ADOT is digging deep to prepare for the South Mountain Freeway construction. Drilling just began along Pecos Road to find out what's underneath, and what crews find will ultimately decide how to construct the new freeway.
There will be about 720 drilling sites along the South Mountain Freeway, and ADOT will drill anywhere from five to 175 feet to collect samples.
Those samples are then taken to a lab and analyzed. If the foundation isn't solid enough, Dustin Krugel, ADOT spokesman says ADOT will improvise. “We can potentially replace the soil, we can use a thicker pavement, or build up a support base,” says Krugel.
This geotechnical work is crucial for determining how to build bridges, walls, and even drainage for the freeway. The drilling will last a few months, to make way for construction later this year.
