Report: South Mountain Freeway would help Phoenix air quality
By Sean Holstege | The Arizona Republic
The region’s air quality would get worse without the proposed South Mountain Freeway, according to a long-awaited environmental impact statement for the $2 billion project that was released today.
“In some instances, impacts under the No-Action Alternative would be greater than those that would occur under the action alternatives. As a specific example, energy use—in terms of annual fuel consumption—would be greater,” the report found.
That’s because freeway planners expect the region’s traffic volumes to double. They say the South Mountain Freeway is needed to get commuters between the east and west sides of the valley and to reroute long-haul freight traffic around central Phoenix. Today’s report supports the planners’ argument that without the key bypass, traffic would sit in congestion longer, burning more fuel and worsening the air.
