ADOT Proposes New Freeway Interchange at I-17 and Happy Valley Road

If you work in North Phoenix near I-17 and Happy Valley Road or Pinnacle Peak road, you are probably aware of the long waits to get on and off the freeway every weekday between 3pm and 6pm. The long wait times and backups are frustrating to many drivers, but a new plan recently unveiled by the Arizona Department of Transportation may resolve the daily congestion in a unique way.

Recently, ADOT announced a proposal to replace the Happy Valley interchange with a new type of system called a diverging diamond. A cost estimate has not yet been provided. If approved, the new interchange could begin construction as soon as 2018.

Aerial Photo of the current I-17/Happy Valley Roundabouts.
Photo by: North Phoenix Blog

Currently, the Happy Valley Road exit has two roundabouts which were completed in 2001 at a cost of $2.2 million. At the time, these were touted as a safer and more economical to a traditional interchange, which would have cost between $8 and $12 million.

While the roundabouts are safer, they are not an ideal solution for the volume of cars in the area. New home construction, job opportunities at USAA, Cigna, and W.L. Gore, and two major retail shopping centers have added tremendous growth to the Norterra/Happy Valley area since 2001. ADOT has acknowledged that "a diverging diamond interchange would be better able to manage the growing volume of traffic at Happy Valley Road and reduce the amount of time drivers spend waiting at traffic signals."

Relatively few of these diverging diamond interchanges have been built in the U.S. so far, with approximately 80 diverging diamonds completed in 26 states since 2009, according to the ADOT article. They work by diverting the flow of local traffic to the opposite side, allowing for direct entrances to freeway ramps without waiting for an additional signal.

Example of a diverging diamond interchange.
Photo by: NCDOT

The advantages of the proposed interchange include less time waiting, less fuel wasted, and dramatic safety improvements due to fewer potential points of conflict. The design is supposed to be even more efficient than a roundabout, which was originally built as a superior design to a traditional 4-way intersection.

The proposal also calls for replacing the interchange at I-17 and Pinnacle Peak Road, which is a narrow two-lane bridge constructed in 1964.

ADOT is also considering divided diamond interchanges at two other locations, both along the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway.

Read the original ADOT News Release.

Exploring the Ruins of Phoenix's Cloud Nine Restaurant

Dinner With a View
There are several restaurants in Phoenix that provide a stunning view in addition to a meal. The Compass Grill, Orange Sky at Talking Stick, and A Different Pointe of View all offer panoramic vistas in addition to gourmet entrees. But back in the 1960s, there was just one choice for scenic dining: Cloud Nine.

 
Located on the southwest slope of Shaw Butte in the Phoenix Mountains, Cloud Nine was a small, family owned restaurant that operated from January 21, 1961 through November 8, 1964. Though it was in business for only a short while, the restaurant and its legacy endure to this day.

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History of Veterans Memorial Coliseum

New Orleans has the Superdome, Boston has Fenway Park, and Los Angeles has the Rose Bowl. Each of these stadiums is an icon within its respective city. In Phoenix, no stadium is more famous than the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, or simply "The Coliseum."

Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in 2009
Photo by: Michael Lundgren

A Phoenix Icon
The Coliseum is an important building in Phoenix's history for its historical significance and its unique architecture. The Arizona State Fair Commission recognized the need for an indoor, multi-purpose building as early as 1962. The intent was to use the enclosed stadium during the State Fair and for concerts and other events throughout the year.

Design and Construction
In 1964, the Commission approved a design from Phoenix architects Lescher and Mahoney. They were the most prominent firm in Arizona and built nearly every significant building in Phoenix today, during their heydey of 1910 to 1975.

Lescher and Mahoney's design for the Coliseum featured a very unique shaped roof. The actual geometric shape is a hyperbolic paraboloid, but to the layperson, it resembles a horse saddle or a Pringles potato chip. The roof is made up of more than 1,000 pre-cast concrete panels, which are supported by high tension steel cables. Each panel weighs over 3,000 pounds!

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Remembering the El Cid Castle in Sunnyslope

El Cid Castle before its demolition.
Photo by: Tony the Marine

There is something about castles that captures the imagination. Castles are symbols of strength, able to withstand attacks from intruders and protect the occupants from harm.

Most of the world's historic castles were built in Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries, which means that Americans are not accustomed to seeing them in person.

Perhaps because of their rarity or perhaps because of their association with fairy tales and fantasy, many Americans are fascinated by castles. This led to a number of European-inspired castles being built in America in the 1800s and 1900s. One of the most well-known castles in Phoenix was the El Cid Castle in Sunnyslope.

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Food Truck Fridays in Gilbert

Update: The Gilbert Food Court is no longer in the Historic District as of 12/18/2015. Their new name is AZ Feastivals, please check them out using the link at the bottom of the article.

There's a new event going on in Historic Downtown Gilbert called Food Truck Fridays. (Update: The event WAS in downtown Gilbert for 3+ years, but is no longer located there two months after this article was published). Basically, a bunch of vendors get together every Friday night to offer up a selection of interesting culinary creations, prepared and served from their mobile kitchens. Recently, a friend invited me to go check out Food Truck Fridays.

I should clarify that I went into this event wondering why anyone would care about a bunch of food trucks. As far as I knew, food trucks were kind of a trashy thing; stalwarts of county festivals and fairs that served overpriced and low quality food with questionable standards of cleanliness.

Arriving at Food Truck Fridays, I found no such thing. Apparently I missed the memo that food trucks are hip and cool now, and people actually like them!

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