Motorists planning to cruise along Grand Avenue (US 60) in Surprise this weekend better brace for delays and detours, the Arizona Department of Transportation has slapped the calendar with a pavement-sealing project set to stretch the lifespan of the highway's asphalt. A heads up for those hitting the road May 4-5. Traffic on US 60 will be squeezed down to one lane in each direction from 163rd Avenue to Center Street, with the stretch west of Loop 303 pinched shut from late Friday night until Saturday afternoon, only to repeat the inconvenience from late Saturday to Sunday.

Looking for a way around the slowdown? Westbound drivers can hitch a ride on the detour via Loop 303, taking a northern jaunt to Lake Pleasant Parkway then cutting across State Route 74, while those threading eastbound from Wickenburg have a workaround ready—just flip it and reverse it down SR 74 to Lake Pleasant Parkway and back south on Loop 303 to hit Grand Avenue again. The Surprise slowdown won't be the weekend's sole drama, a curtain call is slated to unfold the following weekend, as the same song and dance is tapped for US 60 between Wittmann's Center Street and SR 74.

Don't get caught unawares—seek out the latest highway hindrances and shortcuts with a click or a tap, courtesy of ADOT's real-time traffic tracker at az511.gov, or snag the update on the fly with the AZ511 smartphone app; an Apple and Android-friendly navigator that won’t cost you a dime.