Arizona State Route 51
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| Piestewa Freeway | ||||
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by ADOT | ||||
| Length: | 16.70 mi (26.88 km) | |||
| Existed: | 1987 – present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end: |
 I-10 in Phoenix
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 Loop 202 in Phoenix |
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| North end: |
 Loop 101 in Phoenix |
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| Location | ||||
| Counties: | Maricopa | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Arizona State Route 51 (SR 51), also known as the Piestewa Freeway, is a numbered state highway in Phoenix, Arizona. It connects Interstate 10 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 many Native Americans. Rapid growth and increased traffic demand on the east side of Metro Phoenix made the Piestewa Freeway necessary.
The freeway was proposed at least as far back as 1955. It was intended to become part of a never-constructed Interstate 510.
The southern terminus of SR 51 is located at an interchange with I-10 and Loop 202 immediately east of downtown Phoenix. It heads north from the interchange through the northern sections of Phoenix. The freeway travels through some major areas of Phoenix, and past some major services such as the Phoenix Children's Hospital, Arizona Heart Hospital and Heart Institute, and the Camelback Colonnade at 20th Street and Camelback Road. The highway then begins to climb to the top of the Dreamy Draw, a mountain passage between Piestewa Peak and North Mountain, before descending into the Paradise Valley area of North Phoenix. It reaches its northern terminus at an interchange with Loop 101 in northern Phoenix.
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