Northern Parkway is a major parkway in Maricopa County, Arizona in the United States. Northern Parkway is an enhanced arterial street with grade-separated intersections planned at major cross streets to eliminate the major traffic signals originally found on Northern Avenue. The roadway has twice the traffic carrying capacity of a typical arterial and enables traffic to flow at average speeds of, as compared to typical arterials with average speeds around. Work on the section from Loop 303 to Dysart Road began in 2012 and was finished in January 2015, when the Reems Road and Litchfield Road overpasses were opened. Work on the section from Dysart Road to 111th Avenue is expected to begin in early 2018.
Route description
Northern Parkway begins at an interchange with Loop 303, heading to the east between Northern Avenue and a BNSF Railway line. After passing Litchfield Road, the parkway turns southeast and intersects Dysart Road. Construction on Northern Parkway has not yet begun beyond this point. West of Dysart Road, Northern Parkway is planned to supplant Northern Avenue, heading east. Frontage roads will be built to accompany the parkway. After crossing the Agua Fria River with a new, six-lane bridge, the parkway will intersect 111th Avenue, 107th Avenue, and 103rd Avenue before crossing the New River. Past here, the route will have several traffic signals for shopping centers along with an interchange connecting to the Loop 101. The Northern Parkway will continue east from this point as a limited-access road to US 60.
History
Plans to upgrade Northern Avenue into a limited-access road date back to 2003, with an initial price tag of $307 million. A year later, residents of Maricopa County voted to extend the regional half-cent sales tax for transportation. As part of the initiative, a number of major arterial road improvements were funded including Northern Parkway. Funding is allocated through the regional Arterial Life Cycle Program, managed by the Maricopa Association of Governments. The City of Glendale, in conjunction with Maricopa County, the City ofPeoria, and City of El Mirage, approved a Design Concept Report for the project in 2008. Roughly 70 percent of the projects funding will come from federal funds allocated by the Maricopa Association of Governments while the remainder coming from the four local agencies. Construction on the portion between SR 303 and Dysart Road began in 2012 and opened in December 2014. Construction of the overpasses at Reems and Litchfield Roads began Summer 2014 and was complete by January 2015. Construction on the portion between Dysart Road and 111th Avenue is expected to begin in 2018. Completion of this parkway is expected by 2025.
Future
Phases 1-2
Northern Parkway is planned to extend and connect to communities such as Litchfield Park, and Waddell, from US Route 60 to Loop 303. Over $168 Million has been programmed through the Maricopa Association of Government's Transportation Improvement Program Northern Parkway project for phases 1 and 2. Phase 2 includes construction of the Parkway from Dysart Avenue to 111th Avenue, overpasses at Dysart and El Mirage Roads, and improvements at the Northern Avenue and State Route 101Agua Fria freeway.
Phases 3-4
Phases of the Northern Parkway from 91st Avenue to Grand Avenue remain unfunded with no construction dates set. However, grade separation at 75th, 83rd, and 91st avenues, an improved bridge over the New River, and a direct connection to Grand Avenue are all planned.
