Southbound SR 51 scheduled to open Monday morning with restrictions

PHOENIX – Southbound State Route 51 is scheduled to reopen to traffic between Cactus Road and Northern Avenue by early Monday morning, March 16, but some restrictions south of 32nd Street are expected to remain in place as crews continue work this week on a pavement improvement project, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Three left lanes plus the HOV lane will be open following a weekend closure for the removal of asphalt pavement. Meanwhile, the following restrictions are now scheduled until Tuesday afternoon, March 17: 

• Two right lanes south of 32nd Street and the off-ramp at Northern Avenue will be closed. Drivers can use the southbound SR 51 off-ramp at Glendale Avenue and use northbound 16th Street to reach Northern Avenue.
• The southbound SR 51 on-ramps at 32nd and 26th streets will be closed. Drivers can consider using the southbound on-ramp at Shea Boulevard instead.

Drivers should plan on allowing extra time during their Monday commutes. ADOT’s contractor on the pavement improvement project has made steady progress on this weekend’s work to remove the top layer of worn asphalt pavement along southbound SR 51 between Shea Boulevard and Northern Avenue. However, some of the milling work has taken longer than expected, requiring the limited southbound restrictions to remain in place beyond Monday morning. 

The $17.8 million SR 51 pavement improvement project is scheduled for completion this fall. In addition to several weekend closures, the work will require weeknight lane and ramp restrictions or closures over the next several months.

Initial work includes the removal of the older, worn asphalt pavement along SR 51 between I-10 and Shea Boulevard during several upcoming weekend closures. Crews will then use the concrete pavement treatment known as diamond grinding to provide a smoother ride. The process removes a thin layer of the concrete surface while adding small grooves to the pavement to help limit tire noise. 

Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov and via the AZ511 app (download free for Apple and Android devices). ADOT also provides highway condition updates via its X feed, @ArizonaDOT.