GLENDALE, Ariz. — New construction on the Loop 101 is set to begin soon in the Northwest Valley.
A widening project aims to improve traffic flow on Loop 101 by adding a lane in each direction between Interstate 17 and 75th Avenue.
The project will also modify some bridges, frontage roads and ramps, including adding a third southbound left turn lane onto eastbound Loop 101.
"It's adding additional storage for vehicles, additional capacity so that in a morning rush hour, there's more room for folks to be able to make their way onto the freeway," Arizona Department of Transportation spokesperson Doug Nintzel said.
This follows a similar widening project on Loop 101 between Princess Drive/Pima Road and Shea Boulevard.
Nintzel said these improvement plans are years in the making as traffic demands grow across Arizona.
"We don't just do these projects with next year, three years down the line (in mind), these types of projects are done with two or three decades in mind," Nintzel said.
Construction is expected to take more than two years to complete with planned restrictions and closures.
"We're not really happy about it," Roger Kieborz, a nearby resident, said.
People who live near Loop 101 and drive on the roadway regularly attended a meeting about the project on Thursday.
Kieborz raised concerns over the level of noise this project could bring to nearby homes.
"There's never been good noise abatement because the wall is too short," Kieborz said.
ADOT representatives said they understand this concern, adding they follow federal guidelines on noise abatement.
"Unfortunately, construction work, it can get loud, it can get noisy," Nintzel said. "We do work with folks where we say hang in there with us, we're going to move through this as quickly as possible."
Other drivers said they agreed the roadway could use the extra lanes, but they're worried more than two years of construction could be unbearable.
"Our state is constantly under construction," Shannon Porter, a nearby resident, said. "My family and I, we do use the 101 often, pretty much daily."
The project is scheduled to begin on Friday, Sept. 27.
ADOT encourages people to follow their projects online to stay up to date on restrictions and closures.
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