Ramps provide new options for drivers in Desert Ridge area
Contributed by: Doug Nintzel
ADOT Spokesman
Metro Phoenix Region
Office: (602) 712-7556
The days when Desert Ridge area residents were limited when it came to accessing or even exiting State Route 51 ended earlier this spring when the Arizona Department of Transportation and City of Phoenix opened the new Black Mountain Boulevard ramps to and from the Piestewa Freeway.
There’s no doubt that many drivers who use Loop 101 or State Route 51 wondered what construction crews were up to as the elevated ramps, featuring more than fifty steel-reinforced concrete girders, began to take shape in the past year.
With the opening of the elevated freeway ramps that cross over Loop 101 as part of the State Route 51 interchange, southbound drivers on Black Mountain Boulevard south of Deer Valley Road can now directly enter SR 51. Meanwhile, motorists on northbound SR 51 now have a direct ramp leading to Black Mountain Boulevard as it passes by Pinnacle High School.
“The city has long planned for these additional access points,” said Doug Nintzel, an ADOT spokesman. “One of the key benefits is that local drivers don’t have to use Tatum Boulevard, Cave Creek Road or even Loop 101 to travel into or out of the Desert Ridge area. Northbound drivers on SR 51 can save time by avoiding the afternoon merge onto westbound Loop 101.”
The $17.8 million Black Mountain Boulevard ramps project, which included roadway and pedestrian improvements near the high school, was launched in June 2015. A roundabout serves as a transition point to slow traffic to and from State Route 51 and a pedestrian bridge has been added to allow students and local residents to cross over Black Mountain Boulevard. A separate project, also managed by ADOT on behalf of the city, included improvements to Black Mountain Boulevard north to Pinnacle Peak Road.
“Our goal has been to deliver a project that helps the city with its transportation plans for the Desert Ridge area and beyond,” said ADOT Assistant Director Steve Boschen, who leads the agency’s Infrastructure Delivery and Operations Division. “It makes a big difference when drivers in the area have more direct access to State Route 51.”
“As the city continues to develop in the north, better transportation options are needed to meet the needs of a growing city,” said Phoenix Councilwoman Thelda Williams, who chairs the City Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. “The new ramps will provide options for a rapidly growing area.”
At the roundabout along Black Mountain Boulevard south of the high school, signs direct drivers to slow to 20 mph. Motorists also should be prepared to yield to traffic already in the roundabout.
While helping high school students cross Black Mountain Boulevard, the pedestrian bridge is part of the Reach 11 trail within a 1,500-acre recreation area popular with hikers and bicyclists.
The connections between State Route 51 and Black Mountain Boulevard have been part of Phoenix’s plans for the Desert Ridge region for several years. The project was funded as part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan approved by county voters in 2004.
