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PHOENIX – Motorists traveling from the West Valley toward downtown Phoenix this weekend should allow extra travel time and plan ahead to avoid a closure of eastbound Interstate 10 (Papago Freeway) between 83rd and 51st avenues for construction of a Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway interchange, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Eastbound I-10 will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday, June 14, to 4 a.m. Monday, June 17, in west Phoenix.
To avoid delays on eastbound I-10, motorists should consider alternate routes, including Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) west of Interstate 17, or exiting I-10 sooner and taking local streets to re-enter past the closure point.
The closure will allow crews to mill off the top inch of pavement that has reached the end of its service life and replace it with a new top layer of rubberized asphalt.
Eastbound I-10 traffic can exit at 91st Avenue and detour either to the eastbound I-10 access road or McDowell Road or Van Buren Street before re-entering the freeway at 51st Avenue; however, heavy delays are likely. The eastbound I-10 on-ramps at 99th, 91st, 83rd, 79th and 75th avenues will be closed to help reduce traffic backups.
In addition, the ramp from southbound Loop 101 to eastbound I-10 will be closed, as will the southbound Thomas Road on-ramp. Drivers can use Thomas or McDowell roads to connect with eastbound I-10 at 51st Avenue.
The 22-mile South Mountain Freeway is scheduled for full completion in 2020, although traffic is expected to begin using the freeway earlier. It will provide a long-planned direct link between the East Valley and West Valley and a much-needed alternative to I-10 through downtown Phoenix. Approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985 and again in 2004 as part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan, the South Mountain Freeway will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system in the Valley.
For information on the project, please visit SouthMountainFreeway.com.
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