Heads up, Phoenix drivers: the Arizona Department of Transportation is shutting down southbound State Route 143 this weekend. Starting at 10 p.m. Tonight, August 23, until 4 a.m. On Monday, August 26, the stretch between Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) and I-10 is undergoing a closure for a traffic shift. If you're planning on hitting the road during these dates, expect detours and allow extra travel time to navigate the affected routes.
It's not just the southbound artery that's getting blocked. "The following ramps will also be closed from 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, to 4 a.m. Monday, Aug. 26," as reported by the Arizona Department of Transportation. This includes the on-ramps at McDowell Road, Washington Street, Sky Harbor Boulevard, and University Drive, as well as the westbound Loop 202 off-ramp at Sky Harbor Boulevard.
For those aiming to go westbound on Loop 202, your detour will run westbound on Loop 202 to eastbound I-10, to reach destinations south of the closure. Eastbound Loop 202 travelers can use an alternative route via eastbound Loop 202 to southbound Loop 101 (Price Freeway), then to westbound US 60 to get south of the closure area.
If you're airport-bound, you can still get there using northbound SR 143 or southbound 44th Street from Loop 202. And when SR 143 reopens, a new traffic configuration awaits. "Southbound 48th Street will be closed between I-10 and Broadway Road," according to the transportation department, with this closure expected to spill into September. In the meantime, take the new flyover ramp to eastbound I-10 to get where you need to go.
