Commuters in north Scottsdale are in for a rough ride as the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) prepares to shut down the northbound Loop 101 off-ramp at Cactus Road for a staggering two months. Beginning Monday, April 29, the ramp closure will force drivers to scout alternative paths, all part of a long-term freeway widening project set to torment local traffic until early 2026.
ADOT advises those affected to take a deep breath and factor in some extra commute time, while detours will reroute them via the Shea Boulevard exit to either northbound Hayden Road or 92nd Street to circle back to Cactus Road. It’s an unwelcomed detour, but one that is deemed necessary as Loop 101 on- and off-ramps between Shea Boulevard and Princess Drive get a makeover to accommodate the freeway’s new, wider figure. The department announced that the northbound Loop 101 on-ramp at Shea Boulevard already closed its gates on April 15, scheduled for about two months of reconstruction work, as reported by AZDOT.
This traffic-snarling project is part of a $108 million mission to alleviate future congestion and improve flow on one of Scottsdale's major thoroughfares. It will stretch an extra lane along each side of a 4.5-mile stretch on Loop 101, north of Shea Boulevard. There's also talk of revamping the Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard interchange into a more efficient diamond configuration, alongside sprucing up the area with new signs, traffic signals, and lighting to make night drives a little less daunting.
Residents' tax dollars are fueling the funding tank, with Proposition 400—a half-cent sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters way back in 2004—contributing to the financing of this expansive upgrade, which is piloted under the Regional Transportation Plan by the Maricopa Association of Governments. Drivers anxious for up-to-the-minute traffic information can find some solace in real-time highway conditions posted on ADOT's Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, or by downloading the az511 app, or even the old-fashioned way—by dialing 511.
