In the metropolitan area of Phoenix, Arizona, Loop 101 is a major traffic artery that connects several Phoenix suburbs, including Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, and others. A semi-beltway that loops around the northern and western sections of the metro area, Loop 101 (also known as State Route 101) is an important part of the region's transportation network, in conjunction with the Loop 202 semi-beltway in the eastern and southern areas.
There are three designated sections of Loop 101:
- The Agua Fria Freeway in the west valley from I-10 to I-17
- The Pima Freeway in the east valley from I-17 to Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway)
- The Price Freeway in the east valley from Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) to Loop 202 (Santan Freeway)
The Pima Freeway section runs through a significant portion of Scottsdale, connecting residents and tourists to various locations within the suburb and beyond. This corridor is experiencing a growth boom, adding new residential, business, and lifestyle developments. According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), the average annual daily traffic count shows that approximately 175,000 vehicle trips take place each day along Loop 101 near Shea Boulevard. That figure is projected to increase to nearly 190,000 daily trips in 2044.
ADOT, in partnership with the city of Scottsdale, is currently constructing the Loop 101 Princess Drive/Pima Road to Shea Boulevard Improvements Project. The $108 million project is widening Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) between Princess Drive/Pima Road and Shea Boulevard. It is also modifying existing interchanges to improve traffic flow on Loop 101 and the cross streets.
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Construction began in January 2024 and remains on target for completion for early 2026. The prime contractor on the project is FNF Construction, Inc. of Tempe, Arizona. Major subcontractors include: RGG United, A-Core, and CS Construction.
“We are following through on a regional plan to provide much-needed capacity to 40 miles of Loop 101 from I-17 in north Phoenix to Loop 202 [Santan Freeway] in Chandler,” said Doug Nintzel, ADOT Spokesman. “The last in a series of projects designed to accomplish that goal, this project is adding one general-purpose lane in each direction along 4.5 miles, widening several bridges, and making improvements at several interchanges — including converting the Loop 101 interchange at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard from a single point urban interchange to a tight diamond design. That interchange includes the busiest cross street in the Scottsdale Airport region, and it has been a focal point of this current project.
“All the previous projects set the stage to improve this final stretch along Loop 101, which is in an ever-growing area in terms of economic development. The freeway is bordered by neighborhoods between Shea Boulevard and Thunderbird Road, but the development transitions into shopping centers and offices as you travel between Raintree and Princess drives. The city’s busy economic center around Scottsdale Airport is a big reason for commuter traffic and the need for the added capacity along the freeway.
“Completion is scheduled by early 2026. But with some good fortune — including limited bad weather — we could see substantial completion moved up to this fall.”
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Other project components include:
- Adding a third southbound left-turn lane at the Princess Drive/Pima Road interchange
- Adding right turn lanes at Raintree Drive and Shea Boulevard
- Construction of retaining walls and sound walls
- Updates to sidewalks to make them ADA-compliant
- Upgrades to freeway and ramp lighting
The project is funded as part of the Phoenix area’s Regional Transportation Plan, which includes revenue from a half-cent sales tax for transportation projects. Proposition 400 was approved by voters in Maricopa County in 2004. In November 2024, voters approved the latest extension of that tax, Proposition 479, for use with future projects.
“The Maricopa Association of Governments, which serves as the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Phoenix area, manages the funding and overall scheduling of regional freeway projects,” Nintzel said. “So, stretch by stretch, Loop 101 widening projects dating back well over a decade have expanded the freeway to at least four general purpose lanes and an HOV lane in each direction. The last big push was the widening of 13 miles of the Pima Freeway between I-17 and Princess Drive in north Phoenix and Scottsdale, which was completed in 2021.”
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During the 2024 construction season, much of the work focused on excavation and preparing for the paving of the new general-purpose lanes, along with widening bridges and ramps in several locations to accommodate the new lanes. The reconfiguration of the Frank Lloyd Wright traffic interchange to a diamond configuration was a major milestone for the project.
Among the other project elements completed in 2024 were:
- Bridge widening work at Princess Drive/Pima Road, Bell Road, and the Central Arizona Project Canal, including new drilled shaft foundations, abutments, girders, and bridge decks
- Reconstruction of ramps at Princess Drive/Pima Road, Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, Cactus Road, and Shea Boulevard
- Widening of northbound Loop 101 between Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and Princess Drive/Pima Road
- Widening of northbound and southbound Loop 101 from Shea Boulevard to Cactus Road
- Drainage improvements, including a new 72-inch storm drain at Shea Boulevard, and new drainage at reconstructed ramps
- Installation of new LED lighting and light shields
“We made the conversion from a single point urban interchange to a tight diamond design at the Frank Lloyd Wright interchange,” ADOT Resident Engineer Joe Heller said. “With all the businesses and growing traffic needs in the area, the conversion — including the location and sequencing of traffic signals — will make a big difference. We’ve worked with Scottsdale to monitor conditions and make adjustments as needed.”
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“The decision to make the conversion to a tight diamond occurred during preconstruction design work,” Nintzel added. “ADOT and Scottsdale agreed the change provides the best option for moving traffic through the street level intersections that connect with the freeway’s frontage roads and ramps. The largest benefits of the interchange conversion to a tight diamond will wait for the project to be finished, since there’s still a lot of freeway construction taking place.”
Crews recently reopened the southbound Loop 101 off-ramp at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, according to Nintzel.
“It had been closed for two months for reconstruction in order to fit with the freeway’s wider configuration,” he said. “In fact, when completed, the project will have included the reconstruction of all entrance and exit ramps within its work zone.”
“The outside extensions for the Loop 101 bridges over Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard are being built on falsework above the level of the existing freeway, providing safe clearance while the construction takes place above the cross street,” Heller added. “Those extensions on the elevated falsework will be lowered into place once they are completed.”
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During the rest of the 2025 construction season, drivers can expect to see completion of multiple components, including:
- Addition of a third left-turn lane from westbound Pima Road to southbound Loop 101/the southbound Loop 101 frontage road
- Expansion of the existing bridge, construction of retaining walls, and installation of new medians at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard
- Extension of the Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard westbound right-turn lanes for accessing the northbound Loop 101 frontage road
- Construction of new medians at the northbound Loop 101 on-ramp and southbound Loop 101 off-ramp at Cactus Road
- Addition of an additional right-turn lane for: southbound Loop 101 frontage road to westbound Raintree Drive, westbound Raintree Drive to the northbound Loop 101 frontage road, northbound Loop 101 frontage road to eastbound Raintree Drive, and westbound Shea Boulevard to northbound Loop 101
- ADA improvements, including new sidewalk, ramps, and crosswalk buttons at Princess Drive/Pima Road, Bell Road, Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, Raintree Drive, Thunderbird and Cactus roads, and Shea Boulevard
- Reconstruction and improvements of on- and off-ramps
- New signing and striping, landscape restoration, and painting of existing walls along Loop 101
- Bridge deck expansion over the Central Arizona Project Canal
A project of this size and scope requires strategic planning for the excavation and earthwork quantities. The contractor had to move a large volume of the earthwork material to stockpile areas so it could be used during later phases of work.
“We’ve hauled more than 30,000 cubic yards of concrete off site while placing more than 40,000 cubic yards of new concrete,” said Mike Caruso, Senior Project Manager for FNF Construction Inc. “We’ve also used 10,000 tons of asphaltic concrete and brought in more than 90,000 cubic yards of dirt as part of the job.”
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From the day the Loop 101 Princess Drive/Pima Road to Shea Boulevard Improvements Project broke ground in January 2024, one particular challenge has maintained a high priority — avoiding any work zone conflicts for drivers heading to the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament played at the nearby TPC Scottsdale course.
“Limiting the impact on that big event has been high on our checklist for two years, and it went well from a freeway standpoint each time,” Heller said. “That involved a lot of coordination with our colleagues at the city of Scottsdale. They actually had the bigger challenge with traffic on the local streets in the area.
“In addition to big events such as the PGA tournament each February and large car shows in the area early each year, we’ve worked to manage the overall flow of traffic while the project has progressed.”
Another challenge has been the need for long-term ramp closures, in order to realign on- and off-ramps to accommodate the additional general-purpose lanes. The work has required lane restrictions and full closures on Loop 101, the interchange ramps, and cross streets. These closures are occurring primarily during overnight hours and weekends to minimize traffic impacts, and access to businesses and residences will be maintained.
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As a growing population brings increasing freeway traffic to Arizona, the Loop 101 Princess Drive/Pima Road to Shea Boulevard Improvements Project marks a major step in improving one of Scottsdale’s key transportation arteries.
“Without a doubt this project will make a big difference for overall traffic flow when it’s finished,” Nintzel said. “That’s so important when you take into account that the freeway is already widened on either end of this final work zone. We know that the work zone itself is a bottleneck, but there will be a tremendous amount of relief when the barrier walls come down over the next several months.
“This will be another big step forward in providing capacity that will benefit travel to local businesses and homes, as well as regional travel beyond Scottsdale itself. Our freeways are part of the state’s economic engine, and these improvements will play a vital role in moving people and products.”
