Northern Parkway construction under way in the West Valley

F-16s from Luke Air Force Base roared overhead and West Valley leaders dug their shovels into dirt this week as the Northern Parkway project, a decade in the making, is now under way. Phase 1 of the project in portions of Maricopa County, El Mirage and Glendale, involves construction of a 4.5-mile stretch from Sarival Avenue east to Dysart Road. The $61.5 million first phase is expected to be completed by spring 2013. Future phases of the planned 12.5-mile project, from Loop 303 to Grand Avenue, would widen the existing Northern Avenue to a multilane parkway. Several leaders hailed the milestone ground-breaking, describing it as the first step toward bringing jobs and economic development to the region. The parkway is billed as a much-needed reliever for busy Bell Road, the east-west corridor to its north. "Northern Avenue will serve as a gateway to this part of the West Valley and foster job creation," Max Wilson, chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, said.

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