Drive during morning commute Fountain Hills to Zoo (Phoenix, Scottsdale: construction, university)

[LLEO]

Can anyone recommend the best way to drive from Fountain Hills to the Zoo at about 7:00 - 7:30 am on a Monday? We'd like to get to the zoo before 8 am.

[observer53]

I'd come down the Beeline Highway to McDowell and go west to Galvin Parkway and south to the Zoo.

[goolsbyjazz]

Which zoo are you talking about? Phoenix? If so, I think you would need to leave around 7.

[stevek64]

If it's the Wildlife World Zoo in Litchfield Park, 87/202/10/303. Lots of traffic potential at those hours.

[observer53]

I'm assuming you meant Phoenix Zoo, and I'd leave by 7 for sure. Not sure when they start their early hours, but the earlier you get there when it's warm like this, the better.

[LLEO]

Thanks for all your replies. Yes, I mean the Phoenix Zoo. Google directions is suggesting one route that goes on the Beeline, then McDowell and on to N. Galvin Pkwy. It's suggesting that I need to make a U-turn at E. Van Buren Street and head back up N. Galvin Pkwy to enter the zoo off of N. Moreland St. Can I make a u-turn at that time of the morning?
Or would it be better to take the Beeline to AZ 202 Loop W then exit at Priest Dr and then onto N Galvin Pkwy? That way I'd be heading north on N. Galvin and could make a right turn onto N. Moreland St and into the zoo. What's the 202 loop W like in the am commute?

[observer53]

You should be able to make that turn; I usually approach the zoo from the other direction, so I'm not aware of what the approach looks like from the other way. I can't imagine that there's an issue getting into the zoo from either way. It says there's a traffic circle, which I do remember seeing, and have gone through it but not recently and not on the way to the zoo.

Don't be looking for "Moreland Street" though that probably is the alignment; you are pretty much going down a short little road into the parking lot.-- I'm not sure a sign actually says that. Just look for signs for the zoo. I'll bet you could call the zoo and ask them about that route to be sure, but I can't imagine there's any problem with that turn.

The 202 will have way more traffic.

[cab591]

It's a roundabout -- you can enter the Zoo from either direction.

I wouldn't take the 202 -- McDowell will be MUCH faster. 202 is a parking lot around the 101 stack, and doesn't start to thin out until the Center / Priest exit. The exit for Priest is around a blind bend, and the 202 gets an extra lane before it splits off, so often times you find yourself fighting across a few lanes of traffic to make the exit (I usually start merging around the "downtown Tempe, next exit" sign, but I'm a bit aggressive with merging). It's also a strange exit, because you get off one exit early -- and then the ramp splits, and the exit for Priest parallels the 202 for a stretch.

When I'm working down in Phoenix, I commute from University and Dobson to Oak and 64th -- I usually just leave early and take the 202 to Priest and go through the park. At peak rush hour, it takes me around 20 minutes to clear that small stretch of loop 202. When I'm running late, I take the 101 north to McKellips or McDowell. From McDowell, you'll cross Scottsdale Road, go a half mile, and turn left onto Galvin Parkway (you'll cross a canal, and there'll be a large, vacant car dealer on your right). Stay in the left lane, going south until you hit the traffic circle, and take it around to the 2nd exit (you can only go straight or left at the circle -- only the left lane can continue around the circle). It puts you right into the Zoo parking lot.

Going that route, I'd say you could make it in ~30-45 mins, depending on where you're coming from in Fountain Hills, and how bad morning traffic is on the Beeline (I honestly don't know offhand). It shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes to go from McDowell / 101 to the Zoo (depending on if you get red or green lights). There's been some construction on McDowell around the greenbelt, but it passes quickly.