Additional formalities associated with construction of a planned new Phoenix freeway are now complete.
Local streets along the route of the planned South Mountain Freeway have officially become part of the state highway system.
Those streets include parts of Pecos Road along the east end of the 22-mile freeway route and 59th Avenue along the west end.
Each end of the new freeway will connect with Interstate 10 to complete a long-planned expansion of the metro area's freeway system.
Making the streets part of the state highway system means that the state is now responsible for maintaining them until the freeway is built. Phoenix will then take back responsibility for any parts that don't become part of the freeway.
Construction of the freeway is scheduled to begin later this summer.
