Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway

Between 2015 and 2019, RECo was part of the largest project in Arizona DOT’s history at the time. The project added 22 miles of new freeway on the southern outskirts of Phoenix. It provides new access to a fast-growing region and alleviates traffic from the existing freeway system in the area.

Working closely with the design-build team to help optimize the design and construction schedules, RECo delivered 65 Reinforced Earth MSE walls and precast concrete facing panels for 7 soil nail walls. The walls serve as bridge abutments and embankment walls at various locations throughout the entire length of the project and in addition, they support traffic barrier, sound walls, electrical, drainage, and other elements of the infrastructure.

For years RECo has provided precast facing panels for permanent soil nail and other cut walls. The facing is offset from the cut wall and facing connections are designed based on the characteristics of the cut wall. The system is a popular solution when cast-in-place facing is not desired for aesthetics or construction time, or if a consistent look with surrounding MSE walls is required.

The artwork on the walls was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, who experimented with desert themed architecture and had a camp in the area in the 1920’s. ADOT partnered with The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to develop the aesthetics of the entire project. The concrete wall facing, coping, and other elements of the structures were cast with custom patterns and painted in the field.