Phoenix residents and weekend travelers, take note: a number of freeway closures and restrictions will be affecting your travel plans this weekend, from October 4th through 7th. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has slated improvements that will cause temporary shutdowns on major routes across the city. For those planning to navigate the metropolitan area, it would be wise to mark these closures on your route map and prepare for detours.
According to the ADOT release, westbound Interstate 10 will be closed between the I-17 "Split" interchange near Sky Harbor Airport and the "Stack" interchange west of 19th Avenue, starting from 9 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. This closure is due to paving and signage work, impacting travel plans around one of the busiest airports in the region. Significantly, the southbound State Route 51 ramp to westbound I-10 will also be shut. Detours will push traffic onto northbound I-17, which can reconnect travelers with I-10 at the Stack.
The East Valley won't be spared from disruptions. Eastbound I-10 closures stretch from US 60 to Ray Road for the Broadway Curve Improvement Project. The restriction commences at 10 p.m. Friday and lasts until 4 a.m. Monday. This stretch, a crucial link for East Valley commuters, suggests drivers to leverage the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeways for circumventing the affected areas. Additionally, work zone setup and pavement removal will close westbound Loop 101 between 51st and 75th avenues, with traffic advisories recommending Union Hills Drive or Bell Road as viable alternatives.
Further, closures will pinch the I-17, narrowing southbound lanes down to one between State Route 74/Carefree Highway and Dixileta Drive,--with restrictions lifting by 9 a.m. each morning of that weekend, as per ADOT. Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, a critical surface street, won’t offer respite either, shutting down completely at Loop 101 for bridge work. The Loop 202 at Lindsay Road will also face narrowing, as the ongoing widening project dictates traffic flow in the region.
