By Jim Walsh | East Valley Tribune
A rebound in the economy eventually will help East Valley commuters avoid traffic congestion, with higher sales tax revenues paying for a three-mile expansion of State Route 24, also known as the Gateway Freeway, near Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport.
Now little more than a one-mile interchange off the Loop 202, State Route 24 would allow Mesa to build a new terminal on the east side of the airport; provide a faster route for residents of Eastmark, an upscale master-planned community on the former site of the General Motors Proving Grounds; and give beleaguered Queen Creek and San Tan Valley drivers much better access to larger Valley cities.