I-10 Alert: Weekend closures west of downtown Phoenix

PHOENIX – Drivers using Interstate 10 through west Phoenix should plan ahead to avoid two closures of the westbound lanes at 59th Avenue for initial work to build a flyover bridge that will eventually connect to the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

With heavy traffic and delays expected, ADOT recommends drivers allow extra travel time and consider alternate routes, such as the Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) west of I-17, while the following closures are in place:

• Westbound I-10 closed at 59th Avenue from 10 p.m. Friday, June 23 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 26.
• Westbound I-10 closed at 59th Avenue from 10 p.m. Friday, July 7 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 10.

During the closures, westbound I-10 traffic will be detoured to the off- and on-ramps at 59th Avenue, but expect heavy traffic.

These closures are needed to set steel beams to temporarily support the concrete structure, also known as a straddle bent, for the future westbound I-10 connection to southbound Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway. The straddle bent is a multicolumn pier with an extra wide column spacing to straddle the I-10 lanes directly below the pier.

The 22-mile South Mountain Freeway, expected to open by late 2019, will provide a long-planned direct link between the East Valley and West Valley and a much-needed alternative to I-10 through downtown Phoenix. Approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985 and again in 2004 as part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan, the South Mountain Freeway will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system in the Valley.

For more information on the South Mountain Freeway, visit SouthMountainFreeway.com.

Highway conditions are available via ADOT’s Traveler Information site at az511.gov or by calling 511.