Overnight closures of southbound I-17 at Bumble Bee Road scheduled July 22-25
Overnight closures of southbound I-17 at Bumble Bee Road scheduled July 22-25
Closures necessary for I-17 Improvement Project bridge work
Traveler Alert: Overnight closures of southbound I-17 at Bumble Bee Road scheduled July 22-25
Closures necessary for I-17 Improvement Project bridge work
PHOENIX – Drivers traveling along southbound Interstate 17 during the overnight hours next week should plan for closures of I-17 at Bumble Bee Road (milepost 248) for ongoing work to reconstruct the southbound Bumble Bee bridge as part of the I-17 Improvement Project.
The full southbound closures will occur from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the nights of Monday, July 22, Tuesday, July 23, Wednesday, July 24, and Thursday, July 25, with work finishing up the morning of Friday, July 26.
Beginning at 8 p.m. each night, southbound traffic on I-17 will be reduced to one lane just south of Sunset Point (milepost 252), then diverted off the mainline at the Bumble Bee Road exit. The detour route will follow Bumble Bee Road around the bridge work, then traffic will reconnect with southbound I-17 approximately three-quarters of a mile from the Bumble Bee Road exit.
The speed limit along the detour route is 25 mph for the safety of the traveling public and highway crews. The northbound I-17 off-ramp at Bumble Bee Road will be closed during the same days and times.
The overnight closures are necessary to accommodate the work at the Bumble Bee Road bridge over southbound I-17 and to keep the traveling public safe. Girders will be placed and other bridge work will occur during the four nights of next week’s closures. Additional weeknight overnight closures in this area will be necessary during the upcoming months as the Bumble Bee Road bridge over southbound I-17 is reconstructed to prepare for the flex lanes being added as part of the I-17 Improvement Project. The work includes building a new bridge north of the existing bridge and taking down the old bridge.
The entire 23-mile stretch between Anthem Way and Sunset Point remains under construction throughout 2024 and 2025, as the new lanes are constructed and paved and a dozen bridges are either widened or replaced. The 15 miles of new lanes between Anthem Way and Black Canyon City are expected to open by the end of 2024, and the eight miles of flex lanes between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point are expected to open in 2025.
Once fully 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.
As a reminder to all drivers, ADOT lowered the speed limit to 65 mph along the entire 23-mile construction zone between Anthem Way and Sunset Point as a safety measure to reduce crashes due to excessive speed. The Arizona Department of Public Safety is partnering with ADOT to enforce the reduced speed limit. Both agencies strongly urge drivers to slow down, pay attention in the work zone, and watch for construction workers, vehicles and equipment.
For more information about the I-17 Improvement Project or to sign up for the weekly traffic alerts, visit improvingi17.com. For the latest information on highway closures and conditions, visit az511.com.
# # #
