The Arizona Department of Transportation has opened new lanes along Loop 303 between Grand Avenue in Surprise and Happy Valley Parkway in Peoria.

Crews working on the newest stretch of the widened Loop 303 finished striping the pavement and opened the full set of three lanes in each direction last week. The roadway had been limited to one lane in each direction while work was in progress.

Temporary lane restrictions will occur at scheduled at times along Loop 303 between Happy Valley Parkway and El Mirage Road over the next few weeks, with no major traffic slowdowns expected.

In less than two years, this seven-mile stretch of Loop 303 has been upgraded from a four-lane highway to a safer six-lane freeway. The wider freeway is part of an improvement process that also added new Loop 303 interchanges at Grand Avenue and El Mirage Road.

ADOT launched a series of major Loop 303 projects in 2009 to provide the West Valley with continuous freeway from Interstate 17 in north Phoenix to Interstate 10 in Goodyear. The projects are part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ 20-year Regional Transportation Plan approved by voters in 2004.