State Route 24 (SR 24), also referred to as the Gateway Freeway, is currently a five-mile interim roadway between Loop 202 and Ironwood Drive, located north of Queen Creek.

There are three roadways in Queen Creek that connect motorists to the SR 24.

• Signal Butte Road
• Meridian Road
• Ironwood Drive

State Route 24, Loop 202 to Ironwood Drive Improvements

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is currently in the design phase to widen and make other improvements to SR 24 between Loop 202 and Ironwood Drive.

• Adding two general purpose lanes in each direction between Loop 202 and Williams Field Road, with SR 24 widened within the median
• Adding one general purpose lane in each direction between Williams Field Road and Ironwood Drive, with SR 24 widened within the median
• Building bridges over Williams Field, Crismon, Signal Butte and Meridian roads to fully separate SR 24 from cross street traffic
• Reconstructing the Ironwood Drive interchange to a Diverging Diamond design to improve traffic flow
• Adding an additional lane on eastbound and westbound Loop 202 near SR 24 in the following locations:
  • Westbound Loop 202 from SR 24 to Recker Road
  • Eastbound Loop 202 from Power Road to SR 24
  • North- eastbound Loop 202 from SR 24 to Guadalupe Road
• Constructing new connector ramps between Ellsworth Road and Loop 202 in both directions

This project is funded in part through Proposition 479.

Prop 479 is the continuation of an existing, dedicated half-cent sales tax in Maricopa County to fund transportation.

Timeline

Design is expected to be completed in spring 2026. The project is currently planned for construction in late 2026 with completion estimated for mid-2029.

To learn more about the State Route 24 and to subscribe for project updates and traffic alerts for this specific project, please visit ADOT's designated webpage for the SR24.

ADOT's Project Website

Ironwood Interchange

A section of the project includes converting a section of Ironwood Drive to a partial diverging diamond interchange, which will connect to the SR 24 both eastbound and westbound. The interchange is crucial to create alternative transportation routes. 

In the project budget, $87.5 million was included in the FY 2023-2024 State Budget for the Ironwood interchange; however, the FY 2024-2025 State Budget included a reduced appropriation of $59.8 million with priority to be placed on the building of the Ironwood interchange.

State Route 24 east of Ironwood Drive

The potential future SR 24 extension from Ironwood Drive to US 60 falls within Pinal County. The county is the lead agency for a study underway to evaluate this extension, with participation by ADOT. The extension of SR 24 is not currently funded so there is no timeframe for when SR 24 might be extended to the east. More information.