I-17 Improvement project

Are we there yet? When will the new lanes open on the I-17 Improvement Project?

Are we there yet? When will the new lanes open on the I-17 Improvement Project?

Are we there yet? When will the new lanes open on the I-17 Improvement Project?

By Laura Douglas / ADOT Communications

February 29, 2024

Interstate 17 near the New River exit. A paved roadway with a barrier in the foreground. On the other side of the barrier are where the new flex lanes are being constructed.

It’s a question we get often on the I-17 Improvement Project – when will the new lanes from Anthem Way to Black Canyon City be done and open to traffic?

We’re happy to hear that drivers are excited as they see the daily progress that’s being made! The new lanes may look like they are ready to be driven on, especially near the Anthem area, but there is still work to be done before drivers can start using them.

Before the new lanes can open to traffic, the entire 15-mile stretch between Anthem Way and Black Canyon City needs to be completed to make sure traffic can flow safely through the corridor. Crews are still working adjacent to the existing lanes, so traffic may need to be shifted temporarily to accommodate that work. This Feb. 22 video takes you out to the work zone to give you an up-close look at the progress on the new lanes.

And finally, the four-part paving process needs to be completed along the entire 15-mile stretch, not just on the new lanes, but on the existing lanes as well. We explained the four-part paving process last year when the paving first started.

Our crews are working as safely and efficiently as possible to complete the improvements on I-17. The new lanes between Anthem Way and Black Canyon City are expected to be open to the public later in 2024, with the eight miles of flex lanes, which will run from Black Canyon City to Sunset Point, scheduled to open in 2025.

For more information on the I-17 Improvement Project, visit Improvingi17.com.

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Crews complete traffic shift at Moores Gulch bridge over I-17

Crews complete traffic shift at Moores Gulch bridge over I-17

Crews complete traffic shift at Moores Gulch bridge over I-17

December 4, 2023

I-17 Improvement Project marks another milestone for bridge work and progress

PHOENIX – Just in time for the winter travel season, drivers heading back to the Valley along Interstate 17 will notice a bit of a shift as they head toward the New River area.

Over the weekend, crews with the I-17 Improvement Project opened the new southbound Moores Gulch bridge at milepost 238 and shifted traffic onto the new lanes of that bridge. It’s a milestone marking the major bridge work progress happening on this project.

Traffic was shifted to the outside (the right side heading southbound) on the completed portion of the new bridge. This allows construction work to take place on the inside portion (the left side heading southbound). The remaining old section of the Moores Gulch bridge needs to be replaced. Crews began taking down the old section this past weekend.

In the meantime, temporary striping and temporary concrete barriers will direct traffic to the outside lanes on the new bridge deck. Traffic will remain in this configuration for several months, until the inside portion of the new bridge and the new third lane are completed.

The I-17 Improvement Project includes adding a third lane in each direction along the 15-mile stretch between Anthem Way and Black Canyon City. Widening the highway requires widening several bridges. From Black Canyon City to Sunset Point, flex lanes are being added along that 8-mile stretch. The new 15 miles of general purpose lanes are expected to open in late 2024, and the flex lanes are expected to open in 2025, the first of their kind in Arizona.

The southbound Moores Gulch bridge is one of two bridges that are being replaced as part of the project. Ten other bridges, including the northbound Moores Gulch bridge, are being widened.

Once the I-17 Improvement Project is 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.

Drivers are reminded to use caution and obey the reduced speed limit of 65 mph throughout the project’s 23-mile construction zone from Anthem Way to Sunset Point. This helps keep drivers, their passengers and construction workers safe. For more information about the I-17 Improvement Project and to sign up for traffic alerts, visit improvingi17.com.

A new podcast episode takes you inside ADOT’s I-17 Improvement Project

A new podcast episode takes you inside ADOT’s I-17 Improvement Project

A new podcast episode takes you inside ADOT’s I-17 Improvement Project

By Steve Elliott / ADOT Communications

October 11, 2023

ADOT recently marked one year of major construction for a project expanding capacity on 23 miles of Interstate 17 between Anthem Way and Sunset Point. So it seems an ideal time for our podcast, On the Road with ADOT, to catch up with Laura Douglas, the communications lead for this ambitious effort.

I invite you to spend a few minutes with Laura and Doug Nintzel, our podcast host, as they discuss how ADOT is widening I-17 to three lanes in each direction between Anthem Way and Black Canyon City and creating innovative flex lanes between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point.

You can subscribe to monthly episodes of On the Road with ADOT through Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You also can find episodes at azdot.gov/Podcast and featured in ADOT Blog posts. I’ve embedded the latest episode below so you can see why we’re so excited about this way of giving you an inside view of projects and more.

If you’d like to learn more about the I-17 Improvement Project and subscribe for updates, please visit ImprovingI17.com.

Now, on with the show ...

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From the Director: I-17 Improvement Project celebrates one-year construction anniversary

From the Director: I-17 Improvement Project celebrates one-year construction anniversary

From the Director: I-17 Improvement Project celebrates one-year construction anniversary

By Jennifer Toth / ADOT Director

October 3, 2023

An aerial view of an interstate in a rural area.

Congratulations to our I-17 Improvement Project team, which is celebrating one year since major construction began to add new general purpose lanes and flex lanes along the 23 miles from Anthem Way to Sunset Point. I drive this stretch of I-17 quite often and am excited to see firsthand the progress being made on this well-traveled highway.

In addition to the new lanes, the I-17 Improvement Project will widen 10 bridges and replace two other bridges. Once completed in 2025, this major project will help alleviate congestion and improve safety and traffic flow.

This past year, the construction team has focused on controlled rock blasting and earthwork. The rock blasting is needed to make way for the general purpose and flex lanes. A total of 1.7 million cubic yards of material is being removed from the mountainsides. All the excavated material will go back into the project. The team has been flexible, doing much of this work on weeknights, to minimize traffic restrictions.

Flex lanes, or reversible lanes, are a new feature for Arizona’s highway system. They are designed to reduce congestion on I-17 during peak travel times. I encourage you to watch this animated video to familiarize yourself on how the flex lanes will operate.

I want all drivers to pay attention to the speed limit, which is 65 mph along the entire 23-mile construction zone. Be watchful of our crews working in the median or on the sides of the highway. I want everyone to stay safe while either working or traveling on I-17.

I look forward to watching the progress being made on this important stretch of Interstate 17, and I’ll be sure to share with you what was accomplished to mark the second-year anniversary.

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New animated video shows how I-17 flex lanes will operate

New animated video shows how I-17 flex lanes will operate

New animated video shows how I-17 flex lanes will operate

June 29, 2023

First of its kind system in Arizona to change how drivers travel on I-17

PHOENIX – Motorists driving Interstate 17 north of Phoenix over the last year have seen crews moving dirt and blasting rock to make way for a wider and safer 23-mile stretch of highway between Anthem Way and Sunset Point, as part of the I-17 Improvement Project. When the project is completed in 2025, drivers traveling the approximately 8 miles between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point will experience the first flex lanes on Arizona’s state highway system.

Today the Arizona Department of Transportation unveiled an animated video created to help explain how the new flex lanes will work. The video can be found on a newly launched webpage dedicated to explaining the system, along with providing information and resources for drivers.

“The flex lanes are an innovative solution that increases safety and helps address congestion in a very challenging geographic area,” said Annette Riley, ADOT’s project manager for the I-17 Improvement Project.

The two-lane flex lane system is being constructed adjacent to the existing southbound lanes and will carry one direction of traffic at a time. The flex lanes are a proven system that safely addresses traffic congestion during peak travel times, or if an unplanned incident creates delays. Typically, the flex lanes will be open to northbound traffic Monday through Saturday, and open to southbound traffic on Sunday. However, the flex lanes will be open, as needed, to whichever direction has the heaviest traffic. They will be operational at all times seven days a week.

The new animated video shows how vehicles will use new crossover lanes to safely access the flex lanes, which will be separated from the existing southbound lanes by a concrete barrier. Steel gates will be installed in the concrete barrier in four locations, allowing emergency responders to clear traffic out of the flex lanes and into the general purpose lanes in the event of an incident.

ADOT’s Traffic Operations Center will manage and monitor the flex lanes remotely using cameras that will be placed throughout the corridor.

Dynamic overhead guide signs will alert drivers to the open direction of the flex lanes.
Safety systems will be in place to prevent vehicles from entering the flex lanes when traffic is flowing in the opposite direction.
A specialized automated net barrier and swing gate system will operate at both ends of the flex lanes.
When one direction of the flex lanes is closed, a series of swing gates will be extended. These gates get progressively wider and block access to the flex lanes.
Beyond the swing gates, a vehicle-arresting barrier with a net in the down position will also prevent vehicles from entering the flex lanes in the wrong direction.
These components of the flex lanes safety system are designed specifically for reversible lane operations in controlling the direction of traffic.

For more information on the entire 23-mile I-17 Improvement Project between Anthem Way and Sunset Point, go to improvingI17.com.

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ADOT protecting native plants along I-17 as part of Improvement Project between Anthem Way and Sunset Point

ADOT protecting native plants along I-17 as part of Improvement Project between Anthem Way and Sunset Point

ADOT protecting native plants along I-17 as part of Improvement Project between Anthem Way and Sunset Point

By Laura Douglas / ADOT Communications

November 11, 2022

Most of us have made the trip along Interstate 17 between the Phoenix metro area and Arizona’s high country. Whether you’re a driver or a passenger, hopefully you’ve taken a moment to appreciate the natural beauty along this major stretch of highway.

Now that construction is underway for the I-17 Improvement Project from Anthem Way to Sunset Point, there is some important work taking place to protect the natural landscape that is part of this scenic corridor.

Crews are removing viable native vegetation, including saguaros, barrel cacti, palo verde trees and ocotillos, along the 23-mile project corridor so it can be cared for and closely monitored during construction, then eventually replanted alongside an improved wider highway.

Drivers who regularly travel I-17 between Anthem Way and Sunset Point may see some of the salvage work during the next several months. Plant salvage crews from the Kiewit-Fann Joint Venture developer team will collect hundreds of viable native trees, accents (such as ocotillos and yuccas), saguaros and other cacti.

Viable native plants, trees and cacti to be salvaged will be taken with their native soil to temporary nurseries established specifically for the I-17 Improvement Project. Once a salvaged plant, tree or cactus is transported to the temporary nursery, it will be cared for, carefully monitored and maintained until it can be replanted.

Here’s something we can all appreciate: approximately two-thirds of the right-of-way along the 23-mile project area will remain undisturbed, and no salvaging will be necessary.

The salvaged trees and cacti aren’t the only plants returning to the natural landscape once the improvement project is finished. The work area will also be replanted with native seed mixes and nursery-grown plants. These efforts help to achieve the long-term goal of successfully revegetating the landscapeable area with a mix of plants that will thrive and restore the natural environment for years to come.

Restoring native plants has been an integral part of many Arizona Department of Transportation projects for more than 35 years. It is important work that benefits us and the natural environment.

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I-17 Improvement Project advances with developer agreement

I-17 Improvement Project advances with developer agreement

I-17 Improvement Project advances with developer agreement

October 28, 2021

The Arizona Department of Transportation has signed an agreement with the developer team that will design, build, operate and maintain the Interstate 17 Improvement Project from Anthem Way to Sunset Point.

The total project cost is $445,940,000, which includes the construction cost by the developer team, along with ADOT’s cost to administer the project.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2022 and is expected to take approximately three years. Now that the contract is signed, work can begin on this highly anticipated project that will include 15 miles of widening from Anthem Way to Black Canyon City and eight miles of flex lanes from Black Canyon City to Sunset Point.

The developer team is Kiewit-Fann Joint Venture. Key members of the team include Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.; Fann Contracting Inc.; Kiewit Engineering Group Inc.; DBI Services LLC; CONSOR Engineers LLC dba Apex Design; T.Y. Lin International; Lee Engineering; Terracon Consultants Inc.; Wheat Design Group, Inc.; Y2K Engineering; and Pinyon Environmental Inc.

The KFJV developer team was selected over two other finalists after an extensive review by ADOT with oversight from representatives from the Federal Highway Administration and the Maricopa Association of Governments. All three developer team finalists were encouraged to use innovation and develop alternative concepts to reduce project time and impacts to the traveling public and community while construction is underway.

Interstate 17 between Anthem Way and Sunset Point is a major stretch of highway that sees more than one million travelers every year. Because much of that travel and congestion occur on weekends, ADOT and the KFJV developer team will limit most of the lane closures to weeknights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. All motorists still need to be cautious and alert in the construction zone, which will be active seven days a week.

Once complete, the I-17 Improvement Project will help alleviate congestion and improve safety and traffic flow north of the metro-Phoenix region. This project will improve 23 miles of I-17, including 15 miles of roadway widening, two bridge replacements, one bridge deck replacement, 10 bridge widenings, and the installation of an eight-mile flex lane system—a new feature for Arizona’s highway system. Flex lanes are proven technology to help reduce congestion on I-17 during peak travel times and allow for traffic movement during emergency situations.

The I-17 flex lanes will operate as a separate, two-lane roadway carrying one direction of traffic at a time depending on the greatest need along the steep, winding eight miles between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point. For example, the flex lanes will be able to carry heavy northbound traffic on a Friday or heavy southbound traffic on a Sunday. Similarly, ADOT will be able to open the flex lanes to accommodate traffic any time if a crash or other incident causes long delays. The flex lanes will be next to, but physically separated from southbound I-17 using concrete barriers. Access to the flex-lane entrances will be controlled by gates.

In February, Governor Ducey announced $40 million in funding for the I-17 Improvement Project from higher-than-anticipated revenue amid Arizona’s strong economic recovery and federal COVID-relief funds. Additional project funding sources include:

$130 million of state highway funds appropriated by the state legislature in 2019

$90 million from an Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant

$50 million programmed by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) for the Maricopa County portion of this project

$135.9 million from federal aid with matching state highway funds. That includes $83.6 million approved by the Arizona State Transportation Board on Oct. 15, clearing the way for construction to begin in 2022.

For more information about the I-17 Improvement Project, visit azdot.gov/i17-anthem-way-to-sunset-point.

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