Events

Expect heavier traffic toward Glendale for Tuesday’s Stones concert

Expect heavier traffic toward Glendale for Tuesday’s Stones concert

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Expect heavier traffic toward Glendale for Tuesday’s Stones concert

Expect heavier traffic toward Glendale for Tuesday’s Stones concert

May 6, 2024

Time is on your side if make an earlier start toward State Farm Stadium

PHOENIX – Consider making an early start toward State Farm Stadium if you’re planning to spend Tuesday night together with tens of thousands of other Rolling Stones fans. 

With the concert scheduled for 8 p.m. and doors opening at 6 p.m., heavier traffic is likely all down the line on westbound Interstate 10 in Phoenix and on Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) in Glendale as concertgoers join the usual crowd goin’ home. ADOT encourages all drivers to allow extra time and avoid acting like wild horses. We have sympathy for you. 

The situation needn’t ruin your Ruby Tuesday or leave you shattered, however. Those who gotta get away from the Chandler/southeast Valley area might actually get some satisfaction by using westbound/northbound Loop 202 (South Mountain Freeway) to bypass I-10 through downtown Phoenix. Parking lots open at 4 p.m., so if you make an earlier start you just might wind up hanging fire while waiting on a friend who didn’t heed this advice. You can tell them, “Miss you.” 

You can get the real-time lowdown on highway conditions on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov or by calling 511. ADOT also shines a light via its Twitter/X feed, @ArizonaDOT.

Don't strike out going to and from the ol' ball game

Don't strike out going to and from the ol' ball game

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Don't strike out going to and from the ol' ball game

Don't strike out going to and from the ol' ball game

By Kathy Cline / ADOT Communications
March 11, 2020

Editor's note: Due to the coranavirus, Major League Baseball announced that all spring training games have been suspended.

Heads up, sports fans, it's that time of year: spring training!

That means ballgames, pop flies, home runs, hot dogs, "peanuts 'n' Cracker Jacks," tons of fun and, don't forget, traffic on Valley freeways.

Whether you are rooting for the Giants, Rockies or Diamondbacks, whether your favorite team is in Surprise, Mesa, Goodyear or Phoenix, you can expect plenty of your fellow fans to be going the same place. And with road projects increasing as the weather gets warmer, traffic to and from spring-training games could be heavy.

With that in mind, here are some tips to make sure everyone makes it back to their own home plate without headaches:

  • Just as you would watch for that runner trying to steal second, always be vigilant behind the wheel.
  • Buckle up; no one wants to be put on the disabled list should the unfortunate happen.
  • Speeding and aggressive driving are more than just unsportsmanlike conduct. They are big factors in deadly crashes in Arizona, according to the Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety.
  • Be prepared to slow down if your route takes you through a construction zone;
  • Check travel times, traffic conditions and road issues either on az511.gov or our AZ 511 app to ensure you make it to the game before the first pitch.
  • And while baseball fans can differ on the designated hitter rule, we can all agree on designating a driver if you plan on consuming alcohol.

If you do get in a crash on the way to or from a game, remember to practice Quick Clearance and get off the road as soon as safely as you can. 

'Traveling' is allowed during Final Four: ADOT’s freeway tips

'Traveling' is allowed during Final Four: ADOT’s freeway tips

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'Traveling' is allowed during Final Four: ADOT’s freeway tips

'Traveling' is allowed during Final Four: ADOT’s freeway tips

March 31, 2017

"My bracket is a bust. But, my drive is a slam dunk!"

EDITOR'S NOTE: ADOT can only hope to contain this author when it comes to sharing sports clichés. We promise to rebound in future posts.

By Doug Nintzel / ADOT Communications

As thousands of college basketball fans “check in at the scorer’s table” in the Valley for the NCAA Final Four weekend, drivers should be prepared for heavier traffic at times on freeways providing connections to and between major event locations. The Arizona Department of Transportation has its own “keys to the game” travel tips for fans and local commuters alike.

Of course, fans will want to “drive the lane” along Interstate 10 in the downtown Phoenix area as one way to access weekend events being held between Friday, March 31, and Monday, April 3. But here are some specific suggestions to consider:

  • Use the ramps to or from I-10 at Seventh Avenue, rather than Seventh Street.
  • Consider using I-17 and traveling north on Seventh Avenue to approach the downtown area.
  • Allow plenty of extra travel time and get to events early.

Why Seventh Avenue instead of Seventh Street? Well, the city of Phoenix is anticipating a “Space Jam” on Seventh Street – especially when the Final Four Fan Fest at the Phoenix Convention Center or the March Madness Concert Series at Hance Park are taking place.

Since westbound I-10 will have heavier traffic this weekend, don’t “bust your bracket” trying to make your way “along the baseline” to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, the site of the two national semifinal games on Saturday, April 1, as well as the national championship game at 6 p.m. Monday, April 3. Drivers should plan ahead for heavier traffic on westbound I-10, especially on Monday afternoon and evening.

Westbound Loop 101 across the north Valley is expected to provide valuable help “off the bench” as a good alternate route for fans to use between the East and West Valley regions.

ADOT will “dish out assists” to travelers by “posting” information about traffic conditions and stadium parking on its system of freeway message boards.

To limit “March Madness” when you’re looking for “nothing but net,” Final Four travel information is just a “free throw” or click away for anyone who “zips a bounce pass” to ADOT’s Twitter feed (@ArizonaDOT). Take out your “clipboard” and diagram the following Final Four travel information:

To avoid heavier freeway traffic on Monday, April 3, travelers should consider public transportation options.

It’s a “slam dunk” that ADOT will post information about traffic conditions and stadium parking on its system of freeway overhead message boards. The agency’s Twitter feed (@ArizonaDOT) and Facebook account (facebook.com/AZDOT) are both excellent sources for traffic-related information. Highway conditions across the state are available via ADOT’s Travel Information site at az511.gov or by calling 511.

For real-time information on traffic conditions in Glendale, visit@GlendaleAZPD on Twitter.

“Swish.”

Let's make NCAA championship rush hour a slam dunk for all

Let's make NCAA championship rush hour a slam dunk for all

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Let's make NCAA championship rush hour a slam dunk for all

Let's make NCAA championship rush hour a slam dunk for all

March 29, 2017

2017 NCAA Final Four Event Venues and Freeway Routes

By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications

For the fans of South Carolina, Gonzaga, Oregon and North Carolina, this has the chance to be one of the best weekends of their lives. A national championship is just a few days away for one of those schools.

For the rest of us, Final Four events leading up to Monday's championship game in Glendale should be a slam dunk. We’ve done this before.

Super Bowls. The 2016 NCAA football championship game. The Fiesta Bowl. NFL playoff games and weeknight Cardinals games. Go back to 2001, and there’s even a fantastic World Series.

We’re fortunate to host such events. It’s great to have the attention of the sporting world on our beautiful state. Millions of people will see images of cactus at sunset and mountains in the distance.

But isn't this a recipe for trafficpocalypse? After all, having more than 60,000 people headed to Glendale at the same time as the typical Monday evening commute could mean a full-court press on westbound Interstate 10.

Our history says that won’t happen if everyone, from ticketholders to commuters, plans ahead. If you’re going to the championship game, plan on arriving early. Parking lots will open at 1 p.m., tailgate events reserved for ticketholders begin at 2 p.m. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

If your commute usually involves I-10 in the West Valley, consider adjusting your hours so you can be on the road before or after Final Four traffic. Telecommuting would be an even better if that’s an option for you. A northerly route on Loop 101 from Interstate 17 or all the way from the East Valley is another way for ticketholders and commuters to reduce traffic on I-10 West.

There are events beginning Friday and lasting through the weekend in Glendale and in downtown Phoenix. ADOT will update you on freeway conditions throughout via Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) and Facebook (facebook.com/AZDOT). Check our electronic message boards, visit ADOT Traveler Information at az511.gov or call 511  for critical information.

Here are other sources to help you plan your Final Four travel:

  • Phoenix.gov/FinalFour has resources for getting around downtown Phoenix.
  • ValleyMetro.org/FinalFour helps you plan trips via public transportation.
  • On Twitter, @GlendaleAZPD will have local traffic conditions in real time.

Enjoy! After all, the Final Four and Phoenix go together a lot better than peas and … you know.

Heavy traffic expected on Interstate 15 due to NASCAR event this weekend

Heavy traffic expected on Interstate 15 due to NASCAR event this weekend

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Heavy traffic expected on Interstate 15 due to NASCAR event this weekend

Heavy traffic expected on Interstate 15 due to NASCAR event this weekend

March 6, 2015

PHOENIX — With a NASCAR racing event (March 6-8) expected to draw more than 250,000 fans this weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Arizona Department of Transportation is urging motorists traveling on Interstate 15 in the far northwestern corner of Arizona to allow extra travel time as the anticipated increase in traffic moves through an existing work zone in the Virgin River Gorge, nearly 100 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

ADOT is currently working on a major reconstruction project on Virgin River Bridge No. 6 (milepost 16), located midway between Mesquite, Nevada, and St. George, Utah.

While no active construction will be taking place this weekend, the highway is currently narrowed to one lane in each direction through the work zone until the project is completed in 2016.

This $27 million project includes the replacement of the bridge’s superstructure (girders, deck and railings), as well as widening the roadway through the narrow passage of the gorge.

ADOT is anticipating heavy traffic on southbound I-15 Friday afternoon, March 6, and on northbound I-15 all day on Sunday, March 8.

With limited alternate routes due to the remote location of the I-15 Virgin River Gorge corridor, ADOT urges drivers to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, slow down and drive carefully through the work zone, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

To stay up to date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at az511.gov or call 511; outside of Arizona dial 1.888.411.ROAD (7623).

ADOT completes freeway technology system along West Valley Loop 101 in time for Super Bowl

ADOT completes freeway technology system along West Valley Loop 101 in time for Super Bowl

I-17 101 traffic interchange

ADOT completes freeway technology system along West Valley Loop 101 in time for Super Bowl

ADOT completes freeway technology system along West Valley Loop 101 in time for Super Bowl

January 28, 2015

PHOENIX — When fans are making their way along Loop 101 to the NFL's Super Bowl in Glendale on Sunday, the Arizona Department of Transportation will use upgraded technology to help keep drivers informed while the agency tracks traffic conditions on the primary freeway route to University of Phoenix Stadium.

ADOT met a goal of completing installation of the equipment, including new overhead message signs and more than 20 closed-circuit TV cameras, ahead of the Super Bowl. Testing of the Freeway Management System equipment along Loop 101 between Interstate 17 and Interstate 10 in the West Valley wrapped up in late December.

The upgrades mean operators in ADOT's Traffic Operations Center in Phoenix are now able to better track traffic conditions along the 22-mile-stretch of the Loop 101 Agua Fria Freeway. This weekend, information will be posted on nine new overhead electronic signs. ADOT also will be able to provide freeway information to emergency crews and local communities.

Travelers also can check on freeway conditions, including camera images, from home or their workplace by visiting ADOT's 5-1-1 travel-information system at az511.gov.  ADOT also posts traffic updates on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT).

Prior to the $6.4 million project, there were only four overhead message boards and 13 closed-circuit cameras used to check traffic conditions along Loop 101 in the West Valley. 

Crews added the nine message boards above the freeway, as well as 21 new high-definition digital cameras, while replacing the 13 older cameras. More than 400 sensors were embedded in the freeway's pavement to track the flow of traffic.

The project, which started in March 2014, also required the use of 44,000 feet of fiber optic cable.

Traffic-management technology has actually been used along Phoenix-area freeways for more than two decades.

While the improved traffic-management technology along Loop 101 in the West Valley was not installed just for the Super Bowl, ADOT worked with the city of Glendale and the Maricopa Association of Governments to advance the project's construction schedule to complete the work in time for the big game.

The Loop 101 technology had its first major test, and worked well, on New Year's Eve afternoon when the Fiesta Bowl game between the University of Arizona and Boise State University was being played at University of Phoenix Stadium.

As part of the Loop 101 project, more than 25 ramp meter traffic signals also were installed along on-ramps to help provide room for traffic merging on and off the freeway during weekday morning and afternoon rush hours. 

Expect heavy traffic along I-10, Loop 101 in West Valley for Sunday events

Expect heavy traffic along I-10, Loop 101 in West Valley for Sunday events

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Expect heavy traffic along I-10, Loop 101 in West Valley for Sunday events

Expect heavy traffic along I-10, Loop 101 in West Valley for Sunday events

November 6, 2014

PHOENIX – Drivers should expect heavier traffic along freeway routes in the West Valley Sunday afternoon and evening as fans head to and from the NASCAR race at Phoenix International Raceway and the Arizona Cardinals game against the St. Louis Rams at University of Phoenix Stadium.

The heaviest traffic is expected on Interstate 10 and Loop 101 starting about 5 p.m., which is the estimated time for the race and the Cardinals game to conclude.

Drivers are encouraged to allow plenty of extra time for travel on I-10 and on Loop 101 and to get to the events well ahead of their scheduled start times. The Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at PIR and the Cardinals-Rams game is set to kick off at 2:25 p.m.

Heavy traffic is expected again once the football game and race end at approximately 5 p.m.

Here are some travel tips for fans using I-10 and Loop 101 on Sunday:

  • Arrive early and allow for extra travel time before and after Sunday’s events.
  • NASCAR fans should remember that their parking pass determines which I-10 exits to use to get to PIR. Fans without passes must exit at Litchfield Road or Estrella Parkway.
  • Due to heavier traffic, race fans should consider using the park & ride lot at the Ak-Chin Pavilion, two blocks north of I-10 on 83rd Avenue. A shuttle will operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., free of charge to fans with PIR-issued parking passes and $7 for others.
  • Drivers leaving University of Phoenix Stadium are advised to head north on Loop 101 to avoid anticipated heavy traffic and delays on southbound Loop 101 and I-10.

State highway conditions are available via ADOT's Travel Information site at az511.gov or by calling 5-1-1.