By Molly Cerreta Smith
With the season of holiday travel upon us, it’s more important than ever to check your routes before you head out on a road trip or vacation to celebrate the season. In addition to paying extra-close attention on the road while driving due to more travelers and an influx of out of towners that may not be as familiar with our roads, it’s important to check construction and closures to either plan for extra time or route a detour.
The I-17 has been experiencing closures at the on-ramp of Pinnacle Peak Road and according to the Arizona Department of Transportation, the southbound I-17 on-ramp will remain closed around-the-clock through the evening of Sunday, December 22. Additionally, the northbound 1-17 exit ramp at Pinnacle Peak Road will be closed around the clock through Monday, January 6, 2020.
These closures will further allow the continuing reconstruction of the I-17 traffic interchanges at Happy Valley and Pinnacle Peak roads.
According to its website, during these closures, ADOT will temporarily reconfigure portions of the north- and southbound I-17 frontage roads between Pinnacle Peak and Deer Valley roads while ramps at I-17 and Pinnacle Peak Road are reconstructed. The temporary reconfigurations below are scheduled to remain in place through 5 a.m. Monday, January 6, 2020:
• The southbound I-17 frontage road will become a temporary two-way road between Premier RV and Self-Storage and Adobe Drive.
• The northbound I-17 frontage road will become a temporary two-way road between Williams Drive and the roadway south of Adams Traditional Academy/north of the Phoenix Metro RV Park.
Work to reconstruct the Interstate 17 traffic interchanges at Pinnacle Peak and Happy Valley roads in north Phoenix is accelerating through the end of 2019 and into early 2020. The Arizona Department of Transportation advises everyone who lives, works and drives in the area to allow extra travel time and be prepared to use detours while several ramp, roadway and interstate restrictions are in place. Most work is scheduled to occur during overnight and early morning hours; however, ramp closures at I-17 will be in place continuously, seven days a week, while work is underway.
ADOT also notes that these scheduled closures (and re-openings) are subject to change based on weather and other unforeseen factors, so it’s important to check the website for updates. For more, visit www.azdot.gov or www.az511.gov. While experiencing heavy traffic or delays due to these closures, keep the spirit of the season alive by allowing extra space for other drivers to merge and providing courtesy on the road to ensure the holiday travel doesn’t bring out any Grinchy road rage. Merry travels!
