Tag Archives: Interstate 17

Overnight closures planned on Interstate 17 near Flagstaff Saturday and early Sunday for overhead utility work

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FLAGSTAFF — Five temporary full closures of Interstate 17 near Flagstaff will be required this weekend to accommodate overhead utility work.

North and southbound traffic on I-17 at milepost 337 – located just south of John Wesley Powell Boulevard and west of Flagstaff Pulliam Airport – will be stopped while utility crews are working. Closures are scheduled to begin at 11:00 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, and continue to 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16. Each of the five closures is expected to last approximately 15 minutes.

Drivers should allow extra time for travel, use caution in the work zone and watch for equipment and personnel.

For more information about this project, please call Coralie Cole, ADOT Senior Community Relations Officer, at 602.501.4899, or email ccole@azdot.gov.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but it’s possible that unscheduled closures or restrictions might occur because of weather or other factors. For the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the

ADOT Traveler Information Center at www.az511.gov or call 511, except while driving.

Nighttime high tech injection work on southbound Interstate 17 at McGuireville

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PHOENIX — Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) crews are performing nighttime operations on southbound Interstate 17 at the McGuireville exit (milepost 293), using new high tech injection technology to address needed repairs.

ADOT is injecting foam deep underneath the pavement as a way to smooth out dips on Arizona highways. This method is more cost efficient than ripping out old pavement, re-compacting the sub-grade, and placing new concrete or asphalt.

One lane of travel for southbound traffic will be closed in the construction zone from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. nightly on Wednesday (July 20) through Friday (July 22). Work is also scheduled to occur at this location on Saturday (July 23) and Sunday (July 24) from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.

ADOT advises travelers to observe reduced speeds in the area, watch for crews and equipment in the work zone and allow for extra time for travel. ADOT works to inform the public about planned roadway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule.

Interstate 17 to close Friday morning between Flagstaff and Sedona

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PHOENIX — Interstate 17 is expected to be closed in both directions south of Flagstaff at 5 a.m. Friday, June 3.

The closure may last up to four hours.

Northbound traffic will be closed at State Route 179 (milepost 299). Southbound traffic will be closed at Kelly Canyon Road (milepost 331).

Non-commercial traffic can detour using State Route 89A.

Commercial vehicle drivers should consider altering their travel times to avoid being stuck due to the closure. Northbound commercial vehicles must wait in Camp Verde for the roadway to reopen. Southbound commercial vehicles will be required to wait at Fort Tuthill.

The closure is for police activity near I-17 at Newman Park where the Arizona Department of Public Safety will be safely disposing of hazardous materials that are best destroyed in place.

For the most current information about highway closures and restrictions statewide, visit ADOT’s Travel Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow us on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511.

Smoke from forest fire to reduce visibility on Interstate 17 near Flagstaff

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FLAGSTAFF — Motorists traveling on Interstate 17 and State Route 87 in northern Arizona are likely to see smoke over the next week from three fires burning in the Coconino National Forest.

The Cowboy, Mormon and Pivot Rock fires are relatively small in size, and the U.S. Forest Service is allowing them to burn. Smoke could be visible through the weekend from all three fires.

The Cowboy fire is just east of I-17 at the Kelly Canyon Road interchange north of Munds Park. There could be heavy smoke along I-17 between the Newman Park Road and Kelly Canyon Road interchanges on Tuesday as Forest Service crews manage the fire along the interstate.

Flames will be visible from I-17. Smoke will most likely settle over the interstate Tuesday night.

Motorists are advised to use caution, as the smoke could reduce visibility and firefighters will be working near the highway.

Smoke from the Mormon fire, about five miles east of Munds Park, could affect visibility along SR 87 north of Clints Well.

Smoke from the Pivot Rock fire near SR 87 at milepost 284 could also affect visibility along the highway south of Clints Well.

Motorists traveling along State Route 288 north of Roosevelt Lake may also encounter smoke from the Juniper fire, another managed fire in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness Area of the Tonto National Forest.

The Forest Service, under certain conditions, allows fires to burn to reduce fuels and the risk of more severe wildfires. During managed fire operations, community members and visitors may see fire personnel and vehicles in the vicinity.

To stay up to date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the Arizona Department of Transportation Traveler Information Center at az511.gov, call 511 or follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT).

Overnight lane restrictions tomorrow on I-17 north of Camp Verde

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Overnight lane restrictions in place Wednesday north of Camp Verde as crews complete work as part of the Verde River Bridge project.

  • Northbound Interstate 17 narrowed to one lane between mileposts 287 and 288 from7 p.m. Wednesday (May 25) to 5 a.m. Thursday (May 26). Please allow extra travel time and be prepared for slowing traffic approaching the work zone.

*A 12-foot width restriction will remain in place. Vehicles more than 12-feet wide should use State Route 260 west to State Route 89A, then north to Sedona, and south on State Route 179 to return to I-17.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule.

Delays expected through Monday on I-17 North due to Verde River bridge project

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Drivers on northbound Interstate 17 north of Camp Verde should expect to see delays through Monday (May 23) as crews complete work on the Verde River bridge.

Only one lane will be open for northbound travel at the Verde River Bridge between mileposts 287 and 288, just north of the State Route 260 interchange. Construction on the bridge and paving for northbound travel are expected to be completed by 6 p.m. Monday.

The on-ramp from SR 260 to northbound I-17 will be closed from 8 a.m. to noon on Monday.

A 12-foot width restriction will remain in place until Monday evening. Vehicles more than 12 feet wide should use SR 260 west to SR 89A, then north to Sedona, and south on SR 179 to return to I-17.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule.

Northbound lane restriction for I-17 just past Camp Verde interchange begins Sunday night

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Motorists traveling northbound on I-17 through Camp Verde should allow for extra travel time while lane restrictions are in place to accommodate work at the Verde River Bridge (MP 287 – 288) just north of the State Route 260 interchange.

A one-lane restriction for northbound travel will be in place continuously beginning Sunday (May 8) at 7 p.m. and ending Friday (May 20) at 12 noon.

Vehicles wider than 12’ will require to travel via detour to SR 260 via Exit 287 at the Camp Verde Traffic Interchange, to State Route 89A, then continuing to State Route 179 and departing via Exit 298 to continue northbound travel on I-17.

Please observe reduced speed limits and allow for extra travel time while traveling through the work zone.

Intermittent northbound I-17 closures start April 17 for overnight work near McGuireville

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PHOENIX — A project to reduce the potential for rockfall in a quarter-mile section of northbound Interstate 17 between Camp Verde and Flagstaff will require closures of up to 30 minutes overnight starting Sunday, April 17, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Drivers using this route between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. should plan ahead and budget extra time on the following dates, when intermittent closures will occur northbound near milepost 292 approaching McGuireville:

• Starting at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 17, and ending at 6 a.m. Friday, April 22.
• Starting at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 24, and ending at 6 a.m. Friday, April 29.

The project area is between Middle Verde Road (Exit 289) and the Rimrock/Lake Montezuma/Cornville exit at milepost 293.

Southbound I-17 traffic will be unaffected.

The project will remove rockfall debris and scale slopes to reduce the potential for rock to fall, among other work.

From April 17 through April 29, northbound oversize loads wider than 12 feet will be required to detour around the project area between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. The detour for oversize loads is State Route 260 to Cottonwood, State Route 89A to Sedona and State Route 179 to I-17.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule. To stay up to date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information System at az511.gov or call 511.

ADOT plans to test prototype wrong-way vehicle detection system in Phoenix area

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PHOENIX — After completing a comprehensive study of wrong-way driving crashes on state highways and how technology may help reduce the threat, the Arizona Department of Transportation is planning a prototype project to use existing highway sensors to detect wrong-way vehicles and to alert authorities and other motorists.

ADOT Director John Halikowski said the study sets the stage for the agency to develop and test a unique and innovative system to detect and track wrong-way drivers, improving opportunities for law enforcement officers to respond.

“While there are tremendous challenges in trying to prevent often-impaired drivers from entering a freeway in the wrong direction, we’re looking at a unique system to detect these vehicles quickly and warn Arizona state troopers, ADOT and other drivers,” Halikowski said.

ADOT’s study, which started in January, helped ADOT identify Interstate 17 in the Phoenix area as the best place to establish a prototype system. Initially planning to use a 3- to 4-mile stretch of the interstate, the agency will determine an exact location for the test system as it is developed in the coming year.

The prototype system, as currently envisioned, would enhance in-pavement freeway sensors that now detect traffic traveling in the right direction to also track vehicles going the wrong way. Such detections would alert ADOT’s Traffic Operations Center and the Department of Public Safety to the location of a wrong-way vehicle.

“We believe this will be a first-of-its kind system featuring the use of our in-pavement traffic sensors to track wrong-way vehicles,” Halikowski said.

The system also would include separate wrong-way vehicle detectors on freeway on-ramps within the test area, as well as technology to quickly post warnings on overhead message boards for drivers going the right way. Existing freeway on-ramp traffic signals, known as ramp meters, also would display a solid red light to hold traffic from entering the freeway when a wrong-way vehicle is detected.

A key goal of a prototype system is significantly improving alerts for law enforcement, including the Arizona Department of Public Safety, compared to relying on information relayed by 911 callers.

“There is no 100 percent solution for wrong-way driving, especially when impaired drivers are involved,” said DPS director Colonel Frank Milstead. “But if technology can be used to quickly notify our state troopers of a wrong-way driver, we can work to reduce the risk of a tragedy.”

ADOT has taken extensive steps already to address the threat of wrong-way driving, including installing hundreds of larger and lowered “Wrong Way” and “Do Not Enter” signs on more than 100 on-ramps along Phoenix-area freeways and rural state highways. Countermeasures also have included large white “right way” arrows on dozens of off-ramps. The arrows are outlined with red reflectors that glow red toward wrong-way drivers.

On several freeway off-ramps, ADOT in the past year also has begun testing different versions of wrong-way vehicle detection and warning systems manufactured by private companies. Some of that technology is expected to be incorporated into the future prototype system.

ADOT’s study also pointed to a societal problem that no technology can address: the role of impaired driving in wrong-way crashes. Two out of three wrong-way crashes on Arizona highways from 2004 to 2014 involved impaired drivers.

“Technology alone cannot prevent all wrong-way tragedies, but ADOT’s study and prototype for detecting and warning us about wrong-way drivers represent a positive next step,” said Alberto Gutier, director of the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “In addition to engineering, enforcement and education, there’s another ‘E’ to consider. It stands for everyone. We all need to work harder to keep friends, family and strangers from driving while impaired.”

From the study

• From 2004 through 2014, there were 245 wrong-way crashes with 91 fatalities in Arizona.
• About 65 percent of wrong-way drivers in Arizona crashes were documented as impaired during the study period, compared to 5.4 percent among all crashes.
• Twenty-five percent of Arizona’s wrong-way crashes were fatal, compared to less than 1 percent of all crashes.
• Fifty-three percent of wrong-way crashes were on urban divided highways and 47 percent occurred on rural divided highways.
• Interstate 17’s 39 miles in the Phoenix metro area had 26 wrong-way crashes during the study period and the most confirmed wrong-way crashes and fatal wrong-way crashes per mile in the state.
• Among rural areas, SR 89A in the Verde Valley had the highest rate of wrong-way crashes per mile, with three wrong-way crashes over 14 miles.
• Interstate 10 near Quartzsite had three fatal wrong-way collisions along a 16-mile stretch during the study period.
• Wrong-way crashes were more common after dark. Wrong-way crashes were more common on weekends.
• The majority of wrong-way drivers in Arizona were ages 16 to 35.
• Sixty-five percent of wrong-way drivers were male, 25 percent were female and 10 percent were documented as gender unknown.
• There was no significant difference between Arizona’s figures and national figures on wrong-way crashes.

Lane restrictions on southbound I-17 this week for routine maintenance work

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The Arizona Department of Transportation will perform routine maintenance on southbound Interstate 17 from Rock Springs to Table Mesa Road today, Sept. 14 through Thursday, Sept. 17 from 6 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Motorists should be prepared for alternating lane restrictions through the work zone between mileposts 236 and 241 to allow for a safe work zone for maintenance crews. Minimal delays are expected.

The speed limit through the work zones will be reduced to 45 mph during work hours.