time residents spend waiting at signals and traveling through this congested corridor. It is a great example of how Proposition 400 funding allows us to quickly deploy solutions to respond to public concerns,” he said.
In addition to improvements currently under construction by ADOT, the additional interim improvements include:
- Addition of a second right turn lane on eastbound US 60 to the southbound Loop 303 on-ramp.
- Lengthening of the two-lane portion of the southbound SR 303 entrance ramp by moving the gore point at the mainline farther south to increase weaving distance length.
- Addition of deceleration and acceleration lanes at the unsignalized intersecting roadway on eastbound US 60 between Deer Valley Road and 163rd Avenue.
- Addition of a fourth eastbound and westbound US 60 through lane in each direction at the 163rd Avenue intersection.
- Addition of a third left turn lane from the southbound Loop 303 off-ramp to westbound US 60.
These new improvements will significantly improve operations at both the US 60/Loop 303 interchange and the US 60/163rd Avenue intersection and greatly reduce the amount of travel delay experienced today. However, as the population in the area continues to grow, an even heavier burden on the roadways will be felt in the future, requiring even more significant improvements. MAG’s US 60: Loop 303 to State Route 74 study will identify additional potential improvements to the US 60/Loop 303 interchange and US 60/163rd Avenue intersection, as well as a new interchange on Loop 303.
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