Arizona News – A busy stretch of southbound Interstate 17 in north Phoenix is scheduled to be closed this weekend (May 31-June 3) for pavement improvement work, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Drivers should allow extra travel time and stay on the designated detour route while southbound I-17 is closed between Loop 303 and Happy Valley Road from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. The detour will follow Loop 303 west, Lake Pleasant Parkway south and Happy Valley Road east back to I-17.
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ADOT is advising southbound I-17 drivers to not use other local streets as alternate routes. This is a recipe for longer delays and inconvenience for all. The posted detour is the most efficient way to move traffic through the area near the closure.
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Taking Loop 303 to Interstate 10 in the West Valley is an option, especially for drivers of large trucks and for those continuing toward California, Tucson and parts of the Valley reached through downtown Phoenix.
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Lengthy traffic backups are unavoidable during these closures, so drivers should plan ahead. Those with weekend plans to use southbound I-17 through the north Valley may want to consider avoiding delays by traveling before Friday night’s closure begins. Traffic on the southbound freeway also generally is lighter during the early morning hours or later at night and becomes especially heavy from midday Sunday into early evening.
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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.
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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 is the best way to reduce delays for yourself and others.
Crews are continuing a much-needed project to improve the ride on I-17. This is the third of an expected four weekends of work on this project. They are removing a top layer of older, worn asphalt pavement, before advancing to work to smooth the remaining concrete surface through a process called diamond grinding. While there are times when freeway improvement work can be done without closing all lanes, these closures allow crews to safely and effectively remove the surface asphalt and clear as much dust and debris as possible before the stretch reopens to traffic.
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.
With an additional weekend closure needed between Happy Valley Road and Loop 303 in June, ADOT encourages drivers to sign up for project traffic alerts at azdot.gov/projects (see Central District projects).
The I-17 pavement work between SR 74 and Happy Valley Road 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.
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