The first bridge girders have been set in place for the Arizona Department of Transportation’s (ADOT) Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway at the future interchange with 17th Avenue in the Ahwatukee Foothills.
In total the 22-mile South Mountain Freeway project will have roughly 1,100 girders at 40 bridges.
The placement of the first girders occurred during three overnight closures and required the use of two 450-ton cranes. Each girder is 145 feet long and weighs up to 131,000 pounds. ADOT says each one took about an hour to hoist and place. The concrete bridge deck is set to be poured in August.
The Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway will provide a direct link between the East Valley and West Valley and serve as an alternative to Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix. It is scheduled to open in late 2019.