Drivers throughout the Phoenix area should prepare for several major freeway closures and lane restrictions this weekend as Arizona transportation crews continue pavement work, maintenance projects, and sign replacements across key Valley highways.
According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, portions of State Route 51 and Interstate 17 will face closures beginning Friday night and continuing through parts of the weekend. Officials are urging drivers to allow extra travel time and plan alternate routes in advance to avoid heavy delays.
One of the largest impacts will involve northbound State Route 51 in Phoenix. The freeway is scheduled to close between Interstate 10 near the Mini Stack and Colter Street, just north of Camelback Road, beginning at 9 p.m. Friday and lasting until 5 a.m. Monday. Crews will be conducting asphalt resurfacing and pavement improvement work during the closure period.
ADOT also said several ramps connected to northbound SR 51 will be shut down while construction is underway. Those closures include ramps from Interstate 10 and Loop 202 onto northbound SR 51. The southbound SR 51 HOV ramp leading to eastbound Interstate 10 will also be closed during the weekend project.
Transportation officials recommend drivers use northbound Interstate 17 as the primary alternate freeway route. Surface streets including 16th Street, 24th Street, 32nd Street, Seventh Street, Cave Creek Road, Cactus Road, and Greenway Road may also help motorists navigate around the restrictions depending on their destination.
Interstate 17 will also see major impacts in north Phoenix. Southbound I-17 is scheduled to close between Loop 101 and Thunderbird Road from 9 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Sunday while crews replace overhead freeway signs. On-ramps at Deer Valley Road and Rose Garden Lane will also be shut down during the project.
Drivers traveling through the area are being advised to use southbound Seventh Avenue or 51st Avenue as alternate routes. ADOT also suggested using eastbound Loop 101 to southbound SR 51 as an alternate freeway option around the closure zone. Officials noted that eastbound and westbound Loop 101 ramps connecting to southbound I-17 will also be closed.
Additional restrictions are planned along Interstate 17 near downtown Phoenix. Northbound I-17 will be narrowed to one lane between 19th Avenue and Washington Street from 9 p.m. Friday until 1 p.m. Saturday for freeway maintenance work. Drivers traveling through downtown are encouraged to consider westbound Interstate 10 to avoid congestion.
Further north in the Valley, another section of northbound I-17 near Loop 303 will be narrowed to two lanes from 9 p.m. Friday until 2 p.m. Saturday as crews continue widening projects in the area.
Loop 101 will also experience restrictions throughout the weekend. In Scottsdale, the Loop 101 Pima Freeway will be reduced to two lanes in both directions between Shea Boulevard and Princess Drive from 10 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday for pavement improvements. ADOT warned drivers to expect slower traffic, merge carefully, and use caution while traveling through active work zones.
Meanwhile, additional overnight closures are planned involving Loop 101 and Interstate 17. Northbound and southbound I-17 ramps connecting to westbound Loop 101 will close from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Tuesday night as part of ongoing widening work. Westbound Loop 101 itself will also be reduced to two lanes between I-17 and 51st Avenue during the overnight restrictions, and the westbound Loop 101 on-ramp at 27th Avenue will be closed as well.
To avoid delays during those closures, ADOT recommends drivers use westbound Union Hills Drive or westbound Deer Valley Road to 35th Avenue to reconnect with westbound Loop 101.
Officials emphasized that all restriction schedules could change depending on weather conditions or other unforeseen issues. Drivers are encouraged to check real-time highway updates through AZ511.gov, the AZ511 mobile app, or by calling 511 before traveling.
Source: 12News
