Explain 101 please (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe: construction, school, community college)

[Jnvlv247]

I commute around 7:45-8 from North Scottsdale to South chandler
I don't don't why there is thick but still moving traffic goin south until about Indian school/Thomas road and it's smooth sailing till chandler Blvd
I can see people working in north sdale and commuting and making backups in the north bound side, same thing on North bound in Tempe and chandler,
But why and where are these people on the south bound going? Not to Phoenix?

[observer53]

There are quite a number of employers in that far south area of the 101, and heading westbound on the 202 into the 1-10 area. So, they could be heading there, and to a lesser extent, perhaps, to the 202 eastbound as well.

It seems to me that the traffic backs up in certain areas on the freeways for no particularly obvious reasons, and then just loosens up again. Not just on the 101, but other places as well.

[Jnvlv247]

Yea it seems like the entrance ramp areas are backed up since I guess people are merging and just the sheer volume of people trying to get over to the left lanes causes "pinches" I call them :P It stops for like less than a minute then we go over 60 mph then it slows again. Seems to happen from Raintree -> Chapparal area and then it's cruising from there. I assume that a lot of people may be working downtown Scottsdale too?

[observer53]

Sure. You also have Scottsdale Community College at Chaparral, that's a traffic generator. There are lots of busy areas along that freeway, all the way down to where it ends (actually, sort of turns into) the 202.

[azdr0710]

though it may not explain your situation, jnvlv, traffic engineers might suggest that there can be some sort of rolling slow-down that moves up and down freeways during and after some more specific incident at a specific location on the freeway.....explains what we've all experienced when things suddenly open up for no obvious reason.....

I'd presume people working in downtown Scotts explains your experience, jnvlv....

[new2colo]

ADOT is going to widen the 101 Pima Freeway starting next summer. They are adding one general lane on the southbound side from Shea to McKellips and one general lane on the northbound side from McDowell to Shea. So each side will have 4 general lanes + 1 HOV. They are adding two general lanes on the northbound 101 from the 202 Red Mountain interchange to McDowell. This should help to loosen some of the congestion between North Scottsdale and the 202 for at least a couple of years. I don't know of any plans in the near future to widen any portions of the 101 Price between the Santan and Red Mountain freeways.

[PhureeKeeper]

Originally Posted by new2colo

ADOT is going to widen the 101 Pima Freeway starting next summer.

Yay, more freeway construction!

[observer53]

Originally Posted by new2colo

ADOT is going to widen the 101 Pima Freeway starting next summer. They are adding one general lane on the southbound side from Shea to McKellips and one general lane on the northbound side from McDowell to Shea. So each side will have 4 general lanes + 1 HOV. They are adding two general lanes on the northbound 101 from the 202 Red Mountain interchange to McDowell. This should help to loosen some of the congestion between North Scottsdale and the 202 for at least a couple of years. I don't know of any plans in the near future to widen any portions of the 101 Price between the Santan and Red Mountain freeways.

Since a big chunk of that is below ground level, I'll bet that's not happening.

[Minntoaz]

Yep I notice this almost every day mostly right before 90th st to about Indian bend. My own thoughts are that people have no idea how to handle that big curve and it slows everyone down.

[Jnvlv247]

Originally Posted by Minntoaz

Yep I notice this almost every day mostly right before 90th st to about Indian bend. My own thoughts are that people have no idea how to handle that big curve and it slows everyone down.

Plus that curve, in the morning, if you are going southbound, makes you go into the eastern sun and the western sun in the evening