Arizona State Route 51

State Route 51 marker
State Route 51
Piestewa Freeway
Map
SR 51 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ADOT
Length16.70 mi[1] (26.88 km)
Existed1987–present
Major junctions
South end I-10 in Phoenix
Major intersections Loop 202 in Phoenix
North end Loop 101 in Phoenix
Location
CountryUnited States
StateArizona
CountiesMaricopa
Highway system
  • Arizona State Highway System
← SR 50→ US 60
The Piestewa Freeway at its southern terminus, the "Mini Stack" with Interstate 10 and Loop 202. Photo looks north as SR 51 winds through residential areas and the Phoenix Mountain Preserve.

Arizona State Route 51 (SR 51), also known as the Piestewa Freeway, is a numbered state highway in Phoenix, Arizona. It connects Interstate 10 and Loop 202 just outside Downtown Phoenix with Loop 101 on the north side of Phoenix, making it one of the area's major freeways. It is a largely north–south route and is known for traversing the Piestewa Peak Recreation Area. The peak was named after Lori Piestewa, the first Native American woman to die in combat in the U.S. military. Prior to this time, the freeway was known as the Squaw Peak Parkway, a name considered offensive by Native Americans.[2] Rapid growth and increased traffic demand on the east side of Metro Phoenix made the Piestewa Freeway necessary.[citation needed]

The freeway was proposed at least as far back as 1955. It was intended to become part of a never-constructed Interstate 510.[3]

  1. ^ Roadway Inventory Management Section, Multimodal Planning Division (December 31, 2013). "2013 State Highway System Log" (PDF). Arizona Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference bright was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference I-510 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).