“Construction on the East Valley’s newest freeway will begin this spring, paving the way for a vast swath of desert to transform into a major employment hub.
The Gateway Freeway will open in late 2013 near the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. The initial length of State Route 24 is a single mile, but the tiny segment is considered a big deal in an area that has few roads.
The freeway will create access to the east side of the airport and go near the First Solar manufacturing plant, the proposed 1,500-room Gaylord resort and DMB Associates’ Eastmark development on the former Mesa Proving Grounds site. Several other business parks and mid-rise buildings are in the works, all because of their proximity to the freeway.
The freeway will help the area become a major center for new jobs, said Scot Rigby, an economic development project manager for Mesa.”
