Parents Raise Safety Concerns Over Lack of Pedestrian Bridges in Loop 303 Project
Arizona punts responsibility to Goodyear for tackling safety concerns about pedestrian infrastructure near the new high school.
Happy New Year! It’s 2025 and our first story covers growing pains in the West Valley’s Goodyear, Arizona.
On January 1st, West Valley Families shared a news story regarding construction on Loop 303 in Goodyear which is set to begin by fall 2025 and is expected to take about three years to complete.
PURPOSE OF LOOP 303 IN GOODYEAR
The Loop 303 extension in Goodyear will improve traffic flow, enhance regional connectivity, and support economic growth by providing faster, safer, and more efficient transportation options. This project will also prepare the area for future growth, reduce congestion on local roads, and attract new businesses.
A new high school, the sixth in the Agua Fria Union High School District, will be constructed just west of Loop 303 in Goodyear. The 55-acre Goodyear High School campus, located at the northwest corner of Cotton Lane and Van Buren, will open in phases due to funding limitations, with phase one set to welcome 400 freshmen students in Fall 2025.
In responses to our Facebook post about the project, a valid concern about this ADOT project.
Goodyear resident Alan Stark raises concerns about the lack of safe pedestrian infrastructure in the Loop 303 project, particularly for children living in the new low-income apartments at Cotton Lane and Van Buren. With the new high school being built on the west side of Cotton Lane, students will have to cross at the signalized intersection for highway on/off ramps, as ADOT has no plans to include pedestrian bridges or underpasses in the project. Criticism cities the dangerous conditions of similar crossings, like Estrella Parkway under I-10. Despite the project's significant investment in vehicle infrastructure, frustration looms over the absence of dedicated pedestrian safety measures.
LOOP 303 CONSTRUCTION STARTING FALL 2025
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is set to begin construction on a new segment of Loop 303 in Goodyear, extending from Van Buren Street south to Maricopa County Highway 85 (MC 85). The project, currently in final design, will feature three freeway lanes in each direction between Van Buren Street and Lower Buckeye Road, and two lanes in each direction from Lower Buckeye Road to MC 85.
READ: New Loop 303 project among ADOT’s 2025 freeway highlights
New bridges will be constructed to carry the freeway over several cross streets and the Union Pacific Railroad. Construction is scheduled to commence by fall 2025 and is expected to last approximately three years. This extension aims to enhance traffic flow and connectivity in the Goodyear area.
BALL BACK IN GOODYEAR’S COURT
In response to the Goodyear resident’s concerns, the ADOT Public Information Office emphasized safety as a top priority and expressed openness to collaborating with Goodyear and the local school district on construction plans and work zone safety.
Safety is a top priority for ADOT. We are certainly open to working with Goodyear and the school district on aspects of construction plans and work zone safety. As part of our pre-project work, ADOT was provided with and reviewed the local traffic impact analysis for the future high school. Since the Loop 303 bridge over Van Buren Street is already in place, no significant changes or impacts to the sidewalks currently used by pedestrians are anticipated during or after construction. We also anticipate minimal impacts on traffic, including school buses, along Van Buren Street. The project will extend the freeway south (from Van Buren Street) to MC 85. Work is expected to begin by this fall. Goodyear would have jurisdiction to follow up with the Maricopa Association of Governments, the region's freeway planning agency, on features such as pedestrian bridges. -ADOT Public Information Office
ADOT says Goodyear may coordinate with the Maricopa Association of Governments on additional features like pedestrian bridges.
West Valley Families has reached out to the City of Goodyear for comment on this concern. We will report back just as soon as we hear back from the City of Goodyear.