Crews complete traffic shift at Moores Gulch bridge over I-17

PHOENIX – Just in time for the winter travel season, drivers heading back to the Valley along Interstate 17 will notice a bit of a shift as they head toward the New River area. 

Over the weekend, crews with the I-17 Improvement Project opened the new southbound Moores Gulch bridge at milepost 238 and shifted traffic onto the new lanes of that bridge. It’s a milestone marking the major bridge work progress happening on this project. 

Traffic was shifted to the outside (the right side heading southbound) on the completed portion of the new bridge. This allows construction work to take place on the inside portion (the left side heading southbound). The remaining old section of the Moores Gulch bridge needs to be replaced. Crews began taking down the old section this past weekend. 

In the meantime, temporary striping and temporary concrete barriers will direct traffic to the outside lanes on the new bridge deck. Traffic will remain in this configuration for several months, until the inside portion of the new bridge and the new third lane are completed. 

The I-17 Improvement Project includes adding a third lane in each direction along the 15-mile stretch between Anthem Way and Black Canyon City. Widening the highway requires widening several bridges. From Black Canyon City to Sunset Point, flex lanes are being added along that 8-mile stretch. The new 15 miles of general purpose lanes are expected to open in late 2024, and the flex lanes are expected to open in 2025, the first of their kind in Arizona. 

The southbound Moores Gulch bridge is one of two bridges that are being replaced as part of the project. Ten other bridges, including the northbound Moores Gulch bridge, are being widened. 

Once the I-17 Improvement Project is complete in 2025, this major design-build project will help alleviate congestion and improve safety and traffic flow along a Key Commerce Corridor that is crucial to the state’s travel, tourism and economic development opportunities. 

Drivers are reminded to use caution and obey the reduced speed limit of 65 mph throughout the project’s 23-mile construction zone from Anthem Way to Sunset Point. This helps keep drivers, their passengers and construction workers safe. For more information about the I-17 Improvement Project and to sign up for traffic alerts, visit improvingi17.com.