PHOENIX – Loop 202 (South Mountain Freeway) will close in both directions west of Desert Foothills Parkway this weekend to allow construction crews to prepare for the final phase of construction of the new diverging diamond interchange at 17th Avenue.

The freeway will be closed from 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 2, until 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 5.

During this weekend’s closure, drivers are encouraged to use Chandler Boulevard to travel west of Desert Foothills Parkway. Local traffic only will be permitted on 17th Avenue between Liberty Lane and Cottonwood Lane.

When the South Mountain Freeway reopens on Monday, Aug. 5, traffic at 17th Avenue will be switched to the recently finished portion of the interchange so crews can complete construction. Loop 202 traffic will continue to travel in the future eastbound lanes, with one lane each for eastbound and westbound traffic.

The interchanges at 17th Avenue and Desert Foothills Parkway are scheduled to be the first two diverging diamond interchanges in Arizona. In diverging diamond interchanges, drivers briefly switch to the left side of the road through the interchange, then switch back to the right side of the road. The design is considered to be safer and more-efficient for drivers by eliminating left turns across traffic.

Diverging diamond interhcanges also are planned for Happy Valley Road and Interstate 17 in north Phoenix, and at Houghton Road and Interstate 10 in Tucson.

For information on the project, visit SouthMountainFreeway.com. For additional current and planned construction information, click on the Construction Info tab.