Freeway to be Completed 18 Months Ahead of Schedule

PHOENIX-The Squaw Peak Parkway, which carries a heavy load of commuters from north Phoenix and Scottsdale, will be completed more than 18 months ahead of schedule, according to a recent announcement.

The final leg of the freeway, which runs between downtown Phoenix and north to the Pima Freeway in north Phoenix, will be opened at the end of 2003 rather than mid-2005.

A $22-million loan from the State Infrastructure Bank to the Arizona Department of Transportation has sped up construction on the last leg, which runs between Union Hills Drive and the Pima Freeway. ADOT will repay the loan, along with about $1 million in interest, from Maricopa County’s half-cent freeway sales tax.

As its progresses further and further north, the Squaw Peak Parkway has been opening up additional areas to new development in north Phoenix.