Grand Canyon Times

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has announced that the southbound Loop 101 off-ramp at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard will be closed for two months starting at approximately 1 a.m. on Monday, March 24. This closure is part of an ongoing freeway widening project in north Scottsdale and is scheduled to reopen by late May.

Drivers who typically use this ramp are advised to consider alternate routes, such as exiting the southbound Loop 101 at Princess Drive/Pima Road. From there, travelers can use the southbound Loop 101 frontage road to reach Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard.

Motorists are encouraged to allow extra travel time, reduce speed, and give space for traffic entering the freeway while construction crews work on the project.

The $108 million Pima Freeway Improvement Project spans from Shea Boulevard to Princess Drive/Pima Road and began in January 2024. Throughout this two-year project, on- and off-ramps between Shea Boulevard and Pima Road/Princess Drive are being reconstructed to accommodate a wider freeway. The entire project is expected to be completed by early 2026.

As part of the improvements, ADOT is adding one lane in each direction along a 4.5-mile stretch of the Pima Freeway north of Shea Boulevard. Additional upgrades include converting the Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard interchange into a diamond configuration and installing new signs, traffic signals, and lighting.

Funding for the Loop 101 widening project comes partly from Proposition 400, a half-cent sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004. The project falls under the Regional Transportation Plan managed by the Maricopa Association of Governments, which serves as the metropolitan planning organization for Greater Phoenix.

Real-time highway conditions can be accessed through ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, via the az511 app available for Apple or Android devices, or by calling 511.