The Arizona Department of Transportation announced on March 26 that two major freeway closures and additional cross street restrictions are scheduled in the Phoenix metropolitan area for the weekend of March 27-30. The department advises drivers to allow extra travel time and use detour routes as necessary.
According to ADOT, southbound State Route 51 will be closed between Glendale Avenue and Indian School Road from Friday night until early Monday morning for pavement improvement work. The closure also affects the southbound SR 51 on-ramp at Northern Avenue. Drivers are encouraged to consider using southbound Interstate 17 as an alternate route to reach downtown Phoenix or Sky Harbor Airport, with detours available via surface streets.
Additionally, westbound Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) will be closed between Interstate 17 and 51st Avenue from late Friday through Monday morning due to a widening project. The north- and southbound I-17 ramps connecting to westbound Loop 101 will also be closed, along with certain on-ramps at Seventh Street and Seventh Avenue. Detours include westbound Bell Road or Union Hills Drive, while northbound I-17 will be narrowed near Pinnacle Peak Road during part of the weekend.
Other scheduled restrictions include a closure of Lindsay Road at Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) for part of Saturday, as well as a paving-related closure affecting access from southbound Seventh Street onto westbound I-10. ADOT reminds travelers that restriction schedules may change due to weather or other factors.
ADOT manages various facilities across Arizona including rest areas, snowplow operations equipped with specialized vehicles, and highway cameras for traffic monitoring according to the official website. Its transportation initiatives aim to safely connect people while supporting economic growth according to the official website. Jennifer Toth serves as director of ADOT, overseeing planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operation of statewide transportation systems according to the official website.
The department’s efforts extend across multiple districts statewide—from Grand Canyon National Airport sites down to southern border ports—while working alongside regional partners on projects such as corridor studies and traveler information systems according to the official website. Services offered by ADOT include real-time traveler updates via AZ511.gov or its mobile app; motor vehicle support; construction oversight; and infrastructure improvements at airports and ports according to the official website.
Most current improvement projects receive funding from Proposition 400—a dedicated sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004—and Proposition 479 passed in November last year extended this half-cent tax for future transportation projects in Phoenix.
