Busy freeway construction season underway in Phoenix area

PHOENIX – It is going to be an especially busy next several months for Phoenix-area freeway improvement projects. And yes, that means closures are needed to accomplish the work.

Drivers should plan for weekend and overnight restrictions as the Arizona Department of Transportation’s current slate of construction and maintenance projects advances in a number of Valley areas.

“Warmer weather is a big reason for work gearing up now,” said Steve Boschen, who leads ADOT’s Infrastructure Delivery and Operations Division. “That’s especially true of paving work. But we also have projects at stages that involve major work and traffic restrictions.”

Freeway work in the coming weeks and months will include ongoing construction of new lanes along two sections of Loop 101, bridge work along Interstate 17 in north Phoenix and pavement maintenance in a number of areas, including work now underway along Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) in the Chandler area.

Drivers can ease some of the challenges associated with closures by staying informed, planning alternate routes and allowing extra travel time.

ADOT provides real-time information on projects, restrictions and traffic conditions via its Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) and Facebook (facebook.com/AZDOT) accounts as well as the 511 phone line and 511 app available for iOS and Android. The Arizona Traveler Information website at az511.gov allows you to receive information on travel routes you designate.

ADOT also makes good use of freeway message signs to advise motorists of upcoming planned restrictions.

ADOT’s top advice for Valley drivers? Sign up to receive the agency’s emailed project updates. It’s as easy as visiting the ADOT website at azdot.gov and clicking on “Subscribe for Updates.” You can choose among various freeways and also receive ADOT’s Weekend Freeway Travel Advisory for the Phoenix area, which is distributed on Thursday afternoons.

Valley freeway construction projects are scheduled within the Maricopa Association of Government’s Regional Transportation Plan approved by county voters in 2004. ADOT manages the construction for the region. Major projects with busy schedules heading into the spring months include:

• I-17 interchange reconstruction at Happy Valley and Pinnacle Peak roads. Older bridges are being replaced with wider structures as part of a $50 million improvement project scheduled for completion this fall.
• Separate Loop 101 widening projects along the Price Freeway between Baseline Road and Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) and the Pima Freeway between I-17 and Princess Drive. The $60 million Price Freeway project is scheduled for completion this summer while the $185 million Pima Freeway project across the north Valley is due for completion by spring 2021.
• I-10 interchange construction at Fairway Drive, east of Dysart Road in Avondale. The $21 million project featuring a new bridge over I-10 as well as freeway on- and off-ramps is scheduled for completion this spring.

Work also is scheduled to continue this year near or along the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, which opened to traffic in December. Examples of that work include landscaping and the addition of a top layer of rubberized asphalt along the freeway.

“We do our best to schedule as much work as possible at night in order to limit impacts on traffic,” Boschen said. “We also need weekend closures to accomplish more than you can in one night. That’s a big reason why we’re able to keep projects on schedule – something that many drivers will appreciate.”