Starting Monday night, August 18, Chandler residents and commuters will face a two-month detour as the westbound Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) on-ramp at Arizona Avenue closes for reconstruction. According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), the closure will begin at 11:30 p.m. and is a part of a broader effort to expand the freeway's capacity in the Southeast Valley.
The closure is part of the $200 million Loop 202 Improvement Project, which will add lanes and upgrade interchanges along an eight-mile stretch between Loop 101 and Val Vista Drive. Officials say the Arizona Avenue on-ramp will remain closed until mid-October. Drivers are urged to allow extra travel time and use alternate westbound access points at Alma School or McQueen roads. ADOT is advising motorists to monitor closure notices and travel updates.
This significant infrastructure initiative relies on funding from multiple sources, including Proposition 400—a dedicated half-cent sales tax that Maricopa County voters greenlit back in 2004. As underlined by the project's schedule set forth under the Regional Transportation Plan, management is in the hands of the Maricopa Association of Governments, the metropolitan planning organization handling transportation strategy for the Greater Phoenix area.
