MESA, Ariz. — A new stretch of State Route 24 has opened in east Mesa across the borderline between Maricopa and Pinal counties.
About $77 million was spent on extending the highway between Williams Field Road and Ironwood Drive to relieve traffic pressure on Ellsworth Road as residents make daily commutes into Mesa.
The four-mile extension is not designed to operate as a freeway since the roadway includes traffic signals at intersections and has a speed limit of 45 mph, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
"This project is a perfect example of why investments in local transportation infrastructure are so important," said Mesa Mayor John Giles. "SR 24 will be a big part of the success story for quality of life and economic opportunity in southeast Mesa and the East Valley."
In addition to intersections at Williams Field Road, Signal Butte Road, Meridian Road, and Ironwood Drive, SR-24 has on-and off-ramp connections at Ellsworth Road. The roadway also crosses over Mountain Road.
The city of Mesa is working to complete the Signal Butte Road interchange, set to open in 2023, which will connect SR-24 to an extended Signal Butte Road.
While that construction takes place, drivers exiting SR-24 at Williams Field Road can access Signal Butte north of the new expressway.
Prior to this project, the first section of SR-24 (Gateway Freeway) opened between Loop 202 and Ellsworth Road in the spring of 2014.
Because the recent extension was funded through taxes collected through Proposition 400, Mayor Giles said future transportation projects are at risk of faltering if the half-cent sales tax is not renewed in the coming years.
“To meet the needs of our rapidly growing region, it is absolutely imperative that we find a solution to extend Proposition 400 before it expires in 2025, to make sure critical projects like this do not get left undone," the mayor said. "Valley leaders are committed to finding a solution to get this on the ballot.”
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