| SR-202 | |||
| Get started | Phoenix | ||
| End | Chandler | ||
| Length | 77 mi | ||
| Length | 124 km | ||
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According to Bestitude, the Loop 202 is a state route and freeway in the U.S. state of Arizona. The highway forms a ring road around Phoenix and around the 4 major suburbs east of the city. Loop 202 is 124 kilometers long.
Travel directions
Walk 202 into Chandler.
The SuperRedTan Interchange with US 60 in Mesa.
The interstate begins at the metropolitan area’s largest interchange, with Interstate 10 and State Route 51, near downtown Phoenix. The highway then runs as a Red Mountain Freeway with 2×4 lanes to the east. Weaving areas are also located next to the lanes. At the airport of Phoenix, the junction follows with State Route 143, a short connecting road to Interstate 10. This leads to the suburb of Tempe, which has more than 190,000 inhabitants. Along Tempe, 2×5 lanes are available. On the border of Tempe and Mesa one crosses the Loop 101, the ring road of Phoenix. One then reaches the city of Mesa, which is the largest suburb in the United States with over 500,000 inhabitants. The highway here runs in 2×5, later 2×4 lanes along the north side of Mesa. The city is quite large, stretching for 30 miles along Loop 202. On the east side of Mesa, Loop 202 joins the Superstition Freeway, US 60. Loop 202 then heads south and is called the Santan Freeway. You then arrive at the south side of Mesa, and the road also has 2×3 lanes here.
You then pass Gilbert, a suburb with approximately 250,000 inhabitants. A little further on, the road widens to 2×4 lanes and you arrive in the suburb of Chandler, which has more than 250,000 inhabitants. In Chandler, Loop 101 ends at Loop 202. Loop 202 then continues in 2×4 lanes to Interstate 10, where it comes to a major interchange. Next, Loop 202 forms the South Mountain Freeway, which forms Phoenix’s southwest bypass. The highway leads between two mountain ranges and along Indian reservations, so this part is not everywhere urban. The highway has 2×4 lanes here. Loop 202 curves north and ends in western Phoenix with an interchange at Interstate 10.
History
The eastern half of the Phoenix metropolitan area grew very rapidly from the 1960s onwards. The four suburbs Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa and Tempe together had 70,000 inhabitants in 1960. In 2010, these four suburbs had 1,045,000 inhabitants. Loop 202 has been constructed through the edges of these large suburbs. Mesa is often considered the largest suburb in the United States, with more than 500,000 inhabitants in 2018.
Red Mountain Freeway
The oldest part of Loop 202 is the Red Mountain Freeway, which is the northern Mesa bypass between I-10 and US 60 east of Mesa, over a length of 30 miles. The western portion of the Red Mountain Freeway was planned as part of the Phoenix freeway plan in the 1960s, but only the section between I-10 and Loop 101. However, the freeway was not built until much later. In 1990, the first section opened immediately east of Interstate 10, which has subsequently been extended eastward a few miles at a time. In 2008, the Red Mountain Freeway was completed to the SuperRedTan Interchange with US 60 in eastern Mesa.
The Red Mountain Freeway was originally constructed with 2×4 lanes between I-10 and Loop 101 and mostly 2×3 lanes east of it. Only the easternmost section up to US 60 has been constructed directly over several miles with 2×4 lanes.
Santan Freeway
The Santan Freeway forms the southern bypass of Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler for 40 kilometers. In 2003, the first section opened between McClintock Drive and the interchange with I-10. The rest of the highway then opened shortly in 2005-2006 between the SuperRedTan Interchange with US 60 and McClintock Drive. The 20-kilometer stretch was at the time the longest stretch of freeway in Phoenix built in one go.
The Santan Freeway was originally constructed with 2×3 lanes, with space reserved for 2×4 lanes. In 2012, this space reservation was utilized for HOV lanes between Gilbert Road and I-10.
South Mountain Freeway
The South Mountain Freeway.
The original Loop 202 looped through the eastern suburbs of Phoenix, particularly around the giant suburb of Mesa. Nearly all traffic in the Phoenix area converges on I-10 and I-17 near downtown. To improve this situation, the South Mountain Freeway has been constructed, a westbound extension from Loop 202 south of Phoenix to I-10 west of downtown. Loop 202 heads west south along the mountain range and then north along 59th Avenue to I-10. This route is 34 kilometers long and has been constructed directly with 2×4 lanes, including an HOV lane in both directions. Although a large part of the southern route is available, a new route has been purchased along 59th Avenue.
The roads in Phoenix are being financed by an increase in VAT, which is currently below 10%. Therefore, there are also no 3-digit Interstate Highways in the conurbation. The Final EIS was published on September 26, 2014 and construction was approved by the FHWA on March 5, 2015. The total project cost $1.9 billion (over 30 years). It was the first PPP road project in the state of Arizona.
Construction of the motorway began in September 2016 and on February 11, 2019, the first 10 kilometers were provisionally opened as a diversion from Pecos Road. On September 6, 2019, the connection with 40th Street opened, including approximately 2 kilometers of main carriageway. On November 18, 2019, Loop 202 east of 17th Avenue was provisionally inaugurated for 10 kilometers. The entire highway was opened on December 21, 2019.
Widening
Between 2011 and 2012, an HOV lane was constructed in both directions along the south side of Chandler, between Gilbert Road and I-10. This part has been widened from 2×4 to 2×5 lanes. Also, the southern interchange with Loop 101 is equipped with a direct HOV flyover, allowing carpoolers to drive directly from the HOV lanes of Loop 202 to the HOV lanes of Loop 101, but only from east to north and vice versa.
Between 2014 and 2016, Loop 202 was widened in north Mesa, between Loop 101 and Gilbert Road from 2×4 to 2×5 lanes, and from Gilbert Road to Broadway Road from 2×3 to 2×4 lanes. One lane has been added in each direction over a length of 32 kilometers. Between Loop 101 and Gilbert Road it was a general purpose lane so there are 4 lanes and 1 HOV lane in each direction, and between Gilbert Road and Broadway Road it was one HOV lane so there are 3 lanes and 1 HOV lane in each direction.
Opening history
Opening dates of the Red Mountain Freeway.
| From | Unpleasant | Length | Opening |
| exit 0 | Exit 2 | 3 | 08-1990 |
| Exit 2 | Exit 3 | 1 km | 02-1992 |
| Exit 3 | exit 6 | 5 km | 03-1993 |
| exit 6 | exit 8 | 3 km | 01-1995 |
| exit 8 | Exit 9 | 2 km | 03-1995 |
| Exit 9 | exit 12 | 5 km | 10-1997 |
| exit 12 | exit 13 | 2 km | 09-1998 |
| exit 13 | Exit 16 | 5 km | 01-2002 |
| Exit 16 | Exit 21 | 8 km | 01-2003 |
| Exit 21 | Exit 23 | 3 km | 06-2005 |
| Exit 50 Loop 101 | Exit 55 I-10 | 8 km | 00-00-2004 |
| Exit 47 Arizona Avenue | Exit 50 Loop 101 | 5 km | 00-06-2005 |
| Exit 31 Baseline Road | Exit 33 Elliot Road | 3 km | 00-1x-2005 |
| Exit 33 Elliot Road | Exit 47 Arizona Avenue | 22 km | 00-10-2006 |
| Exit 23 | Exit 27 | 6 km | 21-07-2008 |
| Exit 55 I-10 | Exit 75 I-10 | 32 km | 21-12-2019 |
Traffic intensities
Walk 202 west of Phoenix.
Walk 202 southwest of Phoenix.
Walk 202 west of Chandler.
| # | 2013 | 2018 |
| Exit 1 | 117,000 | |
| Exit 1B 24th Street | 156,000 | 212,000 |
| Exit 1C 32nd Street | 172,000 | 202,000 |
| Exit 2 40th Street | 122,000 | 142,000 |
| Exit 3 | 135,000 | 155,000 |
| Exit 4 52nd Street | 137,000 | 156,000 |
| Exit 6 Priest Drive | 174,000 | 180,000 |
| Exit 7 Scottsdale Road | 171,000 | 187,000 |
| Exit 8 McClintock Drive | 144,000 | 163,000 |
| Exit 10 | 72,000 | 113,000 |
| Exit 11 Alma School Road | 81,000 | 122,000 |
| Exit 12 McKellips Road | 58,000 | 163,000 |
| Exit 13 | 65,000 | 113,000 |
| Exit 16 Gilbert Road | 73,000 | 158,000 |
| Exit 17 McDowell Road | 70,000 | 122,000 |
| Exit 19 Val Vista Drive | 70,000 | 163,000 |
| Exit 20 Greenfield Road | 74,000 | 146,000 |
| Exit 21 Higley Road | 72,000 | 73,000 |
| Exit 22 Recker Road | 63,000 | 70,000 |
| Exit 27 University Drive | 55,000 | 72,000 |
| Exit 29 Broadway Boulevard | 43,000 | 72,000 |
| Exit 30 | 26,000 | 26,000 |
| Exit 31 Baseline Road | 29,000 | 89,000 |
| Exit 32 Guadalupe Road | 33,000 | 89,000 |
| Exit 34 | 28,000 | 61,000 |
| Exit 36 Power Road | 37,000 | 77,000 |
| Exit 38 Higley Road | 47,000 | 57,000 |
| Exit 40 Williams Field Road | 42,000 | 58,000 |
| Exit 41 Santan Village Parkway | 79,000 | 93,000 |
| Exit 42 Val Vista Drive | 105,000 | 127,000 |
| Exit 44 Gilbert Road | 86,000 | 135,000 |
| Exit 45 Cooper Road | 90,000 | 156,000 |
| Exit 46 McQueen Road | 93,000 | 150,000 |
| Exit 47 Arizona Avenue | 102,000 | 162,000 |
| Exit 48 Alma School Road | 111,000 | 163,000 |
| Exit 49 Dobson Road | 107,000 | 166,000 |
| Exit 50 | 111,000 | 80,000 |
| Exit 51 Chandler Village Drive | 113,000 | 80,000 |
| Exit 52 Kyrene Road | 88,000 | 80,000 |
| Exit 53 | 30,000 | 38,000 |
