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Portions of a proposed freeway connecting Loop 202 in Mesa to Ironwood Drive in unincorporated Pinal County south of the Williams Field Road alignment may not be completed for 20 years, state officials say.

The final design for State Route 802 is planned for 2010 and construction by 2016 for the section from L202 to Ellsworth Road, Annette Riley, senior project manager for the Maricopa County side (Loop 202 to Meridian Road), said last week. Design and construction from Ellsworth to Meridian could be completed in 2025-30, she said at a Dec. 3 meeting held by the Arizona Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration officials.

"Meridian to Ironwood is unfunded; design and construction has not been identified," she said.

Freeway interchanges are planned at Ellsworth, Williams Field, Signal Butte Road, Meridian and Ironwood, officials said.

When asked if Ironwood can handle the traffic of an end of a freeway, Ms. Riley replied in part: "Ironwood is a logical terminus – a major roadway," she said.

Bryan Martyn, Pinal County District 2 supervisor, said local residents’ reactions to previous ADOT proposals calling for homes to be taken for the SR802 freeway steered the state to come up with a plan that would not take homes.

"Not one of these corridors goes through a single home," he said at the ADOT presentation of several possible routes for the freeway to head east through Pinal County.

"You ... had a say in this case. One entity has more to say – you, the public," he said.

An open house and presentation was held at Simonton Elementary School’s multipurpose room, 40300 N. Simonton Blvd. in San Tan Valley. ADOT is also holding an open house Tuesday, Dec. 8, at ASU Polytechnic Union Cooley Ballroom A, 7001 Williams Field Road in Mesa.

Van and Pam Flanders of the Castlegate subdivision in unincorporated Pinal County said before the ADOT presentation that they like the route planned for SR802.

"According to the map, it’s not going very close to here, but north of Germann. Originally they said it was going to come through here, tear houses down. This is a lot better," Mr. Flanders said.

"As long as it’s not close to where I live, it’s fine," Mrs. Flanders said. "But they’ve changed it so many times, so who knows?"

They’ve lived in the area for six years, she said. "I like the country thing. I love the horses. The ranches were here first," Mrs. Flanders said.

Thirty-year unincorporated Pinal County residents Doug and Liz Johnson also like the plan.

"It doesn’t show anything east of Ironwood; I think it’s unfunded," Mrs. Johnson said.

"Why should they spend all that money six miles south of U.S. 60? Before, they said it was to pick up Johnson Ranch. This doesn’t pick up Johnson Ranch," Mr. Johnson said.

Dawn Marlowe, a six-year resident of Castlegate, said she was concerned with the path planned east of Ironwood Drive.

"I would be on the other side of the freeway or right through it," she said.

Darron Anglin, who lives in San Tan Valley and works in Apache Junction, said he would use the SR802.

"I like the plan. I live in Queen Creek, right here; it’ll be nice to go on up and go to Mesa," he said.

Mr. Anglin likes that the proposed route doesn’t remove major roads. "Better than tearing up a major thoroughfare," he said.

Andy and Heather Clark, 10-year residents of unincorporated Pinal County, like the planned route.

"As long as they don’t take down our area, we’re OK with it. We’re right off of Ironwood, south of Germann," Mrs. Clark said.

"I think they’d be better off taking Idaho Road and making it go all the way through. Everyone is going to U.S. 60 on Ironwood and Ellsworth," Mr. Clark said.

Plans to continue the freeway from Ironwood east to U.S. 60 and 79 at Florence Junction have been put on hold until a north-south freeway connecting Apache Junction and Picacho at I-10 is planned, officials said.

Waiting for the north-south freeway design makes sense, Mr. Martyn said at the ADOT presentation Dec. 3.

"We need to figure out the north-south (freeway); the (intersection of) north-south/802, wherever that is, is a huge economic piece. Mall of America – that is where it is going to go," Mr. Martyn said of the potential large-scale commercial and retail that could be attracted at the meeting of the two freeways.

ADOT officials said local residents along with the cities of Apache Junction, Queen Creek and Mesa in the East Valley; Pinal County; and cities and towns stretching to Picacho at I-10 to the south are stakeholders in the north-south freeway.

"All stakeholders have a role in this process... The general public is a major stakeholder in this process," ADOT official Peggy Fiandaca said.

For more information or to submit comments in writing, contact: ADOT SR 802, 13771 Fountain Hills Blvd., ste. 360, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268; by e-mail to SR802@cox.net; or by phone at 480-422-5362. Comments need to be made by Jan. 9, 2010.