The Arizona Department of Transportation knows from experience that there’s never a good time to close a busy freeway such as Interstate 17, especially on weekends. So here’s an overview for those who travel on I-17 in the area between Loop 101 and State Route 74 in north Phoenix: Please set aside extra travel time and try to avoid peak driving times when closures are scheduled for a pavement improvement project that’s starting in that area.

We also want to point out that this project is not related to the larger I-17 widening project between Anthem Way and Sunset Point.

The first closure for this pavement project is set along southbound I-17 between the SR 74/Carefree Highway interchange and Loop 303 from 10 p.m. Friday, May 10, to 5 a.m. Monday, May 13. That means if you’re planning a southbound trip in that area you should allow at least an extra 30 minutes for slow conditions approaching the closure. You might want to travel during the early morning hours or later at night, when overall traffic will be lighter.

Expect a northbound I-17 closure between Loop 303 and SR 74 the weekend of May 17-20. ADOT will not schedule any freeway closures over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Drivers should still anticipate closures continuing in late May and June. Other closures will be needed as the year and the pavement work progresses. 

Weather permitting, the ADOT project team anticipates most of the pavement work, including restrictions on weeknights, will be completed by late this year. We’ve set aside a year for all the work to be finished. 

In all, this project stretches along 6 miles of I-17 between Happy Valley Road and SR 74. The early work will primarily involve removing the top layer of older, worn asphalt paving along the highway. The other major work element involves the use of specialized equipment to diamond grind the concrete pavement. 

Diamond tipped blades on rotating drums in the diamond grinding machines remove a thin layer of the concrete to provide a fresh, smooth surface while also creating grooves that help limit tire noise. We have more information about diamond grinding on our website.

ADOT also will provide updated information about scheduled closures or lane restrictions. We invite you to subscribe to updates by visiting the I-17 Black Canyon Freeway (I-10 to SR 74) website. You’ll receive emailed updates about planned restrictions for this important pavement improvement project.

Thanks for your patience as ADOT works on this challenging but important project to improve the pavement along I-17.