Bridge work to close I-17 near downtown Phoenix on Monday, Tuesday nights
Crews to take next step toward finishing new bridge over Central Avenue
Posted
Sections of Interstate 17 are scheduled to be closed on Monday and Tuesday nights (Aug. 30-31) south of downtown Phoenix for work to shift traffic onto the new northbound side of a soon-to-be completed freeway bridge over Central Avenue.
Northbound I-17 will be closed overnight between the I-10 “split” interchange near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Seventh Avenue from 9 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday (Aug. 31) and from 9 p.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday (Sept. 1), according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Traffic will be detoured on westbound I-10 in the downtown area, and drivers can connect with I-17 at the “Stack” interchange west of 19th Avenue.
Southbound I-17 is scheduled to be closed overnight between Seventh Avenue and Seventh Street, south of downtown Phoenix, from 10 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31, to 4 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1. The southbound I-17 on-ramp at 19th Avenue also will be closed. Drivers can detour on eastbound I-10 in the downtown area.
The closure schedule is subject to change due to inclement weather or other factors.
Crews continue to make progress on ADOT’s $13.5-million project to build a new I-17 bridge over Central Avenue. Work on the project began in May 2020 and is scheduled for completion this fall.
The overnight closures scheduled Monday and Tuesday nights will allow two lanes of northbound I-17 traffic to be switched onto the recently reconstructed north side of the bridge. As part of phased construction, freeway traffic is currently sharing the new southbound part of the bridge.
The new bridge is wider to accommodate regional plans for additional lanes along I-17 when future funding is available. The bridge will provide increased clearance for commercial vehicles on Central Avenue as well as Valley Metro’s future South Central Avenue light-rail line.
The project is funded in part by Proposition 400, a dedicated sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004.
