Phoenix Bypass Route
.svg)  Phoenix Bypass Route | |
|---|---|
| Route information | |
| Maintained by Arizona Department of Transportation | |
| Component highways |  I-8 from southeast of Casa Grande to Gila Bend  SR 85 from Gila Bend to Buckeye |
| Major junctions | |
| Southeast end |  I-10 southeast of Casa Grande |
| I-8 in Gila Bend SR 85 in Gila Bend | |
| Northwest end | I-10 in Buckeye |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| Counties | Pinal, Maricopa |
| Highway system | |
| |
The Phoenix Bypass Route is an informal designation for a highway combination in the U.S. state of Arizona that allows long-distance motorists to avoid traveling through the central Phoenix metropolitan area. The route consists of Interstate 8 (I-8) between Casa Grande and Gila Bend, and State Route 85 (SR 85) between Gila Bend and Buckeye, where it reconnects with Interstate 10 (I-10).
The combination of SR 85 between I-10 and I-8, together with I-8 between SR 85 and I-10 near Casa Grande, has been promoted as a bypass of the Phoenix area for long-distance travelers on I-10, particularly for traffic between southern California and Tucson or points farther east.
Route description
[edit]Interstate 8 segment
[edit]The bypass begins at I-10 southeast of Casa Grande, where motorists exit onto I-8 westbound. I-8 is an east–west Interstate Highway running from San Diego to its eastern terminus at I-10 near Casa Grande. In Arizona, I-8 crosses the Sonoran Desert, passing near communities such as Stanfield and Dateland.
Approaching Gila Bend, I-8 maintains a generally northeastern heading before reaching its junction with SR 85. West of this interchange, I-8 continues toward Yuma and California; east of the Casa Grande area, it terminates at I-10.
State Route 85 segment
[edit]At Gila Bend, traffic leaves I-8 and proceeds north on SR 85. Within Gila Bend, SR 85 intersects the I-8 business loop and provides access to local facilities including Gila Bend Municipal Airport. The highway then turns northeast and continues toward the Phoenix metropolitan area.
North of Gila Bend, SR 85 runs near the western edge of the Sonoran Desert National Monument and provides access to Buckeye Hills Regional Park. This segment is part of the National Highway System. As it approaches Buckeye, SR 85 crosses the Gila River and the Buckeye Canal before reaching its northern terminus at Exit 112 on I-10.
Function
[edit]The Phoenix Bypass Route is used primarily by:
- Westbound traffic from Tucson or eastern Arizona heading toward Yuma or San Diego.
- Eastbound traffic from southern California bound for Tucson, New Mexico, or Texas.
- Commercial freight traffic seeking to avoid congestion within central Phoenix.
By diverting at Casa Grande onto I-8 and reconnecting with I-10 at Buckeye via SR 85, motorists can circumvent urban traffic, construction zones, and peak-period congestion commonly experienced along I-10 through downtown Phoenix.
Exit list
[edit]I-8 segment (Casa Grande to Gila bend)
[edit]| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maricopa | Gila Bend | 115.68 | 186.17 | 115 |   BL 8 east (Historic US 80 east) / SR 85 – Phoenix, Ajo | Former US 80 east | |
| 118 |  SR 85 north | Future interchange[2] | |||||
| 119.47 | 192.27 | 119 |    Butterfield Trail (BL 8 west) to SR 85 north / I-10 | Former SR 84 west | |||
| | 140.86 | 226.69 | 140 | Freeman Road | Access to Sonoran Desert National Monument | ||
| | 144.60 | 232.71 | 144 | Vekol Valley Road | |||
| Pinal | | 151.73 | 244.19 | 151 |    SR 84 east to SR 347 north – Maricopa | ||
| | 161.61 | 260.09 | 161 | Stanfield | |||
| | 167.61 | 269.74 | 167 | Montgomery Road | |||
| | 169.72 | 273.14 | 169 | Bianco Road | |||
| | 172.62 | 277.80 | 172 | Thornton Road – Casa Grande | |||
| | 174.62 | 281.02 | 174 | Trekell Road – Casa Grande | |||
| Casa Grande | 178.36 | 287.04 | 178 | I-10 – Phoenix, Tucson | Signed as exits 178A (west) and 178B (east); additional entrance from Sunland Gin Road; exit 199 on I-10 | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||||
SR 85 segment (Gila Bend to Buckeye)
[edit]Exit numbers reflect mileposts on former US 80.
| County | Location | mi[3] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maricopa | Gila Bend | 79.95 | 128.67 |  I-8 east – Tucson | Exit 115 on I-8 | |
| 80.53 | 129.60 |  BL 8 / Historic US 80 west (Pima Street) to I-8 west – San Diego | South end of concurrency with I-8 BL/Historic US 80; former US 80 west | |||
| Historic US 80 east | North end of concurrency with Historic US 80; former US 80 east | |||||
| 83.20 | 133.90 | BL 8 east (Butterfield Trail) to I-8 east – Tucson | North end of concurrency with I-8 BL | |||
| 83.43– 83.95 | 134.27– 135.10 |  To SR 238 (Maricopa Road) – Maricopa | access to Sonoran Desert National Monument | |||
| Buckeye | 101.23 | 162.91 | 138 | Lewis Prison Road to Patterson Road | Interchange. Access to Arizona State Prison Complex – Lewis | |
| 112.36 | 180.83 | Hazen Road (Historic US 80 west) – Palo Verde, Hassayampa, Arlington | South end of Historic US 80 concurrency | |||
| 113.35 | 182.42 | Historic US 80 east / MC 85 – Buckeye, Phoenix | North end of Historic US 80 concurrency; former US 80 east | |||
 SR 30 east (Tres Rios Freeway) | Future interchange[4] | |||||
| 117.87 | 189.69 | I-10 – Phoenix, Los Angeles | Northern terminus; exit 112 on I-10 | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| ||||||
Planned Gila Bend-Buckeye realignment
[edit]| County | Location | mi[5] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR 85 continues south | |||||||
| Maricopa | Gila Bend | 79.95 115.6 | 128.67 186.0 | 115 | I-8 west | Mileposts reset to reflect mileage on former US 80; south end of concurrency with I-8; exit 116 on I-8; NB access via Old SR 85 and I-8 BL/Historic US 80 (Pima Street); south end of freeway segment | |
| 118.0 | 189.9 | 118 | I-8 east | Planned flyover interchange; north end of concurrency with I-8; future exit 118 on I-8 | |||
| 121.0 | 194.7 | 121 |  To BL 8 / SR 238 | Planned interchange | |||
| | 123.0 | 197.9 | 123 | Watermelon Road | Planned interchange | ||
| Buckeye | 138.2 | 222.4 | 138 | Lewis Prison Road to Patterson Road | Interchange | ||
| 149.0 | 239.8 | 149 | SR 30 east (Tres Rios Freeway) | Future interchange[4] | |||
| 150.4 | 242.0 | 150 |    Historic US 80 east / MC 85 – Buckeye, Phoenix | Former US 80 east; future interchange | |||
| 152.0 | 244.6 | 152 | Southern Avenue | Future interchange | |||
| 153.0 | 246.2 | 153 | Broadway Road | Future interchange | |||
| 154.0 | 247.8 | 154 | I-10 – Phoenix, Los Angeles | Northern terminus; exit 112 on I-10 | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Roadway Inventory Management Section, Multimodal Planning Division (December 31, 2013). "2013 State Highway System Log" (PDF). Arizona Department of Transportation. pp. 1–11. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ↑ "Final Environmental Assessment and Section 4(f) Evaluation" (PDF). Arizona Department of Transportation. February 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 9, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
- ↑ Staff. "2013 ADOT AADT & KDT Report for Year - 2013 (State Routes)" (PDF). Arizona Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 27, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- 1 2 DMJM Harris; AECOM (September 2007). Interstate 10–Hassayampa Valley Roadway Framework Study (PDF) (Report). Maricopa Association of Governments. ch. 6. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
- ↑ "Final Environmental Assessment and Section 4(f) Evaluation" (PDF). Arizona Department of Transportation. February 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 9, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2019.