Arizona News – Northbound Interstate 17 is scheduled to be closed this weekend (June 7-10) between Happy Valley Road and Loop 303 in north Phoenix for pavement improvement work, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Drivers should allow extra time, consider traveling during non-peak morning or nighttime hours and stay on the designated detour route. Northbound I-17 will be closed between Happy Valley Road and Loop 303 from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. Northbound I-17 on-ramps at Deer Valley and Pinnacle Peak roads also will be closed.
The posted detour follows westbound Happy Valley Road to northbound Lake Pleasant Parkway and eastbound Loop 303 back to I-17. The reverse of this route moved traffic efficiently throughout last weekend’s southbound I-17 closure between Loop 303 and Happy Valley Road.
ADOT offers these additional tips:
- Northbound I-17 drivers should avoid attempting to use other local streets as alternate routes. This is a recipe for longer delays and inconvenience for all. The posted detour, which will be monitored by off-duty officers and project staff, is the most efficient way to move through the area near the closure.
- Motorists, especially drivers of large trucks, can consider using Interstate 10 in the West Valley to northbound Loop 303 as an alternate detour route.
- Lengthy traffic backups are unavoidable during these closures, so drivers should plan ahead. Those with weekend plans to use northbound I-17 through the north Valley can consider traveling before Friday night’s closure begins. Traffic on northbound I-17 also generally is lighter during the early morning hours or later at night and is expected to be especially busy by mid-morning Saturday.
- ADOT will be placing local-only closures at neighborhood entrances on both sides of I-17 to help direct detour traffic away from local roadways. Law enforcement officers will be stationed at intersections throughout the area to assist with traffic flow.
- ADOT also is taking steps to reduce the chances that navigation apps will direct drivers to other local roads. Staying on the detour route regardless of what a navigation app may suggest will reduce delays for yourself and others.
Crews are continuing a much-needed project to improve the ride on 6 miles of I-17 between Happy Valley Road and State Route 74. This is the last of an initial series of four weekend closures so crews can safely and effectively remove the surface asphalt and clear as much dust and debris as possible before the freeway reopens.
Additional I-17 closures or lane restrictions will be needed as the work proceeds. ADOT encourages drivers to sign up for project traffic alerts at azdot.gov/projects (see Central District projects).
Crews initially are removing a top layer of older, worn asphalt pavement between Happy Valley Road and State Route 74. They will then smooth the freeway’s remaining concrete surface through a process called diamond grinding. Diamond grinding has been used in recent years to create a smoother and more durable road surface on a number of Phoenix-area freeways, including I-10, I-17, Loop 101 and Loop 202.
The I-17 pavement work between Happy Valley Road and SR 74 is separate from the I-17 Improvement Project currently underway north of Anthem Way. For more information about that larger project visit improvingi17.com. Drivers are reminded that the speed limit within that project’s work zone is 65 mph.
Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, the az511 app or by calling 511.