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State Route 143 (Arizona)
Encyclopedia
State Route 143, also known as SR 143 and the Hohokam Expressway, is a north–south and access-controlled freeway in Maricopa County
, Arizona
, that runs from a junction with Interstate 10
at 48th Street in Phoenix
to McDowell Road. The only other major junction along the 3.93 miles (6.3 km) route is with Loop 202
, which is located one half-mile south of McDowell Road and the northern terminus.
The road lies directly to the east of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
. Along with the Sky Harbor Expressway (former SR 153), Route 143's primary purpose is to provide East Valley residents with access to Sky Harbor from westbound Interstate 10
and US 60. This removes the need to travel longer on constantly-congested I-10 and avoid the junction with Interstate 17's
southern terminus.
with McDowell Road in Phoenix. The freeway continues southward to an ornately designed junction with the Red Mountain portion of Loop 202
. Commuters are then allotted access to Sky Harbor International Airport prior to the Salt River
crossing.
The southern half of Route 143 begins with the original interchange with University Drive, and then one with Interstate 10
and US 60
. After these two interchanges, the freeway ends by transitioning into 48th Street, a surface street.
, as well as a proposed eastern exit from Sky Harbor Airport
. The present-day interchange with Interstate 10
was completed in 1967 as part of the original I-10 freeway construction through the southeast sections of the valley such as the Tempe
and Chandler
suburbs.
The final design was released in 1974, when Route 143 was known as Business I-10 and not yet a freeway, but a parkway
with traffic signals and intersection
s. The design portrayed the new parkway leaving Interstate 10
north along 48th Street corridor, then angling across the Salt River
to reach 44th Street where it was planned to end at Washington St. When it opened in 1978, it included the vital eastern access to Sky Harbor Airport, replacing the old 40th Street entrance that was eliminated when 40th Street was demolished to make way for a new airport terminal
and runway
expansions.
The new parkway rapidly earned a reputation as a constantly congested
road, despite having only three traffic signals. As an attempt at decreasing congestion, a grade-separated interchange at University Drive was built in 1985. The bridge was built to handle two lanes of traffic in each direction though without a shoulder or emergency lane. (This has been identified as a reason of the traffic backups still seen today, as the rest of the freeway is now built to three lanes on either side, thus creating a bottleneck at the University Drive overpass.)
In 1985, the route was surveyed as part of the new Maricopa Association of Governments
1985 Freeway Plan, and was added to the system with a reroute and upgrade to freeway status. Business Loop I-10 was renamed to Route 143 and was realigned to meet up with the under-construction Loop 202
at 48th Street, as opposed to the old 44th Street alignment.
so that it is visible to traffic on the northern approach of the overpass. At one point, the second signal included a high-intensity strobe
embedded in the red signal; however, the strobe has since been removed. In addition to the strobing signal light, rumble strips
have been cut into the bridge deck at several intervals, and there is a sign that turns on if the signal is red and the speed limit is reduced, further alerting traffic that the freeway is ending.http://www.rockymountainroads.com/az-143.html
Part of the bridge deck is shared with an exit-only lane leading to a cloverleaf ramp
to Interstate 10/US 60 Eastbound to Tucson
, which has a ramp speed limit of only 25 mi/h to access the freeway. Traffic is frequently backed up to University Drive from this exit, and has raised additional safety concerns of the intersection and highway junction. Also, the Broadway Road intersection is less than one quarter mile south of I-10. Traffic is currently backing up from that intersection to I-10, causing further delays and potential accidents due to the visibility and design of the bridge over I-10. ADOT
is currently studying the redesign of the southern section of Route 143, including the infamous bridge, to the Sky Harbor Airport exit in an attempt to fix the numerous safety issues with the addition of collector-distributor lanes when the freeway is widened between 2009 and 2012. C/D lanes are also known to split a freeway into "local" and "express" lanes.
Because Route 143 connects the Red Mountain Freeway (Loop 202) to Interstate 10, this route is popular with local commuters
seeking to bypass a stretch of Interstate 10 and US 60 between the Mini Stack
and the Broadway Curve, adding to additional traffic overload and safety issues at the interchange with Route 143/I-10/US 60. The speed limit on I-10 throughout the city of Phoenix is currently 65 mi/h. Many other area freeways have limits of 65 mi/h, notable exceptions being the Sky Harbor Expressway with 45 mi/h and Interstate 17
with 55 mi/h.
, Maricopa County
.
Maricopa County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, that runs from a junction with Interstate 10
Interstate 10 in Arizona
In the U.S. state of Arizona, Interstate 10, the major east–west Interstate Highway in the southern United States, runs east from California, enters Arizona and continues through Phoenix and Tucson and exits at the border with New Mexico.-Route description:...
at 48th Street in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
to McDowell Road. The only other major junction along the 3.93 miles (6.3 km) route is with Loop 202
State Route 202 (Arizona)
State Route 202, or Loop 202, is the beltway encompassing the eastern Phoenix, Arizona, United States Metropolitan area. It navigates and surrounds the cities of Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, and Gilbert, making it very vital to the area freeway system...
, which is located one half-mile south of McDowell Road and the northern terminus.
The road lies directly to the east of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located southeast of the central business district of the city of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States...
. Along with the Sky Harbor Expressway (former SR 153), Route 143's primary purpose is to provide East Valley residents with access to Sky Harbor from westbound Interstate 10
Interstate 10 in Arizona
In the U.S. state of Arizona, Interstate 10, the major east–west Interstate Highway in the southern United States, runs east from California, enters Arizona and continues through Phoenix and Tucson and exits at the border with New Mexico.-Route description:...
and US 60. This removes the need to travel longer on constantly-congested I-10 and avoid the junction with Interstate 17's
Interstate 17
Interstate 17 , also known as the Black Canyon Freeway, is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Arizona, United States. I-17's southern terminus lies within Phoenix, at Interstate 10, and its northern terminus is in Flagstaff, at Interstate 40...
southern terminus.
Route description
The Hohokam Expressway begins at an intersectionIntersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
with McDowell Road in Phoenix. The freeway continues southward to an ornately designed junction with the Red Mountain portion of Loop 202
Arizona State Route 202
State Route 202, or Loop 202, is the beltway encompassing the eastern Phoenix, Arizona, United States Metropolitan area. It navigates and surrounds the cities of Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, and Gilbert, making it very vital to the area freeway system...
. Commuters are then allotted access to Sky Harbor International Airport prior to the Salt River
Salt River (Arizona)
The Salt River is a stream in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the largest tributary of the Gila River. The river is about long. Its drainage basin is about large. The longest of the Salt River's many tributaries is the Verde River...
crossing.
The southern half of Route 143 begins with the original interchange with University Drive, and then one with Interstate 10
Interstate 10 in Arizona
In the U.S. state of Arizona, Interstate 10, the major east–west Interstate Highway in the southern United States, runs east from California, enters Arizona and continues through Phoenix and Tucson and exits at the border with New Mexico.-Route description:...
and US 60
U.S. Route 60 in Arizona
U.S. Route 60 is an east–west United States highway within Arizona. The highway runs for from a junction with Interstate 10 near Quartzsite to the New Mexico State Line near Springerville...
. After these two interchanges, the freeway ends by transitioning into 48th Street, a surface street.
History
The Hohokam Expressway has a long history and gestation period. The road was first planned as part of the 1960 Phoenix Freeway plan as a collector road for traffic from the east side of PhoenixPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, as well as a proposed eastern exit from Sky Harbor Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located southeast of the central business district of the city of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States...
. The present-day interchange with Interstate 10
Interstate 10 in Arizona
In the U.S. state of Arizona, Interstate 10, the major east–west Interstate Highway in the southern United States, runs east from California, enters Arizona and continues through Phoenix and Tucson and exits at the border with New Mexico.-Route description:...
was completed in 1967 as part of the original I-10 freeway construction through the southeast sections of the valley such as the Tempe
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
and Chandler
Chandler, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the Census of 2010, there were 236,123 people, 86,924 households, and 60,212 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American, 8.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 8.3%...
suburbs.
The final design was released in 1974, when Route 143 was known as Business I-10 and not yet a freeway, but a parkway
Parkway
The term parkway has several distinct principal meanings and numerous synonyms around the world, for either a type of landscaped area or a type of road.Type of landscaped area:...
with traffic signals and intersection
Intersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
s. The design portrayed the new parkway leaving Interstate 10
Interstate 10 in Arizona
In the U.S. state of Arizona, Interstate 10, the major east–west Interstate Highway in the southern United States, runs east from California, enters Arizona and continues through Phoenix and Tucson and exits at the border with New Mexico.-Route description:...
north along 48th Street corridor, then angling across the Salt River
Salt River (Arizona)
The Salt River is a stream in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the largest tributary of the Gila River. The river is about long. Its drainage basin is about large. The longest of the Salt River's many tributaries is the Verde River...
to reach 44th Street where it was planned to end at Washington St. When it opened in 1978, it included the vital eastern access to Sky Harbor Airport, replacing the old 40th Street entrance that was eliminated when 40th Street was demolished to make way for a new airport terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
and runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
expansions.
The new parkway rapidly earned a reputation as a constantly congested
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
road, despite having only three traffic signals. As an attempt at decreasing congestion, a grade-separated interchange at University Drive was built in 1985. The bridge was built to handle two lanes of traffic in each direction though without a shoulder or emergency lane. (This has been identified as a reason of the traffic backups still seen today, as the rest of the freeway is now built to three lanes on either side, thus creating a bottleneck at the University Drive overpass.)
In 1985, the route was surveyed as part of the new Maricopa Association of Governments
Maricopa Association of Governments
The Maricopa Association of Governments is an association of governments that represents the bulk of the metropolitan area of Phoenix, Arizona. It was formed as a result of the guidelines of the 1973 Federal Transportation Act...
1985 Freeway Plan, and was added to the system with a reroute and upgrade to freeway status. Business Loop I-10 was renamed to Route 143 and was realigned to meet up with the under-construction Loop 202
Arizona State Route 202
State Route 202, or Loop 202, is the beltway encompassing the eastern Phoenix, Arizona, United States Metropolitan area. It navigates and surrounds the cities of Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, and Gilbert, making it very vital to the area freeway system...
at 48th Street, as opposed to the old 44th Street alignment.
Construction timeline
- February 1991: University Dr to Sky Harbor Blvd
- November 1991: Sky Harbor Blvd to Washington St
- February 1992: Washington St to McDowell Rd
- January 2011: Major interchange improvements at Route 202. SR143/Sky Harbor Blvd Interchange Improvement shows a diagram of this.
Safety concerns
At the southern terminus of the freeway, Route 143 begins at the intersection of 48th Street and Broadway, climbing over Interstate 10 on the original 48th Street bridge built without any shoulder lanes in 1967. Traffic heading southbound at this point is warned of a traffic signal that hides over the optical horizon of the overpass to most traffic. To combat safety issues raised by the lack of visibility of the main traffic signals, a second traffic signal was installed at a higher elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
so that it is visible to traffic on the northern approach of the overpass. At one point, the second signal included a high-intensity strobe
Strobe light
A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope...
embedded in the red signal; however, the strobe has since been removed. In addition to the strobing signal light, rumble strips
Rumble Strips
Rumble Strips may refer to:* Rumble strip, the road safety feature* The Rumble Strips, the British band...
have been cut into the bridge deck at several intervals, and there is a sign that turns on if the signal is red and the speed limit is reduced, further alerting traffic that the freeway is ending.http://www.rockymountainroads.com/az-143.html
Part of the bridge deck is shared with an exit-only lane leading to a cloverleaf ramp
Cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which left turns, reverse direction in left-driving regions, are handled by ramp roads...
to Interstate 10/US 60 Eastbound to Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, which has a ramp speed limit of only 25 mi/h to access the freeway. Traffic is frequently backed up to University Drive from this exit, and has raised additional safety concerns of the intersection and highway junction. Also, the Broadway Road intersection is less than one quarter mile south of I-10. Traffic is currently backing up from that intersection to I-10, causing further delays and potential accidents due to the visibility and design of the bridge over I-10. ADOT
Arizona Department of Transportation
The Arizona Department of Transportation is an Arizona state government agency charged with facilitating mobility within the state. In addition to managing the state's highway system, the agency is also involved with public transportation and municipal airports...
is currently studying the redesign of the southern section of Route 143, including the infamous bridge, to the Sky Harbor Airport exit in an attempt to fix the numerous safety issues with the addition of collector-distributor lanes when the freeway is widened between 2009 and 2012. C/D lanes are also known to split a freeway into "local" and "express" lanes.
Because Route 143 connects the Red Mountain Freeway (Loop 202) to Interstate 10, this route is popular with local commuters
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
seeking to bypass a stretch of Interstate 10 and US 60 between the Mini Stack
Mini Stack
The Mini Stack is the freeway interchange among Interstate 10, State Route 51, and Loop 202 in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, located northeast of downtown...
and the Broadway Curve, adding to additional traffic overload and safety issues at the interchange with Route 143/I-10/US 60. The speed limit on I-10 throughout the city of Phoenix is currently 65 mi/h. Many other area freeways have limits of 65 mi/h, notable exceptions being the Sky Harbor Expressway with 45 mi/h and Interstate 17
Interstate 17
Interstate 17 , also known as the Black Canyon Freeway, is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Arizona, United States. I-17's southern terminus lies within Phoenix, at Interstate 10, and its northern terminus is in Flagstaff, at Interstate 40...
with 55 mi/h.
Exit list
The entire route is in PhoenixPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Maricopa County
Maricopa County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
.
| Mile | # Exit number An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore.... |
Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00 | 48th Street south | Continuation beyond I-10 | |
| 0.22 | 1 | – Los Angeles, Tucson | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; signed as exits 1A (east) and 1B (west) |
| 1.01 | 2 | University Drive | |
| 2.01 | 3A | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
| 2.01 | 3B | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located southeast of the central business district of the city of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States... |
Northbound exit only |
| 2.81 | 4 | Washington Street | Northbound exit and southbound entrance |
| 3.52 | 5 | ||
| 4.07 | McDowell Road | At-grade intersection At-grade intersection An at-grade intersection is a junction at which two or more transport axes cross at the same level .-Traffic management:With areas of high or fast traffic, an at-grade intersection normally requires a traffic control device such as a stop sign, traffic light or railway signal to manage conflicting... |
External links
- SR143/Sky Harbor Blvd Interchange Improvement . Diagram of major construction that is underway to improve airport and Loop 202 access (as of early 2011).
- SR 143 Construction Projects
- Hohokam Expressway Guide
See also
- HohokamHohokamHohokam is one of the four major prehistoric archaeological Oasisamerica traditions of what is now the American Southwest. Many local residents put the accent on the first syllable . Variant spellings in current, official usage include Hobokam, Huhugam and Huhukam...
- Sky Harbor International Airport
- List of Arizona State Routes
- SR 153State Route 153 (Arizona)State Route 153, also known as SR 153 and the Sky Harbor Expressway, is a former state highway in Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona, that ran from the intersection of 44th Street and Washington Street in Phoenix south to University Drive. It was a controlled access arterial expressway,...
is a discontinued highway that used to run immediately parallel to SR 143, and used to share some traffic with it.