Freeway projects often are marked by long traffic delays and confusing detours, but the engineers and planners who are building the new Loop 202/U.S. 60 interchange in the East Valley region of Arizona have found a way to reduce driver frustration and save taxpayer dollars.

Several

large overhead ramps that will eventually connect U.S. 60 to other roads were all built simultaneously while more than 113,000 vehicles per day were directed to a single alternate route, cutting nearly 300 days off the detour schedule and eliminating unnecessary delays for motorists. Projects with multiple detour schemes not only take longer but also cost hundreds of thousands of additional dollars in "throw-away" costs--funds spent to build temporary roads or to rent detour barricades and signs.

When complete, the interchange will connect the Red Mountain and Santan freeways with U.S. 60, essentially creating a freeway loop around the Southeast Valley. The interchange will provide freeway access to the rapidly growing populations of the cities of Mesa, Chandler, and Gilbert. Completion is scheduled for 2007.

For more information, visit the project's Web site at www.redmountainfreeway.com.