State Route 87 (Arizona)

State Route 87 (Arizona) is a north–south state highway traversing central and south-central Arizona, connecting the Phoenix metropolitan area with interior communities and recreational destinations. The route serves as a key arterial between Buckeye, Mesa, Scottsdale, Globe, and Payson, while passing through diverse landscapes such as the Sonoran Desert, Tonto Basin, and the Salt River. It supports commuter, commercial, and tourist traffic between the Phoenix metropolitan area, the Superstition Mountains, and the Mogollon Rim.

Route description

State Route 87 begins near Interstate 10 west of Buckeye and proceeds northeast as a multilane arterial toward the Phoenix metroplex, intersecting Loop 303, U.S. 60 near Wickenburg Junction, and passing close to Luke Air Force Base, Gila River Indian Community, and Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community. Through Mesa and Scottsdale suburbs the highway functions as an urban arterial known locally as McKellips Road and Scottsdale Road, connecting to major corridors including Arizona State Route 202, Arizona State Route 143, and U.S. 60. North of Fort McDowell, the route enters more rural and mountainous terrain, skirting the western edge of the Superstition Wilderness, crossing the Salt River and providing access to recreational sites such as Saguaro Lake and Canyon Lake via spur roads and marinas operated by agencies like the United States Forest Service and the Arizona State Parks. Continuing north, the highway climbs through the Tonto National Forest, reaches the foothills near Payson on the Mogollon Rim, and terminates at an intersection with SR 260 just south of downtown Payson. The corridor interfaces with freight routes to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, commuter flows to Downtown Phoenix, and tourism to destinations such as the Superstition Mountains and Four Peaks Wilderness.

History

The alignment that became the highway emerged in the early 20th century as a series of territorial and county roads serving agriculture and mining communities such as Globe and Florence. Formal designation as a numbered state route occurred during statewide highway expansions in the 1920s and 1930s, contemporaneous with projects undertaken by institutions like the Arizona Department of Transportation and influenced by federal programs under the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921. Paving and realignment accelerated after World War II to accommodate automobile growth tied to the rise of Phoenix and military installations like Luke Air Force Base. In the 1960s and 1970s, segments near Mesa and Scottsdale were widened in response to suburban expansion linked to employers such as Intel and municipal projects in Tempe. Environmental and cultural considerations—addressed through consultation with tribes including the Gila River Indian Community and the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community—have shaped later corridor improvements. Recent decades have seen interchange reconstructions at connections to U.S. Route 60 and upgrades to accommodate increased recreational travel to the Tonto National Forest.

Major intersections

The route includes several principal junctions with national and state highways and local arterials: - Southern terminus near Interstate 10 (Buckeye area). - Intersection with Loop 303 serving Peoria and Glendale. - Junction with SR 85 providing access toward Ajo and Yuma. - Confluence with U.S. 60 near the Wickenburg/Globe corridor. - Crossings and interchanges with Arizona State Route 202 and Arizona State Route 143 serving Tempe and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. - Northern terminus at SR 260 near Payson and the Mogollon Rim.

Traffic and usage

Traffic patterns along the corridor are heterogeneous: high-volume commuter and commercial flows occur in the Phoenix metropolitan area segments adjacent to employment centers such as Downtown Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa, generating peak-direction congestion during weekday rush hours. Rural stretches through the Tonto National Forest and the Salt River canyon experience seasonal surges tied to tourism, boating at Saguaro Lake, and weekend recreational trips from population centers including Scottsdale and Chandler. Freight movements use the route as a secondary connector to interstates and rail yards serving Union Pacific Railroad operations in the region. Crash data and traffic engineering studies by the Arizona Department of Transportation have identified collision clusters at key intersections and on two-lane segments with limited sight distance, prompting targeted safety countermeasures such as passing lanes, rumble strips, and signal timing optimization.

Future developments and improvements

Planned and proposed projects focus on capacity, safety, and multimodal connectivity. Upgrades coordinated by the Arizona Department of Transportation and local jurisdictions include interchange enhancements near Loop 303, widening projects around growing suburbs serviced by employers like Honeywell and Raytheon Technologies, and corridor safety improvements in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration and tribal governments. Environmental assessments under the National Environmental Policy Act have guided alignments to minimize impacts to the Sonoran Desert ecosystem, riparian habitats along the Salt River, and cultural sites associated with the Tohono Oʼodham Nation and other tribes. Long-range plans consider enhanced transit linkages to the Phoenix metropolitan area transit network and resilience measures addressing extreme heat and wildfire risk characteristic of Arizona landscapes.

Category:State highways in Arizona