Ninth Circuit ruling means South Mountain Freeway will continue
inMaricopa
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has denied a request by Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway opponents for an emergency injunction pending appeal, a ruling that keeps the Arizona Department of Transportation project on track to begin construction of the mainline freeway early next year.
It’s the fourth time courts have rejected attempts to halt construction of this long-planned link between the East Valley and West Valley.
“With the support of the Federal Highway Administration, the Maricopa Association of Governments and the city of Phoenix, we are moving forward with a critically needed freeway that will make this region a better place to live and do business,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “This long-planned alternative to an increasingly strained Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix will better position this region for continued growth in its population and its economy.”
