A multi-vehicle crash on I-17 near Black Canyon City caused significant delays, leading to a 20-mile traffic backup on Sunday afternoon, AZ Family reports. The incident, which involved four vehicles, happened around 12:20 p.m. and resulted in minor injuries according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, as detailed by AZ Family.
Although the initial crash was cleared by 3:15 p.m., continued delays were amplified by a subsequent disabled vehicle at milepost 247, and efforts to resolve the congested conditions were hampered as tow trucks called to the scene got caught in the very traffic they were meant to alleviate, resulting in their delayed arrival and an extended period of congestion which compounded the traffic woes for the travelers stranded, some for hours, on this critical artery connecting northern Arizona with the Valley.
The Arizona Department of Transportation has offered alternative routes to navigate around the gridlock, suggesting drivers utilize State Route 260 near Camp Verde to connect with SR 87 southbound into the Valley or take SR 169 east to SR 69, then to SR 89, and finally connect to US 60 southbound, as detailed in 12 News.
Patience was advised by both the Arizona Department of Public Safety and Arizona Department of Transportation, with the latter keeping drivers informed via real-time traffic updates on their website and the AZ511 app, though drivers were cautioned to anticipate continued delays even as the impasse began to ease slowly.
