Once the work is done, freeway construction provides improvements allowing you and other drivers to get to your destinations in a safe, timely manner. But yes, there’s no getting around the frustration that comes with closures and work zones. This recent message from a customer caught our eye: 

"Why can't you finish one project before beginning another? There's construction everywhere!" 

That short, understandable question requires a bit of a long answer.

I’m sure you realize that Arizona is growing at a fast pace. ADOT handles state highway infrastructure projects, but cities oversee most work along local streets. And we need to point out that utility companies also have separate underground and overhead projects along our highways that are necessary to keep our economy rolling. So ADOT isn’t the only company or agency scheduling restrictions that can impact your travel.

Our project teams communicate with local cities and private companies and issue permits when needed, while coordinating where restrictions are needed in an effort to limit conflicts for drivers. But given the volume of projects, there are times when multiple work zones and delays are inevitable.

As for actual freeway projects, it has never been easy for transportation planners to schedule projects that are needed to keep traffic on the move.

We also need to emphasize that while there’s always work to do, transportation funding is limited. Decisions about which highway projects are prioritized, including the improvements along Phoenix-area freeways, also depend on when the dollars to do construction are available.

For the Phoenix area’s freeway system, the work to manage project funding and scheduling is done by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG). MAG, as the Valley’s freeway planning agency, manages the availability of funding from Prop 400 (a dedicated voter-approved regional half-cent sales tax for transportation) and other sources while setting a schedule for improvement projects.

It’s a challenge. But ADOT, as the builder, works closely with MAG to get these projects done and use limited funding efficiently while also minimizing impacts to your travel plans. Given the need to improve freeways as soon as possible, it wouldn’t be realistic to finish one project in a general area before starting another. And again, there are various utility companies that perform permitted work requiring restrictions along freeways and other state highways. That’s when communication and coordination come into play.

ADOT’s district managers and project leaders, along with community relations staff, work with construction and maintenance contractors to track and coordinate necessary restrictions. For example, these teams communicate their work schedules, often months ahead of time, to prevent separate highway closures in the same direction of travel in any given area.

Here are some things that might help limit the frustration with freeway construction and work zones. Go to the ADOT website and in the upper right corner, click on “Subscribe for Updates.” You’ll be able to sign up to receive emailed project updates, including alerts providing advance notice of scheduled closures or major lane restrictions. And it’s all free. You can also subscribe to ADOT's weekly Weekend Freeway Travel Advisory, which lists where Phoenix-area freeways are scheduled to be closed and lets you plan alternate routes away from traffic backups.

ADOT’s traveler information channels, including the AZ511 app (download free for Apple and Android devices), the AZ511 website and the 511 phone service, also provide information about highway conditions. We have staff members who focus on posting restriction information on ADOT’s network of digital message boards across the state. You also can follow us on Facebook and get highway updates on our Twitter/X feed @ArizonaDOT.

There’s no doubt about it: We have a lot of work to do to make your highways as safe, smooth and free-flowing as possible. I hope this information helps explain the challenges involved in getting all of us there.    

Just in time for the fall travel season, highway crews working for ADOT have finished the Interstate 17 pavement improvement project between Dunlap Avenue and Deer Valley Road. How important is that?

Well, drivers who regularly use that stretch of I-17 in north Phoenix on weekends can bid farewell to the full closures of the freeway, in either direction, that were needed over the past year while work was taking place to create a much smoother ride.

Yes, the project started in September 2022 and was completed on schedule. And now you can say so long to those detours along 19th or 35th avenues, or the recommended detour along State Route 51. 

If you have travel plans between Phoenix and northern Arizona communities, including Prescott, Sedona and Flagstaff, you don’t need to double check to see if a closure is scheduled within the project’s limits. We still want you to sign up for the free email delivery of ADOT’s Weekend Freeway Travel Advisory and check az511.gov before you go enjoy those fall colors.

As for the project itself, we certainly know that many drivers had experienced the rough ride on the aging asphalt pavement that has now been removed. The milling of the old pavement made a big difference even as the project was underway.

Ultimately, this was a diamond grinding project. Crews used specialized machinery to grind off a thin layer of the I-17 concrete pavement to provide improved smoothness while also adding grooves that help absorb tire noise. 

The project also included bridge deck improvements, including application of a crack sealant, repairs of concrete pavement spalling and installing new metal armor expansion joints on the freeway bridges traveling over Peoria Avenue and Greenway Road. And a project like this also provides all new lane striping and other pavement markings.

It’s all another example that a lot can happen in just a year’s time. Thank you for your patience if I-17 in north Phoenix is one of your routes. Please be an alert driver and focus on safe driving while using this improved stretch of the Black Canyon Freeway.