Construction on a $350 million project to widen, expand and improve State Route 24 in Arizona’s southeast Valley will begin next fall.
The project involves adding lanes and freeway bridges to SR 24 — also known as the Gateway Freeway — between Loop 202 and Ironwood Drive near Mesa Gateway Airport. Expected completion is mid-2029, The Arizona Department of Transportation said.
ADOT said the expansion will support infrastructure needs resulting from rapid growth in the southeast Valley and will significantly benefit commuters traveling from areas like Queen Creek to Phoenix and San Tan Valley.
ADOT officials expressed that the $350 million project — $265 million of which is construction — is being funded through a combination of federal funds and Maricopa County’s transportation sales tax. The project will set the stage for continued eastward expansion, according to ADOT officials.
Plans call for SR 24 to extend beyond Ironwood Drive, connecting with Pinal County’s planned Central Arizona Parkway and eventually to the proposed SR 505 North-South Freeway and U.S. 60.
Nearby infrastructure projects in Mesa and Queen Creek are also planned for completion by 2029, including Crisman Road, Mountain Road, and sections of Meridian Road, ensuring coordinated development across jurisdictions.
With the extension of Maricopa County’s half-cent transportation sales tax (Proposition 479), construction is anticipated to begin in late 2026 and take approximately 2.5 years to complete.
Project details include:
- Widening SR 24 to four lanes in each direction, including additional bridges and interchanges at key crossroads such as Williams Field, Signal Butte, and Meridian Roads.
- Loop 202 enhancements, including bridge widenings over Power Road and the East Maricopa Floodway to improve traffic flow entering and exiting SR 24.
- Conversion of the Ironwood Drive interchange to a partial diverging diamond interchange to increase efficiency and reduce congestion.
- Building 11 new bridges and widening three bridges across the corridor.
- Noise mitigation walls up to 16 feet high along the north side of SR 24, extending from east of Ellsworth Road to 222nd Street, pending residential eligibility and developer coordination.
Photo by Ken Cheung from Pexels
