AZ Interstate 17 Construction Update
Phoenix AZ (October 5, 2012) – Arizona drivers traveling through the traffic interchange at Interstate 17 and State Route 69 in Cordes Junction need to be prepared for a major traffic shift beginning 7 PM on Sunday, October 7, 2012 according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
The new alignments will be in place for the next three months as crews continue to reach major milestones on the reconstruction of the traffic interchange.The following traffic shifts will be in place as crews close old bridges and ramps and open new ones:
● Northbound I-17 traffic headed toward Prescott Arizona will be directed through a new temporary road alignment that will take them to the new west roundabout (a second roundabout on the east side of I-17 has yet to be built) which will provide access to westbound SR 69.
● Southbound I-17 traffic headed toward Prescott or Cordes Junction will use the new Arcosanti Road off-ramp which will provide access to Prescott and Cordes Junction through the west roundabout.
● Local traffic can access northbound I-17 through the on-ramp at the new Arcosanti interchange. Drivers who stop at Cordes Junction will take Stagecoach Trail to Arcosanti Road to continue north on I-17.
● Local traffic can access southbound I-17 from Cordes Junction by taking the ramp to the west roundabout, then to the on-ramp to southbound I-17.
● The ramp from SR 69 to southbound I-17 will change from two-way traffic to one-way.
In addition, I-17 will be narrowed to one lane in each direction from 6 PM to 6 AM on Sunday, October 7 as crews shift traffic to the new ramps. Crews will also direct traffic on southbound SR 69 as the roadway is restriped.
Please see the attached map, which highlights the new temporary alignments and closures of existing ramps. The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage.
The work is part of a $50 million project to reconstruct the I-17/SR 69 traffic interchange, which was built in the early 1960s when traffic volumes were much lower than they are today. The new interchange will improve traffic flow and safety, while separating local and highway traffic.
Approximately 27,500 vehicles daily use this interchange, which links Phoenix and northern Arizona communities, including Prescott and Flagstaff.
ADOT advises drivers to allow additional time to reach their destinations and to proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit of 55 mph, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.
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Overnight bridge work on Interstate 17 at Cordes Junction tonight – Southbound lanes closed between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m.
The southbound lanes of Interstate 17 will be closed from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. tonight, Oct. 10 at Cordes Junction to allow crews to work on the new Arcosanti bridge over the highway, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. All traffic will be required to exit at the Arcosanti off-ramp and will re-enter I-17 at the on-ramp. Minimal delays are expected.
The work is part of a $50 million project to reconstruct the I-17/State Route 69 traffic interchange.
The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage. ADOT advises drivers to allow additional time to reach their destinations and to proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.
ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule. To stay up-to-date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at http://www.az511.gov or call 5-1-1.
Interstate 17 will be closed intermittently up to 15 minutes at a time between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 14 just south of Black Canyon City at Moore’s Gulch (milepost 238), according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
The closures will provide a safe work zone as crews place overhead utility lines across the roadway.
ADOT advises drivers to allow additional time to reach their destinations and to proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.
Law enforcement personnel will be present to enforce the closures as they occur.
The following late night closures and restrictions will be in place on Interstate 17 and State Route 69 in Cordes Junction next week, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation:
Monday, Oct. 15
▪ Drivers on Stagecoach Trail in Cordes Lakes will be directed through the work zone from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews make preparations for paving.
▪ I-17 will be narrowed to one lane in each direction from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. to allow crews to remove temporary concrete barriers.
Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 16 and 17
▪ The new Arcosanti Road that carries traffic under SR 69 will be closed from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. to allow crews to paint the new bridges. Local traffic that needs to access southbound I-17 will be detoured through the roundabout east to the new on-ramp at the Arcosanti traffic interchange.
▪ Drivers who are on SR 69 from Prescott and are headed to Flagstaff, Arcosanti or Cordes Lakes will be detoured three miles south on I-17 to Bloody Basin Road (Exit 259) and then directed to turn around to northbound I-17.
Drivers are encouraged to adjust their travel schedules in order to avoid the closures during these hours or allow extra time to reach their destinations. The work is part of a $50 million project to reconstruct the I-17/SR 69 traffic interchange.
PRESCOTT – Construction of an improved water system and ramada repairs at the Sunset Point rest area on Interstate 17, approximately 55 miles north of downtown Phoenix, has begun, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
The $2.5 million project includes drilling and equipping a new water well, the installation of new utility lines from the well to the existing pump house and storage tank, additional water system improvements, and the repair of five ramada roofs at the southern end of the rest area at milepost 252. The project is scheduled for completion in spring 2013.
The southern end of the rest area will be closed until the work on the ramadas is complete. Impacts will be minimal to the traveling public as work progresses.
The work is part of statewide rest area rehabilitation program that will occur over the next several years. ADOT is investing $17.4 million to repair and refurbish the infrastructure of 16 rest areas (which includes the Marble Canyon rest area jointly owned by ADOT and the National Park Service) that will improve the waste and water systems on rest areas across the state.
ADOT advises drivers to proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.