Arizona State Route 51

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State Route 51
Piestewa Freeway
Maintained by ADOT
Length: 16.70 mi[1] (26.88 km)
South end: I-10 / SR 202 in Phoenix
North end: Loop 101 in Phoenix
State routes in Arizona
< SR 50 US 60 >
Unconstructed - Former

State Route 51 (SR 51), also known as the Piestewa Freeway, is a numbered state highway in Phoenix, Arizona. It connects Interstate 10 in Downtown Phoenix with Loop 101 on the north side of Phoenix, making it one of the area's major freeways. It is a largely north-south route and is known for traversing the Squaw Peak Recreation Area. Rapid growth and increased traffic demand of the east side of Metro Phoenix made the Piestewa Freeway necessary.

SR 51 is the lowest-numbered state highway in Arizona, but there is a proposed State Route 48, near Prescott. SR 51 was originally planned as an Interstate 510 but has never been numbered as such at any stage of completion.

Contents

[edit] Route description

The southern terminus of SR 51 is located at an interchange with I-10 and Loop 202 immediately east of downtown Phoenix. It heads north from the interchange through the northern sections of Phoenix. It reaches its northern terminus at an interchange with Loop 101 in northern Phoenix.

The freeway was originally named the Squaw Peak Parkway. The name, which can be perceived as a derogatory term for Native American women, had caused ADOT to quietly remove the official term for a few years until U.S. Army specialist and Arizona native Lori Piestewa was killed in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Both the freeway and the mountain were renamed after her on May 1, 2003.

There are plans to widen the Piestewa Freeway between Shea Blvd and the Loop 101 interchange to include a high occupancy vehicle lane in each direction and on ramps to Loop 101 eastbound. Construction began in the fall of 2007.[2]

[edit] History

The routing of the freeway was first established in 1968 under the designation of State Route 510 and the name Squaw Peak Freeway.[3] The original five miles of the freeway between McDowell Rd and Glendale Ave were constructed by the city of Phoenix (as the Squaw Peak Parkway) between 1986 and 1991. The first overpass to be completed was in 1986 at Osborn Road.[4] In 1987, the bridge over the Grand Canal had been completed, as well as the overpass at McDowell Road and the southbound connector to eastbound I-10.[4][5] Also completed in 1987, were the overpasses at Colter Street and Missouri Avenue that passed over the freeway. Several more overpasses were completed in 1988 including those located at Indian School Road, Highland Avenue, Camelback Road and Bethany Home Road.[4] Also in 1988, the state established a corridor for the freeway from Glendale Avenue north to Loop 101.[6] In 1989, the bridge over the Arizona Canal was complete, as well as the overpass at Thomas Road.[4] The southbound SR 51 connector ramp to eastbound Loop 202 and the 20th Street overpass were completed in 1990.[7][4] The city of Phoenix had the freeway completed as far north as Glendale Avenue in 1991.[4]

In 1992, the southern portion was handed over to the Arizona Department of Transportation.[8] Since then, it has been extended to Loop 101 and retrofitted with rubberized asphalt, standardized signage, an additional general purpose to create three lanes in each direction, and a new high occupancy vehicle lane up to Shea Blvd.

During much of the road's early days in the 1990s, several decorative pots were mounted on top of the noise mitigation walls, which were a source of controversy at the time of their installation due to cost and aesthetics, etc. One resident installed a gold toilet in protest. They were all taken down during the ADOT reconstruction project between McDowell Rd and Shea Blvd in 2000, however.[9]

[edit] Exit list

The entire route is in Phoenix, Maricopa County.

Mile[1] # Destinations Notes
0.00 I-10 (Papago Freeway) / Loop 202 east (Red Mountain Freeway) – Tucson, Los Angeles Southbound exit and northbound entrance
1.10 1 McDowell Road
2.10 2 Thomas Road, 20th Street
3.17 3 Indian School Road
3.92 4A Highland Avenue Northbound exit and southbound entrance
4.43 4A Colter Street Southbound exit and northbound entrance
5.18 4B Bethany Home Road
6.21 6 Glendale Avenue, Lincoln Drive
7.64 7 Northern Avenue
9.63 8 32nd Street Northbound exit and southbound entrance
10.09 9 Shea Boulevard
11.09 10 Cactus Road
12.11 11 Thunderbird Road Northbound exit and southbound entrance
13.14 12 Greenway Road
14.16 13 Bell Road
15.18 14 Union Hills Road
16.70 15 Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) Northbound exit and southbound entrance; signed as exits 15A (east) and 15B (west)

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Arizona Department of Transportation. 2006 ADOT Highway Log. Retrieved on 2008-04-09.
  2. ^ Arizona Department of Transportation. State Route 51 (Piestewa Freeway). Retrieved on 2008-04-09.
  3. ^ Arizona Department of Transportation (1968-09-30). Arizona DOT Right-of-Way Resolution 1968-069. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Arizona Department of Transportation. Arizona State Highway System Bridge Record. Retrieved on 2008-04-16.
  5. ^ SR 51 to I-10 ramp. National Bridge Inventory. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
  6. ^ Arizona Department of Transportation (1988-06-17). Arizona DOT Right-of-Way Resolution 1988-06-A-058. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
  7. ^ SR 51 to Loop 202 ramp. National Bridge Inventory. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
  8. ^ Arizona Department of Transportation (1992-02-21). Arizona DOT Right-of-Way Resolution 1992-02-A-012. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
  9. ^ Fifteen years after the Squaw Peak Pots debacle, the Phoenix art community rallies around a public-art project. Phoenix New Times. Retrieved on 2008-04-13.

[edit] External links

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