Arizona News – Drivers traveling along southbound Interstate 17 during the overnight hours next week should plan for full closures of I-17 at Bumble Bee Road (milepost 248) for work to take down the old Bumble Bee bridge over southbound I-17 as part of the I-17 Improvement Project.
Travelers should prepare for delays as southbound traffic will be reduced to one lane near Sunset Point (milepost 252) and will continue in one lane as they approach the full closure at Bumble Bee Road. Drivers will then exit and re-enter the highway at Bumble Bee Road, as a bypass detour route is in place. The southbound closures will occur from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. the nights of Monday, Feb. 10, and Tuesday, Feb. 11, and from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the night of Wednesday, Feb. 12, with work finishing up the morning of Thursday, Feb. 13.
Drivers are urged to slow down, merge safely and follow the established detour route that follows Bumble Bee Road around the bridge work. Traffic will reconnect with southbound I-17 approximately three-quarters of a mile from the Bumble Bee Road exit.
The speed limit along the detour route is 25 mph for the safety of the traveling public and highway crews. Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers are regularly patrolling the I-17 Improvement Project corridor and will be enforcing the speed limit during the nights of the closures. The additional troopers are part of a partnership between ADOT and DPS to increase safety and reduce crashes in the project corridor.
In addition to the three overnight closures of southbound I-17 for the bridge takedown, the northbound I-17 off-ramp at Bumble Bee Road will be closed beginning Feb. 10, through March 21. Bumble Bee Road will also be completely closed to traffic in both directions beginning Feb. 10, through March 21, for ongoing work in the area.
Next week’s overnight closures are necessary to accommodate the Bumble Bee Road bridge takedown operations over southbound I-17 and to keep the traveling public safe.
The Bumble Bee bridge over southbound I-17 is being completely reconstructed to prepare for the flex lanes that are being added as part of the I-17 Improvement Project. During the last several months, a new and wider bridge was constructed directly north of the old bridge scheduled for takedown.
Construction and closure schedules are subject to change due to inclement weather.
The entire 23-mile stretch of I-17 between Anthem Way and Sunset Point remains under construction through 2025, as the new lanes are constructed and paved and a dozen bridges are either widened or replaced. The 15 miles of new lanes between Anthem Way and Black Canyon City are expected to open this spring, and the eight miles of flex lanes between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point are expected to open later in 2025.
Once fully complete, this major design-build project will help alleviate congestion and improve safety and traffic flow along a Key Commerce Corridor that is crucial to the state’s travel, tourism and economic development opportunities.
As a reminder to all drivers, ADOT lowered the speed limit to 65 mph along the entire 23-mile construction zone between Anthem Way and Sunset Point as a safety measure to reduce crashes due to excessive speed and hazardous driving behaviors. ADOT and DPS strongly urge drivers to slow down, pay attention in the work zone, and watch for other drivers, construction workers, vehicles and equipment.
For more information about the I-17 Improvement Project or to sign up for the weekly traffic alerts, visit improvingi17.com. For the latest information on highway closures and conditions, visit az511.com.
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