Travelers in the Phoenix area should brace for some disruption this weekend, from September 12 to 15, as several freeway closures due to improvement projects have been scheduled by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). According to ADOT's advisory, significant sections of key freeways will be off-limits, with detours in place to redirect the flow of traffic around the affected areas.
Specifically, the westbound Interstate 10 will be completely shut down between the I-17 "Split" interchange near Sky Harbor Airport and Seventh Avenue starting at 9 p.m. today and is expected to reopen on Sunday at 9 a.m., maintenance and inspection are the reasons given for the interruption, in addition to this, the westbound I-10 ramp to the southbound I-17 at the "Stack" interchange will also be closed, as will ramps from southbound SR 51 and westbound Loop 202 to westbound I-10 at the “Mini-Stack” interchange for drivers normally using these routes, a detour along northbound I-17 to access westbound I-10 is suggested.
The northbound Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) will not be accessible either between Shea Boulevard and Princess Drive/Pima Road in Scottsdale, due to a widening project from 10 p.m. today to 5 a.m. Monday, during this time the on-ramps at Via De Ventura and 90th Street will also be closed – ADOT recommends drivers to consider alternative routes such as westbound Loop 202 to northbound SR 51 for reaching Loop 101 beyond the closed segment. Football fans headed to the Arizona Cardinals game on Sunday should take special note as the route they might usually follow via northbound Loop 101 toward Glendale will be affected, necessitating an earlier departure and consideration of other pathways to the stadium.
Moreover, motorists who rely on the Interstate 17 ramps to westbound Loop 101 will have to find alternate routes from 10 p.m. today to 5 p.m. tomorrow as these ramps also fall under the closed list for the widening project; ADOT recommends drivers to use westbound Deer Valley Road or Union Hills Drive to 35th Avenue in order to reach the westbound Loop 101, also for those commuting on the eastbound Loop 202 (Santan Freeway), they must prepare for the on-ramp at Cooper Road and off-ramp at Gilbert Road to be shut from 10 p.m. today to 5 a.m. Sunday, and the eastbound on-ramp at Arizona Avenue to be out of commission until 5 a.m. Monday with the westbound on-ramp at Val Vista Drive closing for the same duration.
These schedules could change if weather or other unforeseen factors intervene; projects are being carried out as part of the Regional Transportation Plan for the Maricopa County region, which is funded by Proposition 400, a dedicated sales tax approved by county voters in 2004, and further supported by Proposition 479 approved last November, for real-time highway conditions while the projects proceed, ADOT urges drivers to make use of the resources available at their Arizona Travelers Information site, via the AZ511 app, or by calling 511 directly.
