Progress is being made on the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway. The first of 13 interchanges needed for the freeway is taking shape after the Arizona Department of Transportation closed Elliot Road at 59th Avenue.

The move allowed crews to make significant progress in a short amount of time.

Dustin Krugel is with ADOT.

"Now construction is going vertical," he said. "We’ve just poured the concrete piers for a future bridge that will carry Elliot Road traffic over the South Mountain Freeway."

Krugel said the bridge is on track to open in March and it will be the first South Mountain Freeway bridge used by motorists.

The 22-mile long freeway is set to open in 2019.